Life Below Stairs: True Lives of Edwardian Servants
Capitalizing on the popularity of Downton Abbey and the revival of Upstairs Downstairs, social historians have rushed to take a new look at the everyday lives of Victorian and Edwardian servants. Maloney casts a journalist’s eye on an old subject, weighing in with this slim volume detailing the daily grind without benefit of the glamour and the intrigue that has hooked millions of viewers on these highbrow soap operas. Although not much new information is provided, this handy compendium is a digestible introduction to the dos and don’ts of the highly stratified upper-class households of the era. Especially revealing are the interspersed anecdotal snippets culled from the memoirs of both domestic staff members and their well-heeled employers. --Margaret Flanagan