From the Publisher
"An extraordinary document, realistic, candid, and a rare look from the vantage point below stairs at a nostalgically romanticized world." — Los Angeles Times
“A delectable assortment of tales and details about the habits of overprivileged Britishers and the people who served them…. Rosina is a feisty, keen-eyed, no-nonsense observer of caste, class, and character. And when she matches wills and wits with Lady Astor—a Virginia Belle by birth, a Member of Parliament, and mistress of a dazzling fortune, and of Cliveden, one of England’s most stately homes—the result is not only a crackling comedy of manners, but a sense of the way it was, firsthand.” — Newsweek
"Lady Astor's personal maid reveals her 'upstairs, downstairs' relationships with England's grandest family...Fascinating and deliciously readable!"
— The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
"Lady Astor's personal maid reveals her 'upstairs, downstairs' relationships with England's grandest family...Fascinating and deliciously readable!"
Newsweek
“A delectable assortment of tales and details about the habits of overprivileged Britishers and the people who served them…. Rosina is a feisty, keen-eyed, no-nonsense observer of caste, class, and character. And when she matches wills and wits with Lady Astor—a Virginia Belle by birth, a Member of Parliament, and mistress of a dazzling fortune, and of Cliveden, one of England’s most stately homes—the result is not only a crackling comedy of manners, but a sense of the way it was, firsthand.
Los Angeles Times
"An extraordinary document, realistic, candid, and a rare look from the vantage point below stairs at a nostalgically romanticized world."
Library Journal - Audio
Harrison grew up poor in Yorkshire in the early 20th century. Though she wanted to see the world, she had few opportunities to do so. So she went into service, working for the American-born Lady Nancy Astor, the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament. Harrison worked as Lady Astor's personal maid for 35 years, traveling in style throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa. Originally published in 1976, this memoir has been reintroduced to take advantage of Downton Abbey's popularity and features vivid descriptions of life among the rich and famous, including the detail that Lord Astor traveled with a cow to provide him with fresh milk. However, while Harrison's clever, humorous accounts of Lady Astor's clothing, social activities, and tantrums provide interesting listening, modern readers may have difficulty understanding Harrison's pride in such a restrictive life. Narrator Wanda McCaddon captures perfectly the accents and personalities of these individuals. VERDICT Recommended for memoir lovers and Anglophiles fascinated by life in the grand houses of the past.—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY Geneseo
