It is wash-day for the housemaids at Longbourn House, and Sarah's hands are chapped and raw. Domestic life below stairs, ruled with a tender heart and the iron will by Mrs Hill the housekeeper, is about to be disturbed by the arrival of a new footman, bearing secrets and the scent of the sea.
LONGBOURN by Jo Baker
Published: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction, Reimagining
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
This was a book that caught my eye immediately! Pride & Prejudice from the perspective of the servants? Yes! What a gritty concept for the reimagining of a classic novel.
I had high hopes, but within the first 100 pages of this book I was feeling disappointed. I couldn't see where the story was going or how the characters were going to evolve from the dreadful monotony of life scrubbing, cleaning and seeing to the needs of the Bennet's.
The thing that kept me reading was the brilliant insight the book gave into their working conditions of such a house in the 1800s, when run with minimal staff taxed with looking after such a large family. It was clear the novel was well researched, and I really respect that in a historical fiction as it's not always a given.
The novel is split into 3 Volumes, and by the end of the first my interest was piqued once more, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop reading!
With the introduction of the officers that the Bennet girls swoon over, it's clear their presence will disturb the order of things for the staff in the household in more ways than one. The new footman, James, seems to hide when they're invited to the house, whilst the youngest housemaid, Polly, catches the attention of the most frequent visitor, Mr Wickham.
The further into the book I got, the more invested I became in the characters. The story predominantly follows Sarah, the orphaned housemaid who remembers a different life and wants more from her current one; but throughout there are snippets of insight into all the character's thoughts. I found myself particularly drawn to Mrs Hill, the housekeeper, keen to keep order, but fiercely protective of those in her charge, including James, despite him seemingly being a stranger to them and new to the household.
Though she seems content and takes pride in the perfection of her work, Mrs Hill has a past that will resurface in a revelation that I certainly hadn't expected. She provoked sympathy not only for her character, but for the many women she represents within the era. It's all too easy to imagine the truth in her situation.
James. too, has a past that resurfaces, and the author impressed me yet again in Volume 3 of the novel with more historical accuracy in a completely separate setting. Men had their trials too, and sometimes their outcomes were literally life or death.
What I feared was going to be a disappointing read, soon made me change my mind. I appreciated all 443 pages of this novel for it's unique viewpoint. If, like me, you're a lover of good historical fiction, or frankly are fascinated by Pride & Prejudice from a different viewpoint, then I would recommend this novel!
~ If you enjoyed this review, please check out my others. I cover many genres, not just historical fiction! You can find more bookish content from me across social media @zuzuspages
Zuzu 🖋
Interesting to have the story from the point of the view of the servants - may have to have a read x
ReplyDeleteI thought it was an interesting choice too! x
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