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A Countess Below Stairs

By Eva Ibbotson

(5)

| Paperback | 9780142408650

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Book Description

After the russian revolution turns her world topsy-turvy, Anna, a young russian countess, has no choice but to flee to england. penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping mContinue

Critics

A Countess Below Stairs

Desert Isle Keeper Review A Countess Below Stairs (This DIK review was written by a reader) Anna has carefully hidden from her family the fact that her latest career move is in service, rather than receiving it. Even the servants at Meersham recognis ... (read full critics)

likesbooks published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

1 Review

enjoyable

This book follows Anna Granzinsky, a Russian countess who is charming and sees good in everything and everyone despite being pampered and adored by her father and everyone in general.
Her world is turned upside down by the Russian revolution and World War I and she, along with her remaining fa ... (continue)

This book follows Anna Granzinsky, a Russian countess who is charming and sees good in everything and everyone despite being pampered and adored by her father and everyone in general.
Her world is turned upside down by the Russian revolution and World War I and she, along with her remaining family, is forced to flee for England and becomes penniless when an old family servant betrays them by taking about all of their precious jewelery.
Anna becomes a housemaid at Mersham, home of the Earl of Westerholme, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination, after persuading Pinny, her governess since she was a small girl, to let her and deciding not to tell her mother, brother, or cousin Sergei.
Anna has to deal with keeping her past a secret from the Westerholme household, her new duties as well as her immediate attraction to Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme. And what's more, Rupert is attracted to her as well. She finds it more and more difficult to keep all her secrets from unravellng before her eyes. And to make matters worse, she, along with the rest of the household, have to deal with Rupert's NASTY fiancée.
The premise of this book seems a bit impossible, but once you start reading it, the story falls so well into place with the help of Eva Ibbotson's lovely writing style, that you can't help believing and enjoying the book.
My only complaint with this book is that the attraction between Rupert and Anna was not developed well enough. Other than that, this book was great!
(Some of the plot summary above was taken word for word or derived from the Wikipedia page of this book)

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