Why a Booktrail?
WW2:War affects everyone regardless of class, sex and role in life
The Downstairs Maid
What you need to know before your trail
She is a servant girl…
When her father becomes ill, Emily Carter finds herself sent into service at Priorsfield Manor in order to provide the family with an income.
He will be the Lord of the Manor…
Emily strikes up an unlikely friendship with the daughters of the house, as well as Nicolas, son of the Earl. But as the threat of war comes ever closer, she becomes even more aware of the vast differences between upstairs and downstairs, servant and master…
Travel Guide
Cambridgeshire and Ely
Emily lives on a farm with her mother and father
“Pa’s small holding was situated between the village of Witchford and Ely, a small market town, with the status of a city, and famous for its wonderful cathedral and rich history. At the vicar’s school they learned about Oliver Cromwell , who had cut of Kind Charles’ head in the name of democracy and then sort of became a king himself.
As well as the history in the pages of the school books, the history of this time in England is lovingly recreated and evoked with fine detail. Like the patterns in an old doily on an armchir:
Woolworth stores:
“Emily went down the hill to Woolworth and popped in to look at the cosmetic counter. It smelled of the loose rose-scented bath salts you could buy by the pound and various cheap perfumes.”
The tallyman
At the start of the novel, Emily and her mother hide from the tallyman (rent man) with Emily under the table. Very reminiscent of times gone by I am told!
Streetview Maps
A) Ely - Oliver Cromwell house
C) Ely - Market Square
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information: The Downstairs Maid
Author/ Guide: Rosie Clarke Destination: Ely Departure Time: WW1
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