The Household takes the reader back almost 180 years to 1847 and a quiet house in the countryside outside London called Urania Cottage, where the finishing touches are being made to welcome a group of young fallen women and offer them a second chance at life. The refuge is run by a board of governors, including the author Charles Dickens, and part-owned by millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts (who is left cold by the discovery that her stalker of 10 years has been released from prison), while a live-in housekeeper looks after residents with a background in prostitution and destitution.
Whilst there's much to commend in terms of well-researched world building, using real world characters to add a layer of familiarity and simple language to paint vivid scenes, it wasn't the easiest book to get into. The narrative voice during the early stages was a bit like listening to a fly-on-the-wall documentary series 19th century style, while the front cover - whilst reminiscent of the era and in keeping with the sobering subject matter - wasn't the most inviting.
Whilst there's much to commend in terms of well-researched world building, using real world characters to add a layer of familiarity and simple language to paint vivid scenes, it wasn't the easiest book to get into. The narrative voice during the early stages was a bit like listening to a fly-on-the-wall documentary series 19th century style, while the front cover - whilst reminiscent of the era and in keeping with the sobering subject matter - wasn't the most inviting.