The Household is the first novel I have read by Stacey Halls, but I would definitely read more as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The book is fictional but, I was surprised to learn, heavily based on facts. The main focus of the novel is the creation of Urania Cottage as the means of providing help for ‘fallen’ women. Although I was aware Charles Dickens did take a charitable interest in women who had fallen on hard times I had no idea, until part way through when a quick search confirmed that Urania Cottage had existed, that Dickens had worked with Angela Burdett Coutts to found it.
At the cottage the women would be away from temptation, have a home with food and clothing, learn new skills and eventually begin a new life in the colonies. They had all been imprisoned for various reasons, and as their sentences neared completion, they were selected by a charitable committee as being worthy of rehabilitation at the cottage. For some this was easier than for others; not all of them wanted to start again in another country away from their families, no matter what had led them to their current situation.
The stories of the young women, specifically Josephine and Martha, are very much intertwined with that of their benefactress Angela Coutts. While Angela has wealth, companionship and comfort, things that are very much absent from the lives of the house’s inhabitants, her life has not been without distress. One of the key messages of the book is that while the lack of money is often responsible for people making bad decisions and taking desperate action, and therefore it can solve a lot of problem, it is not always the answer to everything.
I enjoyed Stacey Hall’s writing; it is so very easy to read. Her descriptions bring Victorian England to life and there are some good twists and turns as the plot develops. She does not shy away from showing the reader the darker side of these young women’s lives, and there are instances of real peril where I wasn’t sure if certain characters would make it to the next chapter.
I enjoyed reading about the residents of Urania House more than I did about Angela. I liked the character of Mrs Holdsworth and when she finally stands her ground, I was cheering her on. I also enjoyed the bond between Josephine and Martha and was satisfied at how their story develops. I liked how the comparison between the lives of the younger women and Angela contrasted. Having lived through severe adversity, ending up with literally nothing to their name, the new inhabitants of Urania House, developed strong friendships in their new home, and looked out for each other. In contrast Angela, who seemingly had it all, was really a very lonely person, and seemed incapable of forming any real bonds. Many of her relationships were formed on the basis of her extreme wealth. At times I felt she was a little two dimensional, and her weakness annoyed me especially when the other women had no alternative but to fight. Ultimately though Angela does come good, and this redeemed her a little in my eyes.
I found the last few chapters of the book a little rushed, and everything tidied up far too neatly. While I was ultimately satisfied with how it turned out for all the characters, I would have liked a little more detail about what happened and how, to bring everything to a conclusion.
The book is fictional but, I was surprised to learn, heavily based on facts. The main focus of the novel is the creation of Urania Cottage as the means of providing help for ‘fallen’ women. Although I was aware Charles Dickens did take a charitable interest in women who had fallen on hard times I had no idea, until part way through when a quick search confirmed that Urania Cottage had existed, that Dickens had worked with Angela Burdett Coutts to found it.
At the cottage the women would be away from temptation, have a home with food and clothing, learn new skills and eventually begin a new life in the colonies. They had all been imprisoned for various reasons, and as their sentences neared completion, they were selected by a charitable committee as being worthy of rehabilitation at the cottage. For some this was easier than for others; not all of them wanted to start again in another country away from their families, no matter what had led them to their current situation.
The stories of the young women, specifically Josephine and Martha, are very much intertwined with that of their benefactress Angela Coutts. While Angela has wealth, companionship and comfort, things that are very much absent from the lives of the house’s inhabitants, her life has not been without distress. One of the key messages of the book is that while the lack of money is often responsible for people making bad decisions and taking desperate action, and therefore it can solve a lot of problem, it is not always the answer to everything.
I enjoyed Stacey Hall’s writing; it is so very easy to read. Her descriptions bring Victorian England to life and there are some good twists and turns as the plot develops. She does not shy away from showing the reader the darker side of these young women’s lives, and there are instances of real peril where I wasn’t sure if certain characters would make it to the next chapter.
I enjoyed reading about the residents of Urania House more than I did about Angela. I liked the character of Mrs Holdsworth and when she finally stands her ground, I was cheering her on. I also enjoyed the bond between Josephine and Martha and was satisfied at how their story develops. I liked how the comparison between the lives of the younger women and Angela contrasted. Having lived through severe adversity, ending up with literally nothing to their name, the new inhabitants of Urania House, developed strong friendships in their new home, and looked out for each other. In contrast Angela, who seemingly had it all, was really a very lonely person, and seemed incapable of forming any real bonds. Many of her relationships were formed on the basis of her extreme wealth. At times I felt she was a little two dimensional, and her weakness annoyed me especially when the other women had no alternative but to fight. Ultimately though Angela does come good, and this redeemed her a little in my eyes.
I found the last few chapters of the book a little rushed, and everything tidied up far too neatly. While I was ultimately satisfied with how it turned out for all the characters, I would have liked a little more detail about what happened and how, to bring everything to a conclusion.