I love a good historical fiction novel and Stacey Halls knows exactly how to write one, I’ve read her previous books and every time I’ve fell in love with her writing, her characters and well researched realistic stories.
Set in Victorian London during the time of Charles Dickens, the city’s bustling atmosphere is portrayed perfectly, with the transport modes, fashion, attitudes and social economics and it was easy to imagine Urania Cottage in the midst of it all. The author has a knack for creating characters that you instantly endear to and it was impossible not to feel emotional at the plight of the girls living in the cottage and their various, unique background stories.
“The Household” is a fictional story based on the real ‘Urania Cottage’ which Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts set up in 1846, as an asylum for women and girls working the London streets as prostitutes, and ex prisoners who showed they wanted to reform. By offering the skills needed to serve a house, they were trained and then later ‘transported’ to the colonies to build a respectable life.
I found the social differences between the girls and the very prominent and rich Angela Burdett-Coutts, very interesting. Angela didn’t show any rightful airs and graces towards them and really did care deeply for their safety and reform. Her own story too, is intriguing and I couldn’t help feeling quite sad for her at times.
The denouement was sentimentally satisfying and I could really see this easily being made into a series, continuing with new girls being admitted to the cottage and following up on those who moved on with their lives. I loved reading “The Household” and have no reservations on recommending this book and author.
#TheHousehold - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Set in Victorian London during the time of Charles Dickens, the city’s bustling atmosphere is portrayed perfectly, with the transport modes, fashion, attitudes and social economics and it was easy to imagine Urania Cottage in the midst of it all. The author has a knack for creating characters that you instantly endear to and it was impossible not to feel emotional at the plight of the girls living in the cottage and their various, unique background stories.
“The Household” is a fictional story based on the real ‘Urania Cottage’ which Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts set up in 1846, as an asylum for women and girls working the London streets as prostitutes, and ex prisoners who showed they wanted to reform. By offering the skills needed to serve a house, they were trained and then later ‘transported’ to the colonies to build a respectable life.
I found the social differences between the girls and the very prominent and rich Angela Burdett-Coutts, very interesting. Angela didn’t show any rightful airs and graces towards them and really did care deeply for their safety and reform. Her own story too, is intriguing and I couldn’t help feeling quite sad for her at times.
The denouement was sentimentally satisfying and I could really see this easily being made into a series, continuing with new girls being admitted to the cottage and following up on those who moved on with their lives. I loved reading “The Household” and have no reservations on recommending this book and author.
#TheHousehold - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️