Minding the Manor

March 1, 2014

In this downstairs memoir, Moran (b. 1916) details her career in service from scullery maid to head cook. At just 14, she left her small town in Norfolk for her first job in London, desperate for big-city life. Mischievous and boy crazy, she suffered mishaps in both work and love, giving readers a relatable tale of a girl growing into womanhood. However, this work can sometimes feel more like a novelization than a personal history. Moran recounts dialog throughout, and while she boasts a healthy memory in her 90s, it is doubtful that she has perfectly recalled every stitch of conversation during her career. For readers who can suspend disbelief, the book holds up as a nostalgic look at adolescence and the gradual breaking down of "upstairs, downstairs" culture in the aftermath of World War II. VERDICT Fans of Downton Abbey who are eager for supplementary material will enjoy this work that evokes the presence of a grandmother who has sat you down to spin tales of the "good old days."--Kate DiGirolomo, Library Journal

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
A former kitchen maid conducts a guided tour of a bygone era in this entertaining recounting of life below stairs. After leaving school at age 14, Mollie Browne took a position as a scullery maid for a toff with both a townhouse in London and a manor in Norfolk. Much more than a dull recitation of duties and directives, this chatty memoir provides a glimpse into a vanishing lifestyle as well as a window into the dreams and desires of a spirited young woman eager for adventure and romance. With the wildly popular Downton Abbey series rapidly marching through the decades, this eyewitness portrait of domestic life between the two world wars provides some fascinating yet realistic background for both fans and social historians.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)