Helpful Score: 12
Jane Harris has written a wonderful debut novel. Set Scotland in 1863, it tells the story of a young girl from a hardscrabble background who becomes a servant and her relationship with the lady of the house. The lady, Arabella, has many secrets and her strange behavior at first mystifies and then draws in young Bessy. Bessy, acting as narrator, relates the story in a believable and many times witty voice, although the story is a dark and tragic one. This is a book not to miss out on.
Helpful Score: 8
This is a very enjoyable story, full of mysteries, set in 1890s Scotland. The main character is a naive but spunky girl who finds herself working as a servant for a strange and enchanting mistress. Slowly the mysteries surrounding both women's pasts and their current relationship unfold. Their loyalty and friendship creates a bond that overcomes social status, age, lies, and betrayals. Although the pace was at times laborious, it was worth finding out the secrets of these engaging unlikely friends.
Helpful Score: 7
I absolutely fell in love with this book it is very uniquely written and the star of this one is a very likeable character. This is also the first book I ever sent out and have been wanting it back ever since! Great book great story and very different not the same old same old going on here.
Helpful Score: 2
Excellent historical tale! Mysterious and haunting!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is wonderful and very intriguing, hooked from the start to finish. Many curves and turns. Enjoyed this very much. So very interesting. Wanted to skip words to find things out LOL it is a very good book.
Loved this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that love gothic mysteries.
I thought this was an intriguing book -- loved the main character of Bessy, the wise-cracking Irish maid in a Victorian Scottish country home where things are not quite what they seem. Lots of twists and turns in this very assured first novel. Unexpectedly funny amidst the doom and gloom.
Thoroughly enjoyable talke. Very original. Hard to put down.About a servant girl and her mistress in Scotland in the early 19th century.
The story was good and the narrator charming, but the book could've used a 100 page edit. Took too long to get to the point and the mystery wasn't strong enough to keep you reading.
Excellent! I'm glad that I got it in a swap, otherwise I think I might never have read it.
The dialect might be a little hard to get through at first, but you'll get used to it.
The dialect might be a little hard to get through at first, but you'll get used to it.
It may take a little while to get into the dialect, but an enjoyable book with a great mystery.
This book was really unique in the main story line. Bessie thinks and speaks so funny sometimes. I got such a kick out of her. She was really brave and had such a wonderful disposition for the strange new work environment. It was a many layered story and kept you on your toes.
The story kicks off with Bessy walking down a long way to Castle Haivers in the hope of landing a job. On her way there, she sees a girl of about her age cackling to herself and dragging a metal box behind her. Bessy finally makes it to Castle Haivers to find the mistress of the house chasing after a pig. The house is a bit in disrepair and it is clear that someone (it turns out it is Morag, the girl Bessy saw in her travels to Castle Haivers) intentionally left a mess inside of the house.
Bessy is hired to be the house maid. During her stay there she grows fond of her mistress. Little by little the mistress begins to request odd things from Bessy. Later on Bessy discovers a book which she calls The Observations. The mistress is secretly writing a book about domestic help and their behavior. Bessy also discovers that Nora, the maid that preceded her, was dearly loved by the mistress, and clues in the book lead Bessy to believe that something suspicious surrounds the disappearance of Nora. Secrets about Nora and others in the community are revealed. However, I was most intrigued by the minor character of Morag, and was disappointed that the character played such an insignificant role in the plot. Where did she head off to? What was she dragging with her? Why didnt she share what she witnessed with others? I wouldve loved to have read her point of view on the matter surrounding her ex-mistress and her time spent at Castle Haivers. With that said, Bessy was a delightful character one thats rough around the edges, shoots from the hip, but has a great, big heart.
Bessy is hired to be the house maid. During her stay there she grows fond of her mistress. Little by little the mistress begins to request odd things from Bessy. Later on Bessy discovers a book which she calls The Observations. The mistress is secretly writing a book about domestic help and their behavior. Bessy also discovers that Nora, the maid that preceded her, was dearly loved by the mistress, and clues in the book lead Bessy to believe that something suspicious surrounds the disappearance of Nora. Secrets about Nora and others in the community are revealed. However, I was most intrigued by the minor character of Morag, and was disappointed that the character played such an insignificant role in the plot. Where did she head off to? What was she dragging with her? Why didnt she share what she witnessed with others? I wouldve loved to have read her point of view on the matter surrounding her ex-mistress and her time spent at Castle Haivers. With that said, Bessy was a delightful character one thats rough around the edges, shoots from the hip, but has a great, big heart.
