From the Cover:
After the Russian revolution turns her world topsy-turvy, Anna, a young Russian Countess, has no choice but to flee to England. Penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination.
Desperate to keep her past a secret, Anna is nearly overwhelmed by her new duties—not to mention her instant attraction to Rupert, the handsome Earl of Westerholme. To make matters worse, Rupert appears to be falling for her as well. As their attraction grows stronger, Anna finds it more and more difficult to keep her most dearly held secrets from unraveling. And then there’s the small matter of Rupert’s beautiful and nasty fiancée…
I used to hate re-reading books. I remember thinking, “Yeah, I read that. I know what happens,” and thinking that that was it. That once you closed a book it was over, done. Looking back at myself now I’m almost ashamed! I love reading, love characters and places and stories. So much so that I’ve made my career out of it. Books are my life. So how could I ever have thought like that? Naïveté, my friends. Pure and simple naïveté.
But alas, what does this have to do with today? Well, I was in a bit of a reading slump (a reflection of a personal slump, I suppose), and I needed to shake myself loose. I needed something to wake me up and really send in the feels that I cherish when it comes to reading. So I turned to a Russian tale that I loved in my youth, and have since returned to.
Written by Eva Ibbotson, the work has two titles–A Countess Below Stairs and The Secret Countess. Ibbotson has written several other YA/Middle Grade romances, but none of them touch me like the story of Rupert and Anna.
To begin with, I love Russian culture. Especially around the Revolution of 1917, and Anna fits right in with that. Then add nobility and secret loves and you’ve sold me. Now, unfortunately, it took me some time to get back into this book. I believe it was partly my slump, but also me reading from a now adult perspective. Yet the latter also gave me plenty of reason to compose this post.
I still love the story–still love Rupert and Anna and the craziness they live through just to *SPOILER* end up together. I love the setting and how the estate of Mersham comes alive with the cast of characters (especially considering my knowledge post-Downton Abbey). But I definitely got a feel for this book as the Middle Grade it is. In fact, it’s kind of in its own category between MG and YA. The plot and execution is simple and cute–an easy read. But the vocabulary is quite advanced (even for me at times, I must admit!). There are also some serious undertones that I did not pick up on as a kid.
I think it’s an interesting read–one I would recommend for a parent to read along with their child–if only to see how on the fence of a book it is, in terms of categorizing. And if you do decide as a teen or adult to pick it up, I implore you to give it a chance. Give it time to pick up and really enjoy the language and unique descriptions Ibbotson uses.
Rating: 4/5
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