24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A First-Rate Edwardian Romance., March 15, 2009
This is a brief but pleasant romance, occasionally sold under the title of "Emily Fox-Seton".
Emily is thirty-four years old, of excellent family background with a good "woman's education". Unfortunately, Emily is penniless and has to make her own living. Fortunately, Emily is practical, intelligent and extremely good natured. She has been dealt a poor hand but cheerfully makes the best of it.
Emily survives by Being Useful to noble and upper middle class ladies for a modest remuneration. Emily locates and recruits reliable servants, performs secretarial duties and runs errands for these patrons.
As the story opens, Lady Maria Bayne has invited Emily to her country estate to help with her annual "early August party". This year, the houseparty's draw will be the wealthy, widowed Marquis of Wanderhurst who is looking for a wife.
The reader is introduced to the potential contenders to the title of Marchioness. The American heiress, Cora Brooke, who has everything money can buy, excepting a Noble title. The beautiful debutante success of the last Social Season, Lady Agatha Slade, who must marry to save her family from absolute penury. And the widowed writer, clever Mrs Ralph, ready for another success. The hunt is on and it is all very entertaining.
One of interesting sidelights into this rarefied society is how much more freedom and self-determination is available to self-employed Emily when compared with the constricted and confined lives of the heiress and the debutante.
Recommended.
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33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hooray for Persephone!, June 26, 2004
Though famous for her children't books nowadays, this is one of Burnett's books for grown-ups. It is a sort of cheesy romance, but oh is it fun! Republished by Persephone Books, an independant published in London, this book is well worth purchasing: you'll read it again and again whenever you're looking for a fun, light, and well-written book on a rainy day.
Written a hundred years ago, there is a sort of paternalistic-bordering-on-rascist attitude towards the Indian characters, but I don't think it's anything too egregious.
When you've read this book, read "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," by Winifred Watson and also published by Persephone.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful book, April 19, 2004
I bought this book and The Methods of Lady Walderhurst (the sequel) just before my wedding. They are charming "shopgirl novels" in the nicest possible way. Poverty and difficulty at the start, marriage love and riches at the end. A lovely glimpse at another time.
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