- Biography
- Victorian history
- Working-class voice
- Strong female protagonist
"I will always remember the year 1887 for it is.. the year I went out into service... just past my tenth birthday... Of ocurse I cried when I left home but I was the eldest and there wasn't any room for me anymore..."
When I first read this book, there were no reviews for it, and I thought that I had better rectify that.
The author of this book is Dorothy Edwards, who is better known as the writer and illustrator of the "My Naughty Little Sister" series. In this book, she gathers several true stories that her aunt told her about her adventures working as a maid in London in the late 1880s. Her aunt was only ten when she was sent to live out for the first time - but she was one not to be messed with. Although she was young, small for her age, and at the bottom of the social pile wherever she worked Nan, as she was called, was a girl with great spirit - she always made sure she stood up for herself.
So whether it is teaching a lesson to some mean older boys, getting sweet revenge on a cheeky postman, or taking a rich young lady down a peg or two - Nan, with her strong sense of justice and right or wrong, is always a girl to be admired.
It is written in the first person, as if Nan herself had sat next to you and decided to tell you all about her childhood. This makes it the ideal book to read aloud to your children, especially as most of the chapters are not too long. So go on - grab a copy! I'm sure you and your children won't be disappointed!