TBR Day–Review: A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

My TBR Day review (see the Avid Book Reader blog for more details) for March 2008:

• Book Read: A Countess Below Stairs
• Author: Eva Ibbotson
• Copyright: 1981 (However, this has been in my TBR pile for only about a year–but long enough!)
• Genre: Historical Romance (originally published as an adult romance, now published as young adult fiction)

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background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination.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 fiancee. . . .

I read reviews and heard about Eva Ibbotson’s books through the years from various websites. All About Romance wrote a DIK review of this book as well as several others by Ibbotson. I finally bought the book about a year ago when I saw it in a bookstore.

The book begins before the Russian Revolution when Anna is still a child, but most of it takes place after the Revolution and in England. Anna’s family arrives in England penniless and Anna finally finds a job as a housemaid on a country estate. The housekeeper and butler who interview her understand immediately she is not one of them and does not belong below stairs, but Anna begs them for the job and they need servants at least temporarily before the new Earl comes home.

Anna arrives at the estate armed with Selina Strickland’s Domestic Servant’s Compendium, a 2003 page book she found to teach her everything a housemaid needs to know:

What the Torah was to the dispersed and homesick Jews and the Koran to the followers of Mohammed, Mrs. Strickland’s three-volume tome, which clocked in at seven and a half pounds, was to Anna, setting off on her new career in service.

When she is nervous she quotes from the book:

Blacking for grates may be prepared by mixing asphalt with linseed oil and turpentine.

and

The tops of old cotton stockings boiled in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder make excellent plate rags.

I loved the image of Anna lugging her book to her new job where she must try to fit in and learn how to be a housemaid. Anna has empathy, quiet strength, compassion and genuine interest in others. She listens and quietly solves problems around her. She helps bring life back to the estate. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself even though she is a countess working hard every day as a housemaid. She meets each new event and obstacle with enthusiasm and though the hours are long she doesn’t give up–even when she finds herself falling in love with Rupert.

Rupert, Earl of Westerholme, never wanted to be the Earl. He never expected to survive WWI since his work was extremely dangerous. However, his father and older brother both died and though Rupert was badly injured he has all the duties of the Earl and none of the wealth. He has responsibility for the estate and its people. He’s in urgent need of money to save the estate and luckily he met a young woman while he was recovering from his injuries. Before he knew quite what happened they were engaged.

Muriel, Rupert’s fiance, is a rich heiress and in many ways the opposite of Anna. She and Anna both grew up in wealthy households with every luxury, but where Anna is humble, Muriel is arrogant. Muriel has a plan for her life–the first step is to marry into the aristocracy. She is glad to have Rupert dependent upon her and her money. This gives her the upper hand and makes it nearly impossible for Rupert to break off the engagement if he wanted to.

She is unimaginative, seldom thinks of others and is completely confident she is always right. She is certainly the wrong person for Rupert who cares so much about people–especially his family and the people dependent on him.

Muriel also has a deep passion for eugenics and is a follower of Dr. Ronald Lighbody who lectures and tries to bring his theories to the masses:

…the doctor believed that it was possible, by diet, exercise, and various kinds of purification…to create an Ideal Human Body.

Muriel was a strong devotee of the doctor’s theories:

There were people who, by physique and training, were somewhat superior and she would have been foolish not to recognize herself as one of them.

Of course, all these characters and many more clash in the pages of this novel. How Anna and Rupert manage their happily ever after is wonderful to read. I have read others who say Eva Ibbotson’s books evoke a fairy tale feeling. I felt that way about this book.

She has created an absorbing, unique story. Books like this are why I read romance. It is funny, touching, heartwarming and thoroughly satisfying. I haven’t read any others by Ibbotson but now I have to find more of her books. I know a number have been republished as young adult books so I should be able to find them. I highly recommend this book–it is on my keeper shelf.