Hey there, bookworms! Happy Saturday! It’s unreal how long it’s been since I’ve brought you guys a proper update or review. Adulting in all its forms has caused my reading to take a massive hit that wasn’t part of my plan or schedule, but in the coming weeks, there should be some changes that will allow me to get back to regularly scheduled programming. Also, now that I’ve had a full fourteen hours of sleep, I think I’m ready to get back to the books… starting now!
My latest read comes from one of my review requests, and while it’s a lengthy story, it’s full of page-turning drama and really kept me enthralled. Let’s go back in time to the decadent regency with Amy The Story of a Coram Foundling by Angie Northey.
In 1784, Amy was given away as an infant and raised by the extremely conservative Foundling Hospital. She spends her childhood learning to read and write, look after other children, do chores, and learn The Bible. An example to many of the girls in the hospital, Amy becomes the choice candidate to travel to Cavendish Square to work for the aristocratic Bessborough family.
Upon arrival, Amy is assigned to care for Lady Bessborough’s daughter, Lady Caroline. Prone to tantrums and moments of hyper activity or self-absorbed ramblings, Caro is a handful of a girl. She also adores having Amy around and can’t bear to be apart from her. Amy may be a servant, but she finds herself in the company of the family more than those in her own class in the lower levels of the house.
Being amongst the family also means that Amy has captured the attention of both of Lady Caroline’s brothers, John and Freddy. With little concern for status or the scandals that would occur, the young men do what they can to seduce the young lady’s maid. Amy’s heart is torn between the two, while she battles with her head and the knowledge that nothing could ever come from their affairs due to their class separations.
Needless to say, there is a lot of drama sprinkled throughout this story. There’s never a dull moment with Amy in the Bessborough house. As a fan of stories like Victoria or Downton Abbey (both on PBS), and reading books like Below Stairs, I was immersed in the quiet insanity that unfolded in Amy’s adventures.
This story, however, didn’t come without it’s errors. While it is a lengthy read at 735 pages, it does jump around from time-to-time and has a fair share of spelling and grammatical errors. While this was all noticeable, there was still so much going on as far as content that I felt it was more important to find out what would happen next rather than focus on the few faults in the pages and dwell on if it would detract from the overall story.
Thankfully, there are two more books in this series, so there’s even more to discover in Amy’s life as a servant in London. Personally, I’m hooked and can’t wait to find out what’s next!
My Final Rating: four out of five stars
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