Masquerade
by Nancy Moser
Paperback
Price: £8.99
Publisher:Bethany House imprint of Baker Pub from Lion
Published:October 2010
ISBN:978-0-764-20751-8
GoodBookStall Review:
It is 1886 and her titled father’s misdemeanours both financial and sexual mean Charlotte (Lottie) Gleason is sent to America from her home in Wiltshire, to meet and marry the son of wealthy New York store owners, the Tremaines. As her Mother is not fit to travel and the Tremaines have sent two first class tickets, Dora, Lottie’s personal maid, friend and confidante, is groomed as a ‘lady’ and sent to accompany her as her ‘companion’.
Now Lottie is an independently minded young woman, thoroughly spoiled and completely ignorant of how the world works, particularly of how the ‘other half’ lives.
Dora has known hardship and from a very young age had risen in service from the kitchen to that odd position of being not quite below stairs, not quite above. She has a lively and enquiring mind and read Sir Thomas’ newspapers when he had discarded them.
When Lottie persuades Dora to change places with her, so that she can be free to do as she wishes on their arrival in New York, the scene is set for both to find things not as they expected.
At the back of the book is a list of true facts that have been touched on in the story, emphasising the accuracy of the descriptions of both social scenes that the girls find themselves in. A history lesson that you hardly realise you are learning, it is such a good read.
Reviewer: Mary Bartholomew (03/08/11)
It is 1886 and her titled father’s misdemeanours both financial and sexual mean Charlotte (Lottie) Gleason is sent to America from her home in Wiltshire, to meet and marry the son of wealthy New York store owners, the Tremaines. As her Mother is not fit to travel and the Tremaines have sent two first class tickets, Dora, Lottie’s personal maid, friend and confidante, is groomed as a ‘lady’ and sent to accompany her as her ‘companion’.
Now Lottie is an independently minded young woman, thoroughly spoiled and completely ignorant of how the world works, particularly of how the ‘other half’ lives.
Dora has known hardship and from a very young age had risen in service from the kitchen to that odd position of being not quite below stairs, not quite above. She has a lively and enquiring mind and read Sir Thomas’ newspapers when he had discarded them.
When Lottie persuades Dora to change places with her, so that she can be free to do as she wishes on their arrival in New York, the scene is set for both to find things not as they expected.
At the back of the book is a list of true facts that have been touched on in the story, emphasising the accuracy of the descriptions of both social scenes that the girls find themselves in. A history lesson that you hardly realise you are learning, it is such a good read.
Reviewer: Mary Bartholomew (03/08/11)
