Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor

Summary (from the publisher): In 1928, Rosina Harrison arrived at the illustrious household of the Astor family to take up her new position as personal maid to the infamously temperamental Lady Nancy Astor, who sat in Parliament, entertained royalty, and traveled the world. "She's not a lady as you would understand a lady" was the butler's ominous warning. But what no one expected was that the iron-willed Lady Astor was about to meet her match in the no-nonsense, whip-smart girl from the country.
For 35 years, from the parties thrown for royalty and trips across the globe, to the air raids during WWII, Rose was by Lady Astor's side and behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly. In charge of everything from the clothes and furs to the baggage to the priceless diamond "sparklers," Rose was closer to Lady Astor than anyone else. In her decades of service she received one 5 raise, but she traveled the world in style and retired with a lifetime's worth of stories. Like Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, Rose is a captivating insight into the great wealth 'upstairs' and the endless work 'downstairs', but it is also the story of an unlikely decades-long friendship that grew between Her Ladyship and her spirited Yorkshire maid.

Review: I received a promo galley of this book from Net Galley.

This book piqued my interest because of my recent obsession with Downton Abbey. It is the memoir of Rose, lady's maid for 35 years to Lady Nancy Astor. This book reads as if you were sitting down for a conversation with Rose - she is frank and open about her opinions and feelings. Because of her honesty, she is able to portray a very realistic image of what life was like for the serving class in the early twentieth century.

Rose had a tumultous relationship with her lady; apparently Lady Astor was a strong willed and sometimes difficult woman, but she met her match with Rose. Rose recounts numerous memories of the Astor family, their social life, her expected job duties, and her travels around the globe for her job. She also describes in detail serving under Lady Astor in the second world war. Like Downton Abbey, Rose's mistress was originally born in America (Danville, Virginia to be exact) and both she and her husband were honorable and kind employers who were conscious of the social obligations that their wealth and status demanded of them. Likewise, Rose herself took her position very seriously - she discusses in detail her fear of losing precious jewelry, and notes with pride that she always had her lady's clothes packed and cleaned perfectly.

I enjoyed the conversational flow of this book and Rose's frank manner. I loved the inside look at Lady Astor, especially having read Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia many years before that gave me a preview of Nancy Astor's upbringing and family background. This book was a wonderful, insightful look at a time gone by, preserved by someone who knew the family quite possibly better than anyone else.

Stars: 3.5