2012 book 37

Natasha Solomons' The House at Tyneford
I saw this book recently on a list of "What to read if you like Downton Abbey" and since I already had a sample on my Kindle (you'll see in a second why I'd want to read it), I decided to give it a try. And, interestingly, it actually is more of a book to read if you were sorely disappointed in the Upstairs, Downstairs update that aired last year*, but were intrigued by the plot point about the upper-class Jewish refugee who became a maid. Because this book is about an Austrian Jewish girl in 1938, the daughter of an opera singer and a novelist, who's sent to England to be a maid (b/c her parents clearly have some foresight). While she desperately waits to hear news that they've gotten their American visas and are sending for her, she has to learn to be a maid--and to deal with other complications that soon arise. Most of the plot points are easy to see coming, and some of the characters aren't as fleshed out as I'd like (though the protagonist is stellar), but this was a very, very enjoyable read--and yes, I'd recommend it to fellow Downton Abbey fans. A-.

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*I was clearly one of these people--they tried to cram way too much story into three hours, and since it aired so soon after season one of Downton Abbey, it seemed extra-lame by comparison.