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maryrobinson's review
3.0
Memoir of the “downstairs” life of a scullery maid who starts work at 14 and lives through the changes to the British class system that came about during WW I and II. She is a woman with a wonderful personality and spirit and her story is fun to read. Only jarring issue was the modern-day slang and language used that didn’t feel authentic. Good background story for Downton Abbey fans.
tahlia__nerds_out's review against another edition
A little too gossipy & focused on. The author’s love life for my liking. I was hoping for something more focused on manor life
tanyarobinson's review
3.0
This charming little memoir takes you back to the days of British domestic service, and while there are no grand revelations, it is an interesting read. I enjoyed 97 year-old Mollie's matter-of-fact slang-filled voice, her confidence, and her humor. 3.5 stars.
ladykate03's review
3.0
After the first few seasons of Downton Abbey exploded in the United States, books like this one started to be published and quickly became a dime a dozen. There’s nothing especially remarkable about this particular book, but I liked it nonetheless. Mollie was obviously a spitfire in her day and that spirit and sass comes through in her writing even though she was 93 at the time this was published.
Read Full Review: https://mybookbagblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/mollie-moran-minding-the-manor-2013/
Read Full Review: https://mybookbagblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/mollie-moran-minding-the-manor-2013/
eoppelt's review against another edition
4.0
I found this fascinating. The details of the life of a maid, and the history of England in the 30s was really interesting. I loved the description of London, especially Speaker's Corner. I had a similar experience there and enjoyed reading about what it used to be.
The only thing that didn't really work for me was dips into sentimentality. No one is perfect, even the best people we know. It is frustrating to hear how perfect some people in her life were. It strips them of their humanity. I'm also bothered by the comments about how easy things are now and how nothing is quite as good as it used to be.
The only thing that didn't really work for me was dips into sentimentality. No one is perfect, even the best people we know. It is frustrating to hear how perfect some people in her life were. It strips them of their humanity. I'm also bothered by the comments about how easy things are now and how nothing is quite as good as it used to be.
fuelscience's review against another edition
5.0
I genuinely enjoyed this book. It's a great memoir of Mollie Moran who entered service at age 14 in 1931 and then decided to write about it at age 97 in 2011! If you liked Downton Abbey, you need to read this book and see what life downstairs was like. Highly Recommended!