The Housekeeper's Daughter

War is coming. It is going to bring changes to Kate Bratton whose life is already planned for her, to be a maid, marry the gardener and have children for the cycle to start all over again, just like her own mother. When the Russell family arrive at Woodicombe House, Kate is surprisingly elevated to po......more

Kate works as a maid in England during 1914, her mother is the housekeeper and her older sister, Edith works in the kitchen. Luke is the gardener and has been pressuring Kate to marry him for years but she longs to do something different vs just spending the rest of her life doing the same thing. Sh......more

A pre-WWI story about the life of a housekeeper's daughter at an elite British country home. Restless and a bit immature, Kate is engaged to Luke who is a handyman but refuses to set a date, especially as the family hosts the rich and elite. Somewhat mesmerized by their lifestyle she yearns for more......more

Bit of a slow start but once I got in to the book I really enjoyed it. The characters were varied and this coupled with the class difference helped develop the themes running through the story. The time setting gave am insight into life before the war and some of the implications of it too. The endi......more

Not Bad Kate Bratton works with her mother and sister in Woodicombe House and is expected to marry Luke, the gardener, but Kate wants more. When visitors to the house arrive, Kate is immediately attracted to their son, Ned, and he promises to find out what opportunities she might find in London just......more