Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Anna and her aristocratic family's luxurious and privileged life in Russia comes to an end with the Revolution in 1917 in this novel (Puffin, pap. 2007) by Eva Ibbotson. They are forced to flee their home, penniless, and go to London. Anna, who has never worked, takes a job as a maid in a country estate owned by Rupert, the Earl of Westerholme. The other servants are skeptical of Anna and her lack of knowledge about cleaning and serving, but Anna's infectious personality wins over everyone in the house. When the Earl announces his engagement to Muriel, the staff's exhilaration quickly turns to dismay as Muriel inflicts her strange and thoughtless beliefs on everyone. Davina Porter's expert narration moves along at a leisurely pace, clearly reflecting the change in mood and atmosphere at the country home. To add to the distressing situation, the Earl and Anna realize, days before his wedding, that they are very much in love. Porter approaches this romantic coming-of-age story with empathy and compassion. She skillfully reflects Anna's confusion about her feelings for Rupert and captures the Earl's anguish as he realizes he will be trapped in a loveless marriage with Muriel. Porter deftly moves from the various English dialects to Russian and French. Listeners searching for a cozy English romance with well-rounded and realistic characters will be well satisfied with this book.--Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
