Book Report #189 - Below Stairs

Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey by Margaret Powell

In late 1800s England, Margaret's family was busting at the seams of their rooms--they couldn't afford to rent an entire apartment--so Margaret knew it was time to become a house servant where her room and board would be taken care of. At age 14 she took the job of a kitchen maid, and worked from 5:30am to 8pm, scrubbing with her bare hands, serving the upstairs and downstairs, and doing every dirty job no one else wanted to do.

At least a kitchen maid can work her way up to cook, which is one of the best jobs a house servant can have. However, that was not Margaret's end goal. Rather, she wanted to get married and get out of the work altogether.

Thankfully, both goals were achieved, but not before we got a look into the lives of the people upstairs in the various houses she worked at. None were the same. My favorite was the job she took as a cook in the oceanside town of Hove, where the lady of the house was an Italian diva who never failed to entertain, whether it be with her version of a face lift or her never-ending parade of young men.

Margaret's narrative provides an opportunity to reflect on the divide between rich and poor, and its ethical implications. It doesn't seem much has changed.

General consensus: An easily consumable look into the lives of house servants in turn of the century England.