Review of ‘The Household’ by Stacey Halls

I enjoyed this compelling historical novel from the author of Mrs England. At first I found it difficult to get into, because there were so many characters and I wasn’t sure what the hook of the story was. As I read more, I became interested in the story, although I felt that there should have been fewer characters to allow them to be better developed.

The story is based on a real situation, Urania Cottage, a home for ‘fallen women’ founded by the author Charles Dickens and financed by the heiress Angela Burdett-Coutts. The idea is that the women come to the cottage from prison and are trained for eventual careers in domestic service in the colonies. We follow the fate of the inmates and the matron who is employed to look after them. The different elements of the plot include the heiress’ stalker, the missing sister of one inmate, and the separation of two women who were lovers in prison. The author’s attention to detail is excellent and I could imagine the novel as a costume drama on TV, so clear were the events and settings in my mind. If you enjoy historical fiction with a focus on women, set in Victorian times, this is definitely one for your wishlist.

Thank you to the publisher Bonnier Books for the advance copy via NetGalley. The book will be published on 11th April.

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