Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor Audiobook

" I, like everyone else I think, picked this up between seasons of "Downton Abbey." And this was a fun stand-in until new episodes began. Rose is quite frank in telling the dirty truths of being a maid--not nearly so easy as it appears on screen--and her relationship with Lady Astor was quite difficult, but truly caring it seems. The downfall of the book is in simply too much detail. I flew through the first half of the book, but there were many names dropped and extensive detail that weighed the second half of the book down. A worthy read for fans of the era; to be skipped by everyone else. "

" 3.5 Fascinating glimpse of a world gone by, of the very rich, and their many extremes of behavior. Loved reading about Rose and her early life, her family and the support she received from her mother who helped her become a ladies maid. The hierarchy of the servant class placed a ladies maid nearer to the top, but it was still hard work. Lady Astor, who was the first woman elected to parliament was by all accounts very difficult, a difficulty that Rose had to learn to negotiate in order to perform her duties and still retain something of her own characters. This she does to marvelous effect. I think I would have liked to have met this plucky woman. Fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs will enjoy this account. "

" This was nice to read in conjunction with Below Stairs. As a lady's maid, she was in the middle of all the Up Stairs action, which is not something you get from Below Stairs at all. Rose's account of WWII was fascinating. I wasn't always sure if I liked her, mostly due to the fact that she worked so closely with the Astors and then wrote a book about them, but it was an interesting and quick read. "

" Apart from some dire spelling mistakes this was a great read, very interesting and detailed. A life such as Rose's 'in service' is unimaginable to most women nowadays so this was a real insight. A must-read for fans of Downton! "

" Not a masterpiece but still pretty entertaining. "

" Autobiography of a woman who served as Lady Astor's lady's maid from 1928 until her death 30 years later. There were lots of amusing tidbits, although I think her claims of the way she smartmouthed her employer might be a bit exaggerated. If you love Downton Abbey you will find this book interesting, as what is portrayed on that show is pretty consistent with this firsthand recounting of that time period. "

" Another Downton Abbey readalike. I liked the oral history feel of the book, although you could definitely say that the account was a little too rose-colored. If you liked this, try Below Stairs by Margaret Powell. "

" Interesting look at life as a ladys' maid to Lady Astor. Mostly an overview of all that goes into running a large estate smoothly. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy her tales of drama working for a difficult woman. "

" Preachy and sentimental (you can never trust a memoir), but still entertaining. "

" This book was very interesting but since I'm not up on mid 1900s British history there were quite a few references I did not understand. "

" This is a little gem to read while waiting for the next season of Downton Abbey. What a charming glimpse into the world of service and society that otherwise seems the stuff of fiction. "

" Life in Victorian England's grand houses through the eyes of a ladie's maid. Excellent read! "

" I enjoyed a first-person account of a Lady's maid. An honest and insightful story. "

" What an interesting picture of a time gone by and a different way of life. We can all learn from Rose's work ethic, values and outlook... Inspires me to try and live up to that same way of living "

" Very readable... interesting insight into another age... "

" Although I am a fan of Matserpiece Theatre's Downton Abbey, there simply was nothing revelatory in author Rose Harrison's memoir about her career as a lady's maid for Lady Astor to have made me continue reading if the book were not selected by my book club group. "

" Really cool look at what really goes on in an upper-crust house. "

" Great book; interesting to hear about life as a servant to Lady Astor. "

" I had to read this to taper off after the final episode of the season of Downton Abbey. "

" It was very interesting but not a book I just couldn't wait to get back to. "

" No-nonsense, unsentimental account. And if you like that it's great! "

" The real Upstairs Downstairs- a lovely read. I wish I had the chance to meet this woman. "

" This reprinted memior fits in with the PBS show Downton Abbey. The writing isn't polished and the narrative jumps around, but the voice is authentic. Rose's story and the people she talked about were very interesting. "

" Interesting read. A little disjointed, but it felt like I was listening to a little old lady recounting her life in a Downton Abbey-esque way. It was a nice book to fill the massive void in my heart that Downton Abbey is in hiatus until next year. "