- Paperback: 383 pages
- Publisher: Puffin Books; Reissue edition (10 May 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0142408654
- ISBN-13: 978-0142408650
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 14.1 x 2.7 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 768,944 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Secret Countess
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Product Description
Book Description
This is the US version of the UK title "The Secret Countess"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Eva Ibbotson uses a typical fairy-tale storyline; Anna, a saintly, impoverished Russian Countess flees to England in the year 1919 and must there make her living as a housemaid. After arriving at the English country home of Mersham, a whole new world which she bravely embraces, she duly falls in love with her master, the handsome but troubled Earl Rupert. Standing between them is the Countess's lack of fortune, and the delightfully deplorable Muriel Hardwicke, the Earl's fiancee. Far from being cliched, Ibbotson revitalises the much-used storyline with her sparkling and humourous potrayal and interplay of the varied cast of characters both noble and common, wittily demonstrating that no matter what their birth, people are people and there is no real difference between rich and poor. The storyline, despite being fairy-tale is down-to-earth and truthful, sometimes comical, sometimes poignant and always intruiging. There is also clever and dramatic use of echoes of Jane Eyre and other romantic novels, exploring the nature of love and romance. I think that this is Eva Ibbotson's best book, with close competition from 'Journey to River Sea' and would recommend it to any one from age eleven.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anna Grazinsky is a member of the Russian aristocracy, or White Russians, during the Russian Revolution. Her family is forced to flee from their comfortable life in Russia to England, where they are safe from the revolutionaries. But in England, the Grazinskys are left with nothing. Anna has a very resilient spirit, and instead of moping around and wishing for her old life, she is grateful for the safety of her family and secretly takes a job as a maid so that her little brother can still attend school. With her take-charge attitude, Anna proves that not all rich girls are snobby brats, like modern heiresses lead us to believe.
While many of the servants at the Westerholme residence are skeptical of the new foreign girl, Anna quickly charms her way into their hearts. With her deep curtsies, bright smile, and cheerful demeanor, Anna is beloved by all. She does each task assigned to her as best she can, never slacking on the job.
When the young and handsome Earl of Westerholme returns home from World War I, Anna is immediately drawn to him. And it seems that he feels a similar attraction to her. But Anna's identity as a countess is still a secret, and she does not have the social standing that she once held in Russia. Plus, the Earl is already engaged to the beautiful but vicious Muriel Hardwicke. Muriel nursed Earl Rupert back to health when he was wounded in the war, and he proposed to her. But that was before he met Anna.
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Muriel begins to take over the Westerholme household, arbitrarily firing servants that do not fit in with her vision for Westerholme. None of the servants or neighbors are fond of Muriel, and as the wedding date approaches, all of Rupert's friends and family are leery of the impending marriage.
At the costume ball thrown prior to the wedding, Anna's true identity as a countess is revealed, and Anna and Rupert dance the night away. Everyone can see that they are a perfect couple, but can Rupert and Anna come to terms with their feelings for each other before his marriage to Muriel?
Although A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS has a very fairytale-like romantic plot, Anna is far from the typical princess. She has a feisty spirit and genuinely fun personality that immediately draws you in. Eva Ibbotson does a great job in breathing life into the generic fairytale plot. Anna's story is very similar to what much of the Russian aristocracy experienced during the communist revolution, and Ibbotson shows that even though life is unpredictable and rarely kind, if you embrace all opportunities and make the most of your situation, you will find happiness.
Reviewed by: Amber Gibson
While many of the servants at the Westerholme residence are skeptical of the new foreign girl, Anna quickly charms her way into their hearts. With her deep curtsies, bright smile, and cheerful demeanor, Anna is beloved by all. She does each task assigned to her as best she can, never slacking on the job.
When the young and handsome Earl of Westerholme returns home from World War I, Anna is immediately drawn to him. And it seems that he feels a similar attraction to her. But Anna's identity as a countess is still a secret, and she does not have the social standing that she once held in Russia. Plus, the Earl is already engaged to the beautiful but vicious Muriel Hardwicke. Muriel nursed Earl Rupert back to health when he was wounded in the war, and he proposed to her. But that was before he met Anna.
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Muriel begins to take over the Westerholme household, arbitrarily firing servants that do not fit in with her vision for Westerholme. None of the servants or neighbors are fond of Muriel, and as the wedding date approaches, all of Rupert's friends and family are leery of the impending marriage.
At the costume ball thrown prior to the wedding, Anna's true identity as a countess is revealed, and Anna and Rupert dance the night away. Everyone can see that they are a perfect couple, but can Rupert and Anna come to terms with their feelings for each other before his marriage to Muriel?
Although A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS has a very fairytale-like romantic plot, Anna is far from the typical princess. She has a feisty spirit and genuinely fun personality that immediately draws you in. Eva Ibbotson does a great job in breathing life into the generic fairytale plot. Anna's story is very similar to what much of the Russian aristocracy experienced during the communist revolution, and Ibbotson shows that even though life is unpredictable and rarely kind, if you embrace all opportunities and make the most of your situation, you will find happiness.
Reviewed by: Amber Gibson
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Yet another of Eva Ibbotson's enchanting historical romances that go far beyond the average. The story is a classic Cinderella tale - Anna is the daughter of Russian aristocrats, forced to flee to England by the Revolution. Having been one of the richest families in St. Petersburg, they are now to live with their governess. Anna's brother is a charity pupil at boarding school and Anna herself (armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping) determines to become a housemaid. She gains employment at the Earl of Westerhome's crumbling but gorgeous house,where her deep curtseys terrify the butler and housekeeper and her dedication and lack of airs charms the rest of the staff. Menawhile, Rupert the Earl is about to make a disastrous marriage to Muriel, the socially ambitious woman who nursed him through his war injuries. A voluptuous golden-haired believer in eugenics she plans to use her fortune in not only restoring the house but making it a temple of pure-blood neo-Nazi beliefs. Everyone, including Rupert, realises the match will be a disaster, especially as she upsets all the staff with her cruel demands and insults their Jewish neighbours. Rupert and Anna fall passionately in love. But it is only when their neighbours have a fancy-dress ball at which Anna's young brother is a guest that the kitchen-maid takes her place as a countess....What this probably doesn't convey is the delicious wit and intelligence of Ibbotson's style. She is someone who can not only drop in dozens of musical and literary references without showing-off, but she can really write. Her intricate plots are always beautifully crafted. Every one of her characters is so fresh and alive that he or she jumps off the page, and her belief in the triumph of goodness over malice us infectious. She is pure joy for anyone who relishes Jane Austen, Carol Shields, Georgette Heyer or Alison Lurie. I can't recommend her too highly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Book Review
Excellent book in reasonably good condition. Bought as second hand. Delighted with the book and with the service. It was delivered much earlier than promised.
Published 19 months ago by M. Illingworth
The Secret Countess
I agree with those above - this is a lovely book - just a word of warning though, it's reprinted as 'The Secret Countess' - so dont buy both by mistake!
Published on 12 Nov 2007 by C
Read this book many years ago and must read it again
A beautifully written book,which shows that even in the worst of times, i.e. the 1st WW and the Russian Revolution, there will always be people of great heart who will rise above... Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2000 by proud@bun.com
This is such a well-written, great book!
I found this book wonderful, the story-line was very original and romantic. The book was so well-written that the who plot and the way the reader saw one of the main characters was... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2000
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