Mrs England: The award-winning Sunday Times bestseller from the winner of the Women's Prize Futures Award

West Yorkshire 1904. A young nurse called Ruby requires a new placement as her last family immigrated to America and she couldn’t follow them. Left with few options she takes on an unusual, far off position with a wealthy family of Mill owners who turn out to be very different in person than what she thought they were from the job posting. She finds the mother Lillian England very withdrawn, flighty and uninterested in her children's welfare. Their father Charles England seems attentive and charming and tries to put Ruby at ease but all is not well in the England household.Ruby is isolated in the countryside where Hardcastle House is located. She is ignored by the other servants and then strange events start to happen. Ruby worries she has made a terrible mistake in taking the post. To make matters worse she stops receiving mail from her sisters. This is extremely unsettling as Ruby is the family's main source of income as their father is locked up.As the atmosphere and situation in the house deteriorates and becomes more disturbing it forces Ruby to relive the terrible aspect of her childhood. She sees similarities in the behaviour of this family towards the children that she experienced and is determined that what happened to her and her sister doesn’t happen to her young charges. But is everything as it seems. Is Mrs England disinterested and under the influence, is Mr England as genuine and friendly as he projects. So many red flags throughout this family. Whether her actions lead to her losing her job or an even worst faith remains to be seen.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It had an eery feel and oppressive atmosphere, intrigue and shocking reveals throughout the plot and a strong, intelligent and caring lead female character. I liked how your views on people’s personalities switched and evolved as the story progresses. Another great story from Stacey Halls.

When Ruby May takes on the position of nurse to the England children of Hardcastle House in Yorkshire, she finds herself puzzled by Mrs England whilst drawn to the Master of the house. Yet slowly she discovers that all is not as it seems!My first book from Stacey Halls, I did overall enjoy this Edwardian era mystery, which had a strong sense of the gothic about it. Indeed, I think the sense of atmosphere and foreboding that Halls managed to capture was the book's greatest strength, as almost as soon as Ruby arrives at Hardcastle Hall there is that feeling of something being not quite right beneath the surface, which only builds as the novel continues.I also enjoyed her depiction of West Yorkshire during this time period, and thought she captured a strong sense of place, the setting contrasting starkly with the earlier chapters set in London, and lending to the gothic atmosphere.Certainly this is a slow-burn novel, and yet whilst there were chapters where not very much actually happened, I found myself enjoying the small details and interactions between the characters, which I think is credit to the author.The children in the story were well drawn, with their own personalities, and all were endearing in their own way. Ruby was an easy character to like, and I admired her independence and strength of character, and appreciated that she had her flaws too and was maybe too impressionable at times. There is some mystery as to her past and family background, which is mostly teased through the book, but which is eventually revealed towards the end, and I have to say was not what I had expected.The main mystery, however, relates to the characters at Hardcastle House and specifically Mrs England. At its heart this is a story about women's place in society during this time period and their struggle for independence and against the confines of their lives. It is also a story about power dynamics in relationships. There are themes of mental health and 'gaslighting' explored, and I particularly liked the solidarity that eventually forms between Ruby and Mrs England, and how they support each other.My main criticism was that after all that build, I was let down by the ending. Suddenly everything happened all too fast and it was all over, and I was left feeling somewhat dissatisfied, and with the feeling that the main plot had all been rather too predictable.Still overall an enjoyable and suspenseful read.

An excellent book, drawing you in, wondering where it’s going, and keeping you there, as things slowly unfold. But not too slowly…

Sad and thoughtful saga. The descriptions were detailed and the story heartbreaking. I hope to read another by the author

Best reading so far!

I loved it. It has been a while since I've read about a character so well developed. An unusual story too.

Non scrivo spesso recensioni sui libri che leggo, ma questa volta un commento ci vuole proprio.Non conoscevo l'autrice e sono "inciampata" per caso in questo romanzo. L'ho trovato magnifico, con un po' di Wuthering Heights, un po' di Jane Eyre, un po' di Rebecca. Ambientato alla fine del diciannovesimo secolo in uno Yorkshire decisamente vittoriano e in piena rivoluzione industriale. E' anche una storia di sorellanza, in un periodo in cui le donne non esistevano di per sé, ma erano completamente dipendenti dagli uomini, padri o fratelli o mariti. Non so se esista la traduzione in italiano, ma si può leggere anche in inglese, la prosa è semplice e lineare. Ve lo consiglio vivamente se amate le sorelle Bronte e Daphne Du Maurier.

Inhalt und BeurteilungRuby May, die das Norland Institute in London absolviert und dort einen Abschluss als „Nurse“ (Kindermädchen) gemacht hat, muss sich eine neue Stelle suchen, als ihre Arbeitgeber nach Amerika auswandern. So verschlägt es sie nach West Yorkshire zur Familie England., um deren vier Kinder zu betreuen. Ihr Leben im abgelegenen Hardcastle House gestaltet sich allerdings anders als erwartet. Während der Hausherr, Charles England, aufgeschlossen und freundlich ist, scheint mit seiner Frau Lilian etwas nicht zu stimmen. Sie verbringt fast den ganzen Tag in ihrem Zimmer und scheint sich für ihre Kinder nicht zu interessieren. Auch die Hausbediensteten verhalten sich Ruby gegenüber reserviert und es kommt zu einigen sonderbaren Vorfällen.Ruby, die selbst eine komplizierte und traumatische Familiengeschichte hinter sich hat, versucht den subtilen „Schwingungen“ in der Familie auf den Grund zu gehen.Der Roman, der kein Krimi ist, schildert in ruhiger, aber dennoch sehr fesselnder Weise das Leben und die Ehe (in wohlhabenden Kreisen) im England des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts (Edwardianische Ära). Das 20. Jahrhundert scheint in Hardcastle House noch nicht so ganz angekommen zu sein, was sowohl an der Ausstattung des Hauses als auch der Familienkonstellation sichtbar wird, die noch stark an das Viktorianische Zeitalter erinnern.Obwohl sich zunächst nichts Spektakuläres ereignet, schafft die Autorin eine subtile Spannung; die fortlaufende Handlung, in der sich immer mehr mysteriöse Vorfälle ereignen, wird von Rückblenden auf Rubys eigene Kindheit unterbrochen. Die Informationen sind jedoch spärlich und bruchstückhaft, sodass das Interesse des Lesers am Köcheln gehalten wird.Die Charaktere der Hauptfiguren sind differenziert und glaubwürdig ausgestaltet, auch die atmosphärischen Landschaftsbeschreibungen überzeugen.Der Schluss ist spannend, jedoch in dieser Form nicht vollkommen realistisch.FazitAtmosphärischer und fesselnder Einblick in das Familienleben einer wohlhabenden englischen Familie während der Edwardianischen Ära!