The Good Servant
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By Fern Britton
avg rating
2 reviews
From the No.1 bestselling author of Daughters of Cornwall comes an extraordinary tale of family secrets and epic love.
Balmoral, 1932 Marion Crawford, an ordinary but determined young woman, is given a chance to work at the big house as governess to two children, Lilibet and Margaret Rose. Windsor Castle, 1936 As dramatic events sweep through the country and change all their lives in an extraordinary way, Marion loyally devotes herself to the family. But when love enters her life, she is faced with an unthinkable choice… Escape this summer with this sweeping love story about family secrets and the heart-breaking decision of choosing between your head and your heart… Reader’s love The Good Servant ‘Such a tremendous read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This latest novel absolutely blew me away’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This was my first read by Fern Britton but won’t be my last!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Well-written and researched’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Being an avid fan of Fern Britton and her Cornish novels I was not sure what to expect from this one BUT it is brilliant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Well written, with a riveting storyline and well developed characters that I loved’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely loved this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really loved Marian’s story and knowing it was based on a true story made it extra special’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A little different from her other reads, but no less brilliant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was hooked from the beginning’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ TweetReviews
I read this book as part of The Three Horseshoes Reading Group. We were delighted to receive copies of this new release and it was timed perfectly as an easy summer read.
It was enlightening to see how different life was for royal servants in the 1930s compared to today. Although the book is a fictionalised account of Marion Crawford aka Crawfie’s professional life as a nanny, the key decisions that have a huge impact on her life are based on fact.
Loyalty, deception and vulnerability are themes which are interspersed throughout. The feel of the book is a little gossipy - he said this, she said that - but it does help to build a picture of Crawfie’s character and the main influences in her life. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a light read.
A work of fiction, centred on the true story of Marion Crawford, ‘Crawfie’, the governess to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The book is meticulously researched and Fern Britton cleverly imagines Crawfie’s relationships with other members of the royal household, particularly Sir Alan Lascelles (Tommy).
The book exquisitely describes British life of a glorious time gone by, starting in 1932. It acknowledges the turbulent years following the death of King George V, covering the relationship of King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson, his abdication, the Duke of York acceding the throne and WWII.
We follow Crawfie’s life of service, right up until Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip, and beyond. Crawfie finally marries her fiancé, George, but then makes some bad decisions that affect her for the rest of her life.
It is a tale of misplaced loyalty, naïveté, deception and how a lifetime of integrity, dedication and reputation can be lost in a matter of moments.
