“How long had it had been since she'd thought back on the evenings around the fire, number games at the kitchen table, or listening to her father sing? Too long. Yes, there had been bad times. And she had tallied them like figures in a column, not remembering to factor in the good. She had doctored the books.”
This book explores themes of social class, personal growth, and the complexities of domestic life during the Victorian era. The protagonist, a young woman of modest means, accepts a position as a silent governess, a role that requires her to remain unseen and unheard by the family she serves. The story delves into her experiences and the challenges she faces as she navigates the intricacies of her new position and the expectations of her employers. more
“... I somehow convinced myself that she knew how I felt, and that she probably felt the same way.”
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”