The Household by Stacey Halls

Stacey Halls’ books can be relied upon to be historical, well researched, beautifully written, with amazing characters and lots going on. This one is certainly no exception.

In London, a house has been set up for unfortunate girls who are down on their luck and need a second chance. Josephine and Martha, fresh out of prison, are amongst the first to arrive. Mrs Holdsworth, an ex prison warder, looks after the household and teaches the girls cooking, sewing, scriptures, music, and anything else they may need to prepare them for moving to Australia to begin a new life. The benefactors for this enterprise include a single, extremely rich, noblewomen called Angela, and Mr Charles Dickens – the famous writer. Unfortunately Angela has a stalker who has recently been let out of prison and she knows it is a matter of time before he comes after her again. Martha has been looking for her sister Emily who disappeared from service a whole before, and Josephine is still in love with Annie with whom she shared a cell in prison and who she thought was coming with her.

I absolutely loved this book. Beautifully written, and with a real feeling of authenticity. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance, mystery, or just an incredibly well written book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6371464591