<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>72710</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[009947848X]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780099478485]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257m/72710.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257s/72710.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">1034151</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">7</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">1020474</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">1990</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Lady's Maid: A Novel</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:256|5:50|4:106|3:83|2:16|1:1|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">256</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">956</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">383</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">61</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.73]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[15]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[4]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72710.Lady_s_Maid]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72710.Lady_s_Maid]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>11218</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Margaret Forster]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-200x266.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11218.Margaret_Forster]]></link>
    <average_rating>3.70</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>746</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>149</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="382">
      <review>
  <id>48700936</id>
    <user>
    <id>1717549</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Antof9]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1717549-antof9]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1228251264p3/1717549.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1228251264p2/1717549.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">902658</id>
  <isbn>0385417926</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780385417921</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839m/902658.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839s/902658.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/902658.Lady_s_Maid</link>
  <average_rating>3.90</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>10</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="2009-read" />
        <shelf name="about-books" />
        <shelf name="alterna-history" />
        <shelf name="biographies-memoirs" />
        <shelf name="depressing" />
        <shelf name="travel" />
        <shelf name="women" />
        <shelf name="would-like-to-change-the-ending" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 09 10:19:21 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Mar 16 21:30:52 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the fictional story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's real-life lady's maid, and it was fascinating to read.  The author really drew me into the era and Wilson's feelings.  I really felt like I was living with Wilson while I was reading this book!  &quot;Wilson&quot;, of course, is Lily Wilson...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48700936">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48700936]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48700936]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>80128371</id>
    <user>
    <id>961931</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Gretchen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/961931-gretchen]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1228855958p3/961931.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1228855958p2/961931.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.71</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>221</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="historical-fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Nancy]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Dec 06 19:48:13 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 28 09:18:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love Victorian literature, and I love Robert Browning, so reading this book was a no-brainer.  I thought this book provided a good story about Elizabeth Barret and Robert Browning from another perspective, that of EBB's maid, Wilson.  It also illustrates what I would assume is a pretty typical rel...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80128371">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80128371]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80128371]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>19950146</id>
    <user>
    <id>330370</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mara]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Riverhead, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/330370-mara]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1188590074p3/330370.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1188590074p2/330370.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="historical-fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Apr 18 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Apr 11 12:10:17 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Apr 18 09:21:10 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Told from the intriguing perspective of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's maid, Wilson, this book asks us to look at the relationship between the English upper-class and their personal servants in the nineteenth century. Where close bonds can develop, as they do here, what are the obligations of a maid t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19950146">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19950146]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/19950146]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>16107189</id>
    <user>
    <id>47212</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Melissa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Palm Springs, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/47212-melissa]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1178140714p3/47212.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1178140714p2/47212.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="victorian_fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Feb 22 12:53:05 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Feb 29 11:47:54 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love novels set in the Victorian era. That's all I need to be happy. Nothing hugely remarkable about this book (yet), but atill a pleasant way to while away the evening.<br/><br/>The premise: Wilson is a servant, tried and true. Through luck, she is appointed to the enviable position of lady's m...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16107189">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16107189]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16107189]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2786105</id>
    <user>
    <id>171624</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Maryll]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/171624-maryll]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1183771626p3/171624.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1183771626p2/171624.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Those interested in 19th century gossip]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 06 18:30:02 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 06 21:12:05 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An &quot;Upstairs/Downstairs&quot; type rendering of the Barrett and then Browning households and, as the title would suggest, it makes Elizabeth's personal maid seem much more engrossing than the poet herself. If you pick it up, like me, because you're interested in the Brownings art and their marr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2786105">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2786105]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2786105]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2939694</id>
    <user>
    <id>43420</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Susan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Columbus, OH]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43420-susan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1175211590p3/43420.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1175211590p2/43420.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">902658</id>
  <isbn>0385417926</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780385417921</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839m/902658.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839s/902658.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/902658.Lady_s_Maid</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[lit geeks, historical romancers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 11 08:22:16 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 28 12:14:30 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Lady's Maid does exactly what I want historical fiction to do--it takes us to a time and place not our own, tells us a story we think we already know from a different perspective, and personalizes names and dates that would otherwise be just...well...names and dates. LM is a first-person narrative, ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2939694">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2939694]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2939694]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>76644732</id>
    <user>
    <id>1315167</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kate]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chile]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1315167-kate]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Nov 03 18:30:46 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 03 18:30:46 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An incredible reimagining of the life of a marginal figure of history.  The book is an account of the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most faithful maid.  Forster really makes the conflicts of servant and mistress, companion and intellectual, and life and art, real.  I would unequivocally recom...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76644732">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76644732]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76644732]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>80000712</id>
    <user>
    <id>2806592</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rosemary]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2806592-rosemary]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Dec 05 14:37:48 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 05 14:48:08 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Fascinating view into the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning from the perspective of the woman who was her maid/friend for 16 years.  I had no idea that her family disowned her when she married Robert Browning and that she was addicted to laudanum (opium) for years.  Kind of long...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80000712">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80000712]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80000712]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>71555602</id>
    <user>
    <id>2695588</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Joy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Diego, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2695588-joy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Oct 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Sep 17 10:05:29 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Oct 02 09:50:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[5.5/6 -- Have you ever liked an actor in a movie and then seen them interviewed and wished that you had never seen the interview because your opinion of them changed (for the worse)?  Well, now I am not sure I like Elizabeth Barrett Browning... her selfish, self-centered personality was immense. Alt...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71555602">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71555602]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71555602]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>44067344</id>
    <user>
    <id>1573942</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Colleen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Larkspur, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1573942-colleen]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232737260p3/1573942.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1232737260p2/1573942.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 23 10:40:45 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 23 10:43:42 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I did not realize the background to this book when I first started reading it for my book club, and when I heard that one of the main characters was Elizabeth Barrett, I suddenly sat up and read the back cover.  Ah...the Lady's Maid is an account of the love story between Elizabeth Barrett and Rober...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44067344">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44067344]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44067344]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>31236106</id>
    <user>
    <id>1464014</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Annalee]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bristol, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1464014-annalee]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1219771161p3/1464014.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1219771161p2/1464014.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">72710</id>
  <isbn>009947848X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780099478485</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257m/72710.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257s/72710.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72710.Lady_s_Maid</link>
  <average_rating>3.53</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>15</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>true</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Aug 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 26 11:06:32 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 27 06:38:05 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've never read such an in depth study of what it was to be a lady's maid in the 1800s. Lily Wilson was a real person and really was employed as Elizabeth Barrett Brownings maid but one can hardly believe she was as 'real' as Forster's creation. Her thoughts, feelings and emotions are minutely exami...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31236106">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31236106]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/31236106]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6266386</id>
    <user>
    <id>185664</id>
    <name><![CDATA[KBM]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/185664-kbm]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1186817420p3/185664.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1186817420p2/185664.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Sep 15 21:34:47 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Sep 15 21:41:43 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A favorite of mine.  The fictional account of the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's &quot;lady's maid&quot; Wilson.  Though the book is fiction, the bulk of the book is based in truth.  EBB's letters and such mention Wilson quite a bit.  EBB was always interested in the &quot;plight of the lower ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6266386">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6266386]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6266386]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38166728</id>
    <user>
    <id>831137</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Shirlyn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Laguna Beach, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/831137-shirlyn]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217395676p3/831137.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217395676p2/831137.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 16 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 19 15:04:39 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 19 08:46:54 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Non-fiction intertwined with fiction tells a very detailed story of the marriage to two famous poets, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett. Through the eyes of her Lady's Maid, it reallys draws you in, an amazing discrepency between the servant class and those with money.  People then really though...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38166728">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38166728]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38166728]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>51574173</id>
    <user>
    <id>2059478</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Janellyn51]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Somerville, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2059478-janellyn51]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243607688p3/2059478.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1243607688p2/2059478.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">902658</id>
  <isbn>0385417926</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780385417921</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839m/902658.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179317839s/902658.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/902658.Lady_s_Maid</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 05 08:38:56 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Apr 05 08:40:54 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I did really enjoy this book....I went on an Elizabeth Barrett Browning bender after this, although why I don't know, because she certainly was a creep to poor Wilson here. It was a very well written book and it held my interest throughout.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51574173]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/51574173]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>54261716</id>
    <user>
    <id>1419729</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Connie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1419729-connie]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 28 12:34:37 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 13 18:16:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Forster's fictional biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's personal maid portrays the relationship between master and servant of the time.  Although the relationship between Mrs. Browning and her maid often extended beyond that of employer and employee to the level of friendship, at the end, serv...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54261716">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54261716]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54261716]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>33483322</id>
    <user>
    <id>1541111</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Alexis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Woodbury, CT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1541111-alexis]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233369048p3/1541111.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233369048p2/1541111.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Aug 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 21 19:55:08 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Aug 17 14:06:46 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was warned this would be depressing - I did not find it so - though it was a testament to what a servant faced in her era.  She was very lucky to have such generous patrons probably for her time.<br/><br/>I love period pieces, this was good for understanding the English of the era, but totally l...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33483322">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33483322]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33483322]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18812551</id>
    <user>
    <id>745806</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Andrea]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Eagle Mountain, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/745806-andrea-hecklinger]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206745401p3/745806.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206745401p2/745806.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Apr 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Mar 27 19:59:13 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 10 10:21:42 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The beginning was a little slow/dry--I wondered if I wanted to keep reading it (but I have a compulsion that requires me to finish ALL books, regardless of how much I like/dislike them). The middle picked up and became more personal for me and I thought the characters were more interesting through t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18812551">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18812551]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18812551]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>67245474</id>
    <user>
    <id>173678</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Annemarie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/173678-annemarie-watson]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1202847171p3/173678.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1202847171p2/173678.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Aug 13 09:56:26 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 13 09:56:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Good historical fiction, but maybe a bit too long. Some of the later years of Wilson's story could have been condensed, I think - tended to drag a bit near the end. But still definitely worthwhile.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67245474]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67245474]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>63802397</id>
    <user>
    <id>2531265</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Darlene]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Santa Barbara, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2531265-darlene]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1247795548p3/2531265.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1247795548p2/2531265.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1034151</id>
  <isbn>0345497430</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345497437</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">52</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid: A Novel]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694m/1034151.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180391694s/1034151.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1034151.Lady_s_Maid_A_Novel</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[British novelist Forster (Georgy Girl ), whose biographies include Elizabeth Barrett Browning , lures the reader into the attic of the famous house on Wimpole Street, where Barrett's maid, Elizabeth Wilson, composes copious letters to her mother in the North Country. Her correspondence, the fulcrum of the novel, describes her daily experiences, her impressions of the large household and, especially, her sickly but charismatic mistress. Wilson's devotion is such that she forsakes her homeland, her family, a suitor and even her own reputation in order to aid Miss Elizabeth and her suitor Mr. Browning when they elope to Europe. At this point, the novel falters; Forster is not quite capable of juggling the glamorous settings, Wilson's frustrations (the Brownings, though generous in their affection, cannot see Wilson as other than a servant), her difficult marriage and family life. Wilson's ambivalence about Miss Elizabeth, whom she loves and resents, is the most interesting aspect of the novel, but despite otherwise sensitive handling, it is almost glibly resolved in the conclusion. On the whole, however, this is top-drawer historical fiction, akin to the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs in its appeal and its overtures toward discussions of class. <br/>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat May 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 16 19:22:13 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 16 19:22:43 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63802397]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63802397]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55106822</id>
    <user>
    <id>2233096</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Terry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Kelowna, BC, Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2233096-terry]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">72710</id>
  <isbn>009947848X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780099478485</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Lady's Maid]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257m/72710.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170818257s/72710.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72710.Lady_s_Maid</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>256</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[&quot;Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader's imagination on every page.&quot;<br/>-- SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE<br/>She was Elizabeth Barrett's lady's maid. But &quot;Wilson&quot; was more than that. She was a confidante, friend and conspirator in Elizabeth's forbidden romance with Robert Browning. Wilson stayed with Elizabeth for sixteen years, through every trial and crisis, and when Wilson's affairs took a dramatic turn she expected the same loyalty from Elizabeth....]]>
  </description>
  <published>1990</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat May 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue May 05 22:22:50 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 30 23:52:43 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Seems to be valid bio of Elizabeth Barrett Browning as the author is an expert on the poet. What I didn't know until I was finished reading is that the maid (Wilson) is also an historical character.  She certainly became 'real' to me while reading the book.  <br/><br/>At times the events in the bo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55106822">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55106822]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55106822]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="historical-fiction" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="fiction" />
          <shelf name="novels" />
          <shelf name="tbr-have" />
          <shelf name="historicalfiction" />
          <shelf name="british" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=72710</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>