Product Description

Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme’s crumbling but magnificent mansion. The staff and the family are sure there is something not quite right about their new maid – but she soon wins them over with her warmth and dedication.

Then the young Earl returns home from the war – and Anna falls hopelessly in love. But they can never be together: Rupert is engaged to the snobbish and awful Muriel – and anyway, Anna is only a servant. Or so everybody thinks . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12617 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author

Eva Ibbotson lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and has four grown-up children. She has written ten other books for children, which have been translated into many languages. She has won several major awards for her work, and two major movies based on her books are currently in development.

Customer Reviews

great book
Once again a great book by Eva Ibbotson. Buyers beware this is the same book as 'A Countess Under Stairs' and if you buy the special offer of these two books together, you are buying 2 copies of the same book!!I guess you could give one away to a friend like I did!
However, if you love old fashion romance of the type that you can't put down than buy this (or 'A Countess Under Stairs'!!) I am looking forward to reading the other re issues of Ms Ibbotson's books

far more intelligent and better-written than most
Yet another of Eva Ibbotson's enchanting historical romances that go far beyond the average. The story is a classic Cinderella tale - Anna is the daughter of Russian aristocrats, forced to flee to England by the Revolution. Having been one of the richest families in St. Petersburg, they are now to live with their governess. Anna's brother is a charity pupil at boarding school and Anna herself (armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping) determines to become a housemaid. She gains employment at the Earl of Westerhome's crumbling but gorgeous house,where her deep curtseys terrify the butler and housekeeper and her dedication and lack of airs charms the rest of the staff. Menawhile, Rupert the Earl is about to make a disastrous marriage to Muriel, the socially ambitious woman who nursed him through his war injuries. A voluptuous golden-haired believer in eugenics she plans to use her fortune in not only restoring the house but making it a temple of pure-blood neo-Nazi beliefs. Everyone, including Rupert, realises the match will be a disaster, especially as she upsets all the staff with her cruel demands and insults their Jewish neighbours. Rupert and Anna fall passionately in love. But it is only when their neighbours have a fancy-dress ball at which Anna's young brother is a guest that the kitchen-maid takes her place as a countess....What this probably doesn't convey is the delicious wit and intelligence of Ibbotson's style. She is someone who can not only drop in dozens of musical and literary references without showing-off, but she can really write. Her intricate plots are always beautifully crafted. Every one of her characters is so fresh and alive that he or she jumps off the page, and her belief in the triumph of goodness over malice us infectious. She is pure joy for anyone who relishes Jane Austen, Carol Shields, Georgette Heyer or Alison Lurie. I can't recommend her too highly.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Anna Grazinsky is a member of the Russian aristocracy, or White Russians, during the Russian Revolution. Her family is forced to flee from their comfortable life in Russia to England, where they are safe from the revolutionaries. But in England, the Grazinskys are left with nothing. Anna has a very resilient spirit, and instead of moping around and wishing for her old life, she is grateful for the safety of her family and secretly takes a job as a maid so that her little brother can still attend school. With her take-charge attitude, Anna proves that not all rich girls are snobby brats, like modern heiresses lead us to believe.

While many of the servants at the Westerholme residence are skeptical of the new foreign girl, Anna quickly charms her way into their hearts. With her deep curtsies, bright smile, and cheerful demeanor, Anna is beloved by all. She does each task assigned to her as best she can, never slacking on the job.

When the young and handsome Earl of Westerholme returns home from World War I, Anna is immediately drawn to him. And it seems that he feels a similar attraction to her. But Anna's identity as a countess is still a secret, and she does not have the social standing that she once held in Russia. Plus, the Earl is already engaged to the beautiful but vicious Muriel Hardwicke. Muriel nursed Earl Rupert back to health when he was wounded in the war, and he proposed to her. But that was before he met Anna.

In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Muriel begins to take over the Westerholme household, arbitrarily firing servants that do not fit in with her vision for Westerholme. None of the servants or neighbors are fond of Muriel, and as the wedding date approaches, all of Rupert's friends and family are leery of the impending marriage.

At the costume ball thrown prior to the wedding, Anna's true identity as a countess is revealed, and Anna and Rupert dance the night away. Everyone can see that they are a perfect couple, but can Rupert and Anna come to terms with their feelings for each other before his marriage to Muriel?

Although A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS has a very fairytale-like romantic plot, Anna is far from the typical princess. She has a feisty spirit and genuinely fun personality that immediately draws you in. Eva Ibbotson does a great job in breathing life into the generic fairytale plot. Anna's story is very similar to what much of the Russian aristocracy experienced during the communist revolution, and Ibbotson shows that even though life is unpredictable and rarely kind, if you embrace all opportunities and make the most of your situation, you will find happiness.

Reviewed by: Amber Gibson