Lady's Maid : Margaret Forster

Young and timid but full of sturdy good sense and awakening sophistication, Lily Wilson arrives in London in 1844 and becomes lady's maid to the fragile, housebound Elizabeth Barrett. Lily is quickly drawn to her mistress' gaiety and sharp intelligence, the power of her poetry, and her deep emotional need. Theirs is a strange intimacy that will last sixteen years.

It is Lily who smuggles Miss Barrett out of the gloomy Wimpole Street house, witnesses her secret wedding to Robert Browning in an empty church, and flees with the couple to threadbare lodgings and the heat, light, and colors of Italy. As housekeeper, nursemaid, companion, and confidante, Lily shares all of Elizabeth's milestones -- childbirth, bereavement, literary triumph. As her devotion turns almost to obsession, Lily forgets her own fleeting loneliness. But when Lily's own affairs take a dramatic turn, she comes to expect the same loyalty from Elizabeth that she herself has always given.

If the reader is a fan of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and of the times in which she lived, which I am most assuredly not, they will enjoy this book. Provided, of course, they are open to experiencing a less than flattering depiction of their beloved poet. While the language did not pose a problem for myself, I can see where it might pose a struggle for someone inexperienced with the writing style of the mid 19th century.

To be fair, the story does give an interesting glimpse into the life of the poet and her husband from the point of view of someone who was situated to actually know the truth. The story itself is based on a true person, Lily Wilson, once lady's maid to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and true history regarding the poet and her life.. The author's grasp of the social strata of the times and the separation of the classes is superb, as is her knowledge of Elizabeth Browning and the people in her life.

For that reason alone, this book will be a welcome addition to the collections of fans of the poet and readers of 19th century historical fiction.