Historical fiction is tricky. You are taking real people and changing or inventing facts to create conflict in order to make a story. And in this book I spent the entire thing worrying about a particular (real life) character's, well, character. Ms. Benjamin didn't put the explanation of what was fiction and what was true until the end, which made it hard to just relax and enjoy the story often times.

The author has done beautiful research to paint the scene of Victorian England. Great juxtaposition, for example, of the attitude of servants in the 1920's as opposed to the 1870's. Details that are so wonderful they stay with you for days.

This story moved quite slowly for me at times and I was in a hurry to finish it and be done. When I was done, though, I found myself missing it.