Book - The Governess by Wendy Holden

This is so well written with a stunning prologue. It does exactly what it should; lure you in.

I have no interest in royalty and we learn early on that nor did the governess. Marion Crawford just wanted to ensure the princesses grew up feminists and knew of the real working-lass world she came from.

As with every historical novel, I had to look up how the facts stacked up to this fiction. I still don't understand why the princesses' teacher would need to attend family dinners, state occasions or even live with the family. After reading The Governess, I learned that Marion Crawford was a real person who did indeed write about her time with the royal family. I may need to read that to see how much of that happened.

Princess Margaret is harshly treated here so I wonder how much of that is true. The author couldn't help sneaking in the line "a young man like that will never amount to anything" about a future president which caught the giggle it expected.

The book came in that pile I won at a charity auction and I hadn't planned to read it. However, I have been given the gift of time (work can wait a couple of months) so I'm going through the TBR pile, some of which, like this one, are acquired rather than actively bought. I'm glad to have read it.

In any case, it helps with my aim of reading at least 3 books a month rather than the usual 1 and is a super fast, easy read. I'll be seeking Wendy Holden's book at Wallis Simpson next of which much is included here.