Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame is like Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs but read rather than watched.

 The book is set in 1912 country England and focuses on Maggie’s return from her year in Paris to a money-troubled Wentworth Hall; her travels have changed her greatly.

Maggie’s mum is eager to marry her off, hopefully to Teddy Fitzhugh. After the death of their father Teddy and his twin sister Jessica went to live at Wentworth, where they must stay until they turn 18 and are allowed their diamond-filled inheritance.

Lila, Maggie’s younger sister, wants to be noticed especially since their older brother Wesley went to university.

Due to the money problems, some of the staff’s jobs are unsure and this threatens to change the way of life for many people living in Wentworth Hall.

Throughout the book the chapters are told by a different character, which helps you establish their personality and views of things. Sometimes writing like that doesn’t work, but it flows and works in this book.

Every couple of chapters there is a story insert, like an article from a newspaper back in the 1910’s. These extra features basically sum up the chapters you just read. They also help to extenuate the characters’ worst personality traits or really push what the author wants you to think the character is like.

I found these chapters to be unnecessary and annoying. The story is easy to follow, so you already have an idea of what the characters are like and what is going on without the reminder.

Overall I would give the book a 3.5 out of 5. It is pretty generic for its theme but has good character development and a nice writing style.

Written by Kelly – a member of our youth book club Cover2Cover.