‘The Servant’ by Maggie Richell-Davies

I really love historical fiction and was pleased to be given the opportunity to review this book. I came to this book with high hopes because it was awarded the Historical Writers’ Association prize for an (at that point) unpublished novel – if the HWA says it is good, it will be good.

And so it is!

The story follows a young girl, Hannah Hubert, who has fallen on hard times in Georgian London. Although she is descended from a respectable silk weaver and has had the benefits of a good education, she has been forced into service after having been orphaned.

When she is sent to work for the Chalkes, she finds herself in a house of secrets. The mistress of the house is tough and Hannah is given cryptic warnings about the master by other servants. There is a locked room in the house, secret books and mysterious auctions that happen behind closed doors… To add to Hannah’s disquiet, the other servant in the house, Peg, is terrified of the Chalkes.

Thrown into the mix are Hannah’s friendships with two young men – one is an apprentice at the book store where she delivers Mr Chalke’s mysterious documents and the other is a widower farmer who delivers milk to the Chalkes. The real question becomes who she can trust when things go wrong.

I really don’t want to give spoilers that would ruin this book for another reader. However, I came to the book expecting historical crime fiction and it needs to be said that it is so much more than that. Crime is one element of the story, but it is more focused on the character of Hannah and her fight for survival in an extremely hostile world.

Hannah is a fantastic heroine who really develops as a character over the course of the book. She begins as a naïve but educated fifteen year-old whose kindness and desire to help others is evident – her treatment of poor Peg wins her not only Peg’s total loyalty but also the respect of the reader. She is clever, curious and willing to stand up for what she believes – something that puts her in the way of danger. As the book progresses, the reader sees Hannah’s resilience, pride and determination to do the right thing even in the toughest circumstances. I doubt any reader could do anything but root for Hannah throughout!

Without giving too much away, I felt that the book contained strong positive messages about female friendship and the willingness of the poorest in society to support each other when times become tough. I loved the relationship between Peg and Hannah, plus the glorious later addition of a pipe-smoking childminder with a charitable heart.

Another strength in the novel was the colourful historical setting. Georgian London really is evoked in all its glory and grimness. There is a real sense of the hardships of being a servant in this era, plus the seediness of the poorer areas of London. The period detail is perfect – we get a sense of the clothes, routines, lives of the characters – and there is a feeling that a vast amount of research must have gone into the writing of this book, although it never feels laboured.

It must be said that the book does touch on some very dark themes that make for uncomfortable reading at times. This is not cosy historical fiction and Hannah’s (justifiable) fear is palpable as she is cast into some awful situations. The reader has to trust that the story is in safe hands and Hannah’s resolve will see her through.

I thought that this story was well-paced and liked the fact that it was told in a series of short chapters. This made the plot feel like it had real movement and – indeed – it did cover a lot of ground in less than 300 pages. I kept thinking that I’d read just one more chapter, then another and – oh, the next one is so short, should read that too… I raced through it!

I was interested to read that the book was inspired by the writer’s visit to the Foundling Hospital Museum in London. This is somewhere I’d very much like to visit after reading the novel, although I can imagine it is home to many heart-breaking stories of mothers with no other option but to entrust their child to the (possible) kindness of strangers.

Overall, I’d join the Historical Writers’ Association in recommending this book. It is absorbing, lively and immersive – Hannah and her Georgian setting both felt entirely authentic and it is time you made a trip to her world too!

Although my copy of this book was gifted to me by the author, opinions (as always) are entirely my own. Thank you to Maggie Richell-Davies for giving me the book to review.

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