Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor

Summary

In 1928, Rosina Harrison arrived at the illustrious household of the Astor family to take up her new position as personal maid to the infamously temperamental Lady Nancy Astor, who sat in Parliament, entertained royalty, and traveled the world. “She’s not a lady as you would understand a lady” was the butler’s ominous warning. But what no one expected was that the iron-willed Lady Astor was about to meet her match in the no-nonsense, whip-smart girl from the country.

For thirty-five years, from the parties thrown for royalty and trips across the globe, to the air raids during World War II, Rose was by Lady Astor’s side and behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly. In charge of everything from the clothes and furs to the baggage to the priceless diamond “sparklers,” Rose was closer to Lady Astor than anyone else. In her decades of service she received one five-pound raise, but she traveled the world in style and retired with a lifetime’s worth of stories.

Like Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, Rose is not only a captivating insight into the great wealth “upstairs” and the endless work “downstairs” but also the story of an unlikely decades-long friendship that grew between Her Ladyship and her spirited Yorkshire maid.