The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

Brimming with romance and danger, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall takes readers inside the fascinating belowstairs world of a 19th-century English manor, where appearances can be deceiving. 
My Thoughts on The Maid of Fairbourne Hall: 

I almost gave this book a full five stars, it’s as close to a five star book as I’ve read in a while! I truly enjoy a well written historical fiction book, and this one kept me awake
till the wee hours of the night because I just couldn’t put it down. I finished it in a single weekend.

If you are a fan of the show Downton Abbey like I am, then this book will definitely be one you’ll want to read. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen is set in 1815 England, and takes place for the most party “below the stairs”. The beautiful but proud and spoiled Margaret Macey is a typical woman from the Regency time period. She is brought up knowing the life of wealth, without much consideration or concern of the life of her servants.
When Margaret decides the only way to escape a forced and terrible marriage arranged by her “evil step-father”, she has no other choice but to disguise herself as a maid and run away with her former maid Joan. She only has to hide until her birthday, when she will inherit a large fortune and be free from the ties to her step-father.
Margaret finds life as a maid to be much more work than she ever realized, and matters are only complicated when she finds herself in Fairbourne Hall, the home of two brothers, one whom she always hoped a marriage proposal from, and his brother whose proposal she rejected years earlier due to her shallowness and pride.

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is a lesson in humility as well as servant hood, with a strong ribbon of faith in God woven throughout. There are a few plot twists throughout the book, as well as strong supporting characters. I loved that the novel was set mostly from the point of view of the servants, not the wealthy.
This is the first novel by Julie Klassen I’ve read, and I’m looking forward to reading more. If you are looking for a great novel to spend the weekend reading, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, you will not be disappointed.

The Maid of Fairbourn Hall is available to purchase on Amazon.