Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor
Book Review
Born in Aldfield in Yorkshire England in 1899 and dying in 1989 at age 90 Rosina Harrison thankfully left the world with a beautifully detailed account of her life as Lady’s Maid to Lady Nancy Astor.
A few sentences into the foreword and I was a goner. I couldn’t stop reading. It was as if I was sitting in a room with her listening to her tell this amazing life story. Rosina was born to a blue collar working family in a village in England. Everyone in the family had to work odd jobs just to keep food on the table, so Rosina grew up with a hard-working mentality and desire to achieve her dreams. Growing up in the manner she did pretty much cemented her lot in life as a housemaid, cook, seamstress etc. When it was time for her to leave school she told her mother that her dream was to travel and instead of laughing at her, telling her that would never happen her mother told her exactly what she needed to do, become a Lady’s Maid.
Her family made sacrifices to educate Rosina for another two years in the two necessary skills she would need to be a “Lady’s Maid” Learn to speak French and learn to make dresses. To help the family out during this time Rosina wanted to get a job as a simple housemaid but her mother told her that would label her for the rest of her life and she’d never be able to rise to Lady’s Maid. So she finished her studies and found her first job as a “Young Lady’s Maid”, meaning maid to the Lady of the house’s daughters.
A few years later she landed at Cliveden the estate of the Astor’s and once she began her service to Lady Nancy Astor she was to remain there for the rest of her working life. Lady Astor wasn’t always the easier woman to deal with and Rose had her challenges till the day Lady Astor passed away. If she’d had a nickel for every “shut up Rose” she was told she would have never needed to work a day in her life.
Rose had such great tenacity, boldness and faith and that’s what made her capable to handle the likes of Lady Astor and never lose her sense of self. She rose to the occasion never letting her lady get her down. There are such great little stories peppered throughout the book. What it like was like for servants during World War II and all of the places she traveled to during her life in service.
If you are looking for a truly interesting read into a world few have entered into you should check out this book. I have provided the link to purchase on Amazon here.
Video about the Book Review.