Longshore, Katherine. Manor of Secrets. New York: Point, 2014. 978-0-545-66799-9. 321 p. $8.99. Gr. 7 and up.

Lady Charlotte Edmonds dreams of escaping her familial responsibilities and mother for freedom and a life in which she can choose her own future instead of birth determining her place and life.  Janie Seward longs for a life free of the manor kitchen and physical work, where her mind can drive her future instead of fear of losing the mother she recently found and the stability of the manor kitchen.  Through accidents and incidents, Janie and Lady Charlotte place confidence in one another and find kinship that strengthens each other’s dreams and lead to a secret that neither could have predicted.

Historical Fiction   Erin Parkinson, Lincoln Jr/Sr High School

Fans of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre’s Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey series will love Manor of Secrets.  The characters of Lady Charlotte and Janie are reminiscent of Lady Sybil and Daisy from Downton Abbey minus the close friendship that adds to the characters in the novel.  An easy read, this is a good introduction for students interested in either Masterpiece series, British society, and/or historical fiction.