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Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary
Lady Rose Targenet, later the Countess of Lochlule marries Sir Hector, owner of the estate next to 'Keepsfield', the palatial Scottish mansion where she lives. But one day she meets someone on a park bench in Edinburgh. This novel is about dreams and the hard world of money and position and their relations to one another.
223 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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930 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Ferguson
46 books35 followersRuby Constance Annie Ashby Ferguson
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Ruby Ferguson and R.C. Ashby
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Ruby Ferguson and R.C. Ashby
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
March 10, 2021
The novel opens with an English couple and their American friend on a tour of Scotland. They come across a sign for an estate to let and decide to have a look around. Mrs Memmary, the elderly caretaker takes them around, telling them the story of Lady Rose, the owner who lives in Italy. At the start of her tale, Lady Rose is 6 years old, open, friendly, and interested in everything. We see her through school and her first season where she is presented to Queen Victoria, who likes her so when her father died with no male heir, she is made Countess in her own right. This very much upsets her fiance, who doesn't see why she should have her own property and a grander title than his.
Lady Rose is a charming character, still very open and warm-hearted, and I found her story utterly compelling, hoping that she would find an ending that she deserved.
I loved it and couldn't stop reading.
Lady Rose is a charming character, still very open and warm-hearted, and I found her story utterly compelling, hoping that she would find an ending that she deserved.
I loved it and couldn't stop reading.
August 27, 2022
A really strong book - touching and fun and very readable.
September 27, 2020
This book, although quite dated, has a charming fairy-tale quality about it. Someone else mentioned that reading it felt like watching an old black and white movie. That sums it up perfectly.
The story takes place in Scotland during the Victorian years. I have always had a place in my heart for Scotland, although I have yet to visit there. The book has been described as a love letter to Scotland.
The protagonist, Lady Rose, is a delight. She loves life and all that it has to offer. Although the story has a dreamy, magical quality about it, we soon see the constraints that were placed upon women, especially women of a higher class, during that time. Although I didn’t care too much for some parts of the ending, which I predicted fairly early on, I am so happy that I read it. Finally, I do want to add that my used copy from the 1950’s smells wonderful. I love smelling books, new books, old books, anything really!
Here are my favorite quotes:
“I’m terrified of children. I never know what to do with them. You can’t scruff them up like puppies and admire their ears and teeth; and if you talk to them like intelligent human beings they only greet you with most disconcerting stares.”
“In our day … there was such a thing as noblesse oblige. People had respect for tradition. People of position would rather have died than reveal to the common public that there was anything wrong in their domestic relations. The way that titled people, even those of old families, today are not ashamed to appear in the divorce court is scandalous; it is the end of breeding and nobility. When I was young there were great ladies, today there are none.”
The story takes place in Scotland during the Victorian years. I have always had a place in my heart for Scotland, although I have yet to visit there. The book has been described as a love letter to Scotland.
The protagonist, Lady Rose, is a delight. She loves life and all that it has to offer. Although the story has a dreamy, magical quality about it, we soon see the constraints that were placed upon women, especially women of a higher class, during that time. Although I didn’t care too much for some parts of the ending, which I predicted fairly early on, I am so happy that I read it. Finally, I do want to add that my used copy from the 1950’s smells wonderful. I love smelling books, new books, old books, anything really!
Here are my favorite quotes:
“I’m terrified of children. I never know what to do with them. You can’t scruff them up like puppies and admire their ears and teeth; and if you talk to them like intelligent human beings they only greet you with most disconcerting stares.”
“In our day … there was such a thing as noblesse oblige. People had respect for tradition. People of position would rather have died than reveal to the common public that there was anything wrong in their domestic relations. The way that titled people, even those of old families, today are not ashamed to appear in the divorce court is scandalous; it is the end of breeding and nobility. When I was young there were great ladies, today there are none.”
November 3, 2016
Sometimes the introduction (or foreword) to a book is a pointless bore, but it can also illuminate a book in a particular way that makes the reading experience more enjoyable. Candia McWilliam provides the foreword to this one and I highly recommend that you read it first, as it does set you up for what you will find in this charming, fairy-tale like book. As she warns, it is "high in sugar" - but compelling, too. First published in 1937, as the country was still mired in depression and events in Germany were rapidly worsening, this novel is set in the solidly aristocratic world of 19th century Victorian England. Keepsfield, the country estate of Lady Rose (who will eventually inherit the title of Countess of Lochlule), is a haven of peace, order and beauty. The young Lady Rose, who we first meet on the occasion of her 6th birthday, is a child gifted with a truly happy nature. She reminded me of Sarah Crewe, the "little princess" in Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's story. If you loved A Little Princess, and can enjoy it still, you will probably adore this book.
There is more than one kind of high romanticism in this book, but the most noticeable is the deep lovely of country that Lady Rose has for Keepsfield in particular and Scotland in general. Raised on tales of heroism and noble suffering, Rose is prepared to suffer, too - and first does so when she is exiled in England to go to boarding school. We follow Lady Rose, at an interesting narrative remove, through her school days, and then her coming-out, and finally her marriage to one of her equally aristocratic neighbours. Sadly, it is not a love match, but a joining-up of estates and pedigrees. Lady Rose, who has such a warm and loving nature, is described as untouched . . . resorting to flower imagery here, she is symbolically a bud who has not yet bloomed. McWilliam describes this book as a fairy tale with thorns, and seems to me an apt description. Lady Rose makes a decision, some would think it a calamatious one, and it requires enormous sacrifices from her. The book ends with a surprising twist, although if you know there is a twist, you may be able to guess it. (I did.) All in all, it's a lovely little book - not quite of this world, but it will appeal to those with romantic souls.
There is more than one kind of high romanticism in this book, but the most noticeable is the deep lovely of country that Lady Rose has for Keepsfield in particular and Scotland in general. Raised on tales of heroism and noble suffering, Rose is prepared to suffer, too - and first does so when she is exiled in England to go to boarding school. We follow Lady Rose, at an interesting narrative remove, through her school days, and then her coming-out, and finally her marriage to one of her equally aristocratic neighbours. Sadly, it is not a love match, but a joining-up of estates and pedigrees. Lady Rose, who has such a warm and loving nature, is described as untouched . . . resorting to flower imagery here, she is symbolically a bud who has not yet bloomed. McWilliam describes this book as a fairy tale with thorns, and seems to me an apt description. Lady Rose makes a decision, some would think it a calamatious one, and it requires enormous sacrifices from her. The book ends with a surprising twist, although if you know there is a twist, you may be able to guess it. (I did.) All in all, it's a lovely little book - not quite of this world, but it will appeal to those with romantic souls.
April 30, 2015
Oh, this is lovely.
It begins with three people, an English couple and an American friend, on holiday in the Scottish Highlands. They see a sign, on grand wrought-iron gates, advertising a magnificent residence to be let. They are intrigued and the gatekeeper invites them to look more closely, assuring them that the housekeeper, Mrs Memmary would be only too pleased to show off the house.
“He unfastened a side-gate and they ran their car along a mile of carriage-drive, through a plantation where rabbits sat in the shaded roadway unafraid, hopping to one side to let them pass, and blackbirds sang a pure, clear song from the thicket; then across a vast park covered with grazing cattle and rows of pheasant coops. From here they could see the house and it took their breath away.
It was a classic white mansion of the late eighteenth century, glittering white , with pillared facades and sweeping terraces, standing in a formal garden to which long marble steps ran down.”
They were honest, they explained to Mrs Memmary that they weren’t potential tenants, that they were simply curious visitors, but she was still delighted to show then the house, a house that she so obviously knew and loved.
As they walked through beautiful empty rooms, room that cried out for the lives to be lived in them as they had in the past, Mrs Memmary told them stories of the house’s owner.
Lady Rose was the only child and the heir, thanks to the good graces of Queen Victoria, of the Earl of Lochule.
She was pretty, warm, bright, and her open heart, her boundless curiosity, her love of life, charmed everyone she met. And she grew into a proud Scot and a true romantic, inspired by the writings of Walter Scott, the history of Mary Queen of Scots, and, most of all, her beloved home and lands.
It was lovely, Lady Rose was lovely, and I felt that I had fallen into a fairy-tale,
Lady Rose’s parents were distant figures. That wasn’t unusual, for their class, for their times, for Queen Victoria’s courtiers, but it worried me. Because Lady Rose’s idyllic childhood was no preparation for the life she would be expected to lead when she became first a debutante, then a wife, then a mother.
Her head was full of dreams
“Rose indulged in the most romantic dreams about marriage. Of course they were all delightfully vague and abstract, and for practical purposes they began and ended with white satin and pearls and sheaves of flowers at St, Georges’s and red carpet in front of Aunt Violet’s house in Belgrave Square, and tears, and hundreds of presents. After that came a kind of ideal and undefined state in which you lived blissfully under a new name, and had your own carriage, and didn’t have to ask permission from Mama when you wanted to go out. Floating airily through all of this, of course, was a man. He was not like any other man you had ever seen; they were just men. This man – your husband, queer, mysterious word – was hardly human at all. He was dreadfully handsome, and a little frightening but, of course, you didn’t see very much of him. When you did see him there were love scenes. He always called you “my darling” in a deep, tender voice, and he gave you jewels and flowers, and sometimes went down on his bended knee to kiss you hand. All of this came out of the books you had read. Some day, almost any day after you were presented, and began to go about with Mama, you would meet this marvellous being. You would be in love. You would be married. And that was the end, except that, of course, you would live happily ever after.”
It was a lovely dream, but was Lady Rose ready to adapt, to deal with the strictures of Victorian society, to find that happy ending?
She made a wonderful match, exactly the match her parents had wanted. But she didn’t find that happy ending. Her conventional husband didn’t like her having her own independent wealth and title, he was aggrieved that she was so devoted to her own home and uninterested in his, and he didn’t understand her nature, her love of romance, fun, and life’s simple pleasures. It was sad, but it was understandable.
In time though Lady Rose saw a chance of ‘happily ever after’. She seized it, but there was a scandal, she lost everything and was driven into exile.
The fairy-tale had become an indictment of a society that cast women into restricted roles, that gave men control of their money, their homes, their children, and dealt harshly with anyone who stepped outside its conventions. That indictment was subtle, but it was powerful it lies in a story so full of charm.
Mrs Dacre was captivated by Mrs Memmary’s stories – the framing story worked beautifully – and so was I.
But that’s not to say I was happy with all of Lady Rose’s action. I understood her desire to love and be loved, of course I could, but I couldn’t believe that she was so heedless of the consequences of her actions for her beloved home, or for the two sons she adored.
But the story, and most of all, the heroine never lost their hold on my heart. I was involved, and I cared, so very much.
The visitors left, and Mrs Memmary was left in her beloved house.
There was a gentle twist in the tale, that wasn’t entirely surprising but was entirely right, and the final words brought tears to my eyes.
This is a beautiful, moving, romantic story, told by a consummate storyteller, and I am so pleased that I met Lady Rose, a heroine as lovely as any I have met in the pages of a Persephone book.
It begins with three people, an English couple and an American friend, on holiday in the Scottish Highlands. They see a sign, on grand wrought-iron gates, advertising a magnificent residence to be let. They are intrigued and the gatekeeper invites them to look more closely, assuring them that the housekeeper, Mrs Memmary would be only too pleased to show off the house.
“He unfastened a side-gate and they ran their car along a mile of carriage-drive, through a plantation where rabbits sat in the shaded roadway unafraid, hopping to one side to let them pass, and blackbirds sang a pure, clear song from the thicket; then across a vast park covered with grazing cattle and rows of pheasant coops. From here they could see the house and it took their breath away.
It was a classic white mansion of the late eighteenth century, glittering white , with pillared facades and sweeping terraces, standing in a formal garden to which long marble steps ran down.”
They were honest, they explained to Mrs Memmary that they weren’t potential tenants, that they were simply curious visitors, but she was still delighted to show then the house, a house that she so obviously knew and loved.
As they walked through beautiful empty rooms, room that cried out for the lives to be lived in them as they had in the past, Mrs Memmary told them stories of the house’s owner.
Lady Rose was the only child and the heir, thanks to the good graces of Queen Victoria, of the Earl of Lochule.
She was pretty, warm, bright, and her open heart, her boundless curiosity, her love of life, charmed everyone she met. And she grew into a proud Scot and a true romantic, inspired by the writings of Walter Scott, the history of Mary Queen of Scots, and, most of all, her beloved home and lands.
It was lovely, Lady Rose was lovely, and I felt that I had fallen into a fairy-tale,
Lady Rose’s parents were distant figures. That wasn’t unusual, for their class, for their times, for Queen Victoria’s courtiers, but it worried me. Because Lady Rose’s idyllic childhood was no preparation for the life she would be expected to lead when she became first a debutante, then a wife, then a mother.
Her head was full of dreams
“Rose indulged in the most romantic dreams about marriage. Of course they were all delightfully vague and abstract, and for practical purposes they began and ended with white satin and pearls and sheaves of flowers at St, Georges’s and red carpet in front of Aunt Violet’s house in Belgrave Square, and tears, and hundreds of presents. After that came a kind of ideal and undefined state in which you lived blissfully under a new name, and had your own carriage, and didn’t have to ask permission from Mama when you wanted to go out. Floating airily through all of this, of course, was a man. He was not like any other man you had ever seen; they were just men. This man – your husband, queer, mysterious word – was hardly human at all. He was dreadfully handsome, and a little frightening but, of course, you didn’t see very much of him. When you did see him there were love scenes. He always called you “my darling” in a deep, tender voice, and he gave you jewels and flowers, and sometimes went down on his bended knee to kiss you hand. All of this came out of the books you had read. Some day, almost any day after you were presented, and began to go about with Mama, you would meet this marvellous being. You would be in love. You would be married. And that was the end, except that, of course, you would live happily ever after.”
It was a lovely dream, but was Lady Rose ready to adapt, to deal with the strictures of Victorian society, to find that happy ending?
She made a wonderful match, exactly the match her parents had wanted. But she didn’t find that happy ending. Her conventional husband didn’t like her having her own independent wealth and title, he was aggrieved that she was so devoted to her own home and uninterested in his, and he didn’t understand her nature, her love of romance, fun, and life’s simple pleasures. It was sad, but it was understandable.
In time though Lady Rose saw a chance of ‘happily ever after’. She seized it, but there was a scandal, she lost everything and was driven into exile.
The fairy-tale had become an indictment of a society that cast women into restricted roles, that gave men control of their money, their homes, their children, and dealt harshly with anyone who stepped outside its conventions. That indictment was subtle, but it was powerful it lies in a story so full of charm.
Mrs Dacre was captivated by Mrs Memmary’s stories – the framing story worked beautifully – and so was I.
But that’s not to say I was happy with all of Lady Rose’s action. I understood her desire to love and be loved, of course I could, but I couldn’t believe that she was so heedless of the consequences of her actions for her beloved home, or for the two sons she adored.
But the story, and most of all, the heroine never lost their hold on my heart. I was involved, and I cared, so very much.
The visitors left, and Mrs Memmary was left in her beloved house.
There was a gentle twist in the tale, that wasn’t entirely surprising but was entirely right, and the final words brought tears to my eyes.
This is a beautiful, moving, romantic story, told by a consummate storyteller, and I am so pleased that I met Lady Rose, a heroine as lovely as any I have met in the pages of a Persephone book.
April 21, 2024
Oh wow!! I did not see that coming. Loved reading this for Simon at Stuck in a Book’s 1937 club this week. Such a lovely, lovely book! I also realized that Persephone Books is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend! Love that bookish serendipity!
June 2, 2015
Persephone describes this novel as a "love letter to Scotland", and as I will be studying in Scotland next year, I figured it'd be a nice start. It's one of those books that, despite sometimes slightly too obviously praising Scotland and juxtaposing Edinburgh and London, give you a fuzzy feeling and a longing to see the places so vividly described in these pages.
The narrative jumps back and forth between different stages of Lady Rose's life, and the housekeeper telling a visiting guest little stories about the inhabitants of the house. It gives an interesting insight into the lives of the upper class at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, with many traditions still in place at that point. There is a section full of letters, which was very enjoyably written in the style of a young girl, but also eye-witness accounts, and omniscient narration. The fragmentary state of the narrative allows for a twist at the very end - though I must confess I saw it coming for a couple of pages at that point. Very beautifully done, a small story, but definitely a gem of a book.
The narrative jumps back and forth between different stages of Lady Rose's life, and the housekeeper telling a visiting guest little stories about the inhabitants of the house. It gives an interesting insight into the lives of the upper class at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, with many traditions still in place at that point. There is a section full of letters, which was very enjoyably written in the style of a young girl, but also eye-witness accounts, and omniscient narration. The fragmentary state of the narrative allows for a twist at the very end - though I must confess I saw it coming for a couple of pages at that point. Very beautifully done, a small story, but definitely a gem of a book.
January 21, 2018
My love for Persephone seems to grow with every book from my collection that I read, and this has added to my admiration!
Knew very little of this book before I picked it up so didn't know what to expect, and thoroughly enjoyed this charming tale of Lady Rose through the eyes of Mrs Memmary as she tells tales of the life and times of Lady Rose to some American tourists who are visiting the beautiful old home Keepsfield. Times were much different for Lady Rose as she grew up and it was fascinating to see what was expected of her due to her upbringing and place in society, and how she sacrificed so much but that was her 'duty' so to speak and despite her unhappiness she refused to wallow.
I enjoyed the little twist in the story and think it really added to the feeling behind the tales told and in trying to understand the mind frame of those living in that time period, and just how family life changed over the years. A fabulous little book!
Knew very little of this book before I picked it up so didn't know what to expect, and thoroughly enjoyed this charming tale of Lady Rose through the eyes of Mrs Memmary as she tells tales of the life and times of Lady Rose to some American tourists who are visiting the beautiful old home Keepsfield. Times were much different for Lady Rose as she grew up and it was fascinating to see what was expected of her due to her upbringing and place in society, and how she sacrificed so much but that was her 'duty' so to speak and despite her unhappiness she refused to wallow.
I enjoyed the little twist in the story and think it really added to the feeling behind the tales told and in trying to understand the mind frame of those living in that time period, and just how family life changed over the years. A fabulous little book!
December 28, 2024
Solche Bücher sind meine Realitätsflucht. Wer Lust hat auf eine gemütliche, schottische kleine Geschichte, viele Beschreibungen von vergangenem Glanz und eine etwas unrealistische Liebe, der wird mit dem Buch sehr viel Freude haben.
Für mich wars perfekt für die Weihnachtszeit, auch wenn es hauptsächlich nicht an Weihnachten spielt.
Für mich wars perfekt für die Weihnachtszeit, auch wenn es hauptsächlich nicht an Weihnachten spielt.
April 17, 2024
10🌟! I just finished the last page of Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary—oh, what can I say except this book touched my heart, made me soul feel lighter and charmed me with every single word! 🥰💕
I never thought that this slim novel would surpass Apricot Sky (which was a 5🌟 read for me!), but it truly did. It might sound overly dramatic, but I feel like this story is part of me forever.
When I come across a book that has everything I love—beauty in nature, character, description, relationships and joy—it makes it impossible to review because there is so much to say and (for me) no accurate words to express all of my feelings.
I cried like a baby at the ending and I just wanted to hold everything that happened tightly to me in comfort and love. There is a choice at the very end to keep reading or to stop. I decided to keep reading and, though I had heartache at the end, I was glad that I did. What will you choose to do?
Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary will stay with you even after you've come to the end of the story. I LOVED IT!
I never thought that this slim novel would surpass Apricot Sky (which was a 5🌟 read for me!), but it truly did. It might sound overly dramatic, but I feel like this story is part of me forever.
When I come across a book that has everything I love—beauty in nature, character, description, relationships and joy—it makes it impossible to review because there is so much to say and (for me) no accurate words to express all of my feelings.
I cried like a baby at the ending and I just wanted to hold everything that happened tightly to me in comfort and love. There is a choice at the very end to keep reading or to stop. I decided to keep reading and, though I had heartache at the end, I was glad that I did. What will you choose to do?
Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary will stay with you even after you've come to the end of the story. I LOVED IT!
June 9, 2020
This was a sweet little book. Some of the dramatic scene transitions seemed so reminiscent of a black and white 1940's movie- I was here for it.
Though I guessed at the ending, it wasn't spoiled for me in the slightest. The scenery descriptions and the themes of love for Scotland were wonderful.
Though I guessed at the ending, it wasn't spoiled for me in the slightest. The scenery descriptions and the themes of love for Scotland were wonderful.
January 4, 2021
Meh. The preface calls it a 'curdled high romance', and I see what the intention was--to show a fairy tale and then show the dark side of it. But for me, this intention didn't succeed. The delightful fairy-tale childhood portions were too twee and precious, and the frustrated bits when Lady Rose grows up and realizes that society is stultifying and patriarchal and horrible was engaging with the issue at not even Feminism 101, but Remedial Feminism level. It felt a lot like Gaudy Night: the conversation about women's role in society has moved well on from where this book was, and the rest of its literary merits were insufficient to make up for the very tedious message it had to tell. Yes: the Good Old Days with the Grand Old Houses and Great Ladies were oppressive to women! My goodness, what a contrast!
Also, Rose says several times that she knew the costs of remarrying and accepted them when making her decision, but one of those costs was deserting three children under 10. She grieves more at the fact that her mother says that she's disappointed her grand country of Scotland than at the fact that her family takes her children from her. We see how much she loves them, but she gives them up with barely a kick. No wonder her son wants nothing to do with her when she comes back to Scotland: She remarried a month after his father died and then deserted him and his siblings utterly for fifty years. Wouldn't you be pissed too if your mother did that to you? Good grief. She chose a lover over her children and considered the trade worth it. That's hard to forgive.
Also, I figured out the twist, such as it was, very early in the book.
Also, Rose says several times that she knew the costs of remarrying and accepted them when making her decision, but one of those costs was deserting three children under 10. She grieves more at the fact that her mother says that she's disappointed her grand country of Scotland than at the fact that her family takes her children from her. We see how much she loves them, but she gives them up with barely a kick. No wonder her son wants nothing to do with her when she comes back to Scotland: She remarried a month after his father died and then deserted him and his siblings utterly for fifty years. Wouldn't you be pissed too if your mother did that to you? Good grief. She chose a lover over her children and considered the trade worth it. That's hard to forgive.
Also, I figured out the twist, such as it was, very early in the book.
May 9, 2012
This is an unusual book; it has a rather dream-like quality, as it goes back and forth in time between the "present" (actually the mid-1930s) and the past of the mid-1800s. It tells the story of Lady Rose, who is a very privileged child of the Scottish nobility, and how her life evolves. There's a bit of a mystery (although I figured it out pretty quickly) and wonderful descriptions of Rose's magnificent home, Keepsfield.
The book is written in a style that some might find overwrought; I thought it fit well with Rose's character (curious, enthusiastic, happy and in love with Scotland). The plot moves along quickly and you want to keep reading to find out what happens to Lady Rose as she grows up. But I found by the end that the book left me with a rather melancholy feeling, probably because although we are told that Rose finds happiness in her adult life, we aren't shown her experiencing any of it except the very beginning. Still, I enjoyed reading this and can understand why it was (according to Persephone) a favorite of the Queen Mother's.
The book is written in a style that some might find overwrought; I thought it fit well with Rose's character (curious, enthusiastic, happy and in love with Scotland). The plot moves along quickly and you want to keep reading to find out what happens to Lady Rose as she grows up. But I found by the end that the book left me with a rather melancholy feeling, probably because although we are told that Rose finds happiness in her adult life, we aren't shown her experiencing any of it except the very beginning. Still, I enjoyed reading this and can understand why it was (according to Persephone) a favorite of the Queen Mother's.
September 2, 2015
Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary is a love letter to Scotland. Ruby Ferguson's writing style evokes the atmosphere of a fairy tale whilst talking about characters that are wholly realistic. Keepfields, the house in which Lady Rose grows up, and the landscape around it becomes a character in its own right and is so much a part of the characters' lives that it is impossible to imagine this book set anywhere else.
With charming illustrations and feminist themes, this is definitely a classic that more people need to be reading and talking about. Ruby Ferguson manages to write in such a simple style that is so beautiful at points that I was rereading paragraphs. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves classics, or anyone who wants an easier classic to read.
With charming illustrations and feminist themes, this is definitely a classic that more people need to be reading and talking about. Ruby Ferguson manages to write in such a simple style that is so beautiful at points that I was rereading paragraphs. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves classics, or anyone who wants an easier classic to read.
October 10, 2012
I just adored this book. I can see it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but it could have been written especially for me.
Three people go to see a stately home, in the days when you could just turn up and ask to see round. The caretaker shows them around and tells them about Lady Rose, the last Countess. Then the narration jumps back in time to describe more fully what happened.
I loved it - I'm a romantic, love Scotland and grew up in Scotland, love Scottish grand houses (not that I've lived in one), love Kidnapped and an easily swept into a to mantises history. All of which is reflected in this book.
March 1, 2009
This was perfect reading for a quiet Sunday afternoon. Persephone 53 is a charming grown up fairy tale. Lady Rose is a romantic, and she carries that romantism all her life, and it is this which shapes her destiny. This simple little novel also highlights quite tragically how inflexible and unforgiving was Victorian high society. This is also a novel about Scotland, Lady Rose is a proud and patriotoc Scot - and the novel allows us a teasing glimpse of some of the beauties of Scotland before the modern world came along and trampled all over them.
November 19, 2017
I had heard of Persephone books, but I didn’t really know what they were until I listened to a podcast all about them. Basically, they are books by little known (mostly) women writers from the (mostly) early 19th century re-published into beautiful editions. Once I knew what they were, I was desperate to start reading them ASAP. The problem is that I’m currently living in Omaha, Nebraska and the books are published and sold in London, England. (And of course, I’ve been to London twice in the last year but did I know about them then? NO! Ughhhhh). Anyway, I was spending all this time trying to figure out how many Persephone books I could get shipped to me based on my meager service teacher salary (the answer was not many). Then I made the startling realization that the Omaha Public Library has an insanely excellent collection of Persephone books.
I decided on “Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary” as my first Persephone book. It’s referred to as a love letter to Scotland. Due to this new Outlander season, I’ve been on a Scotland kick recently. Let me tell you, this book is the coziest, most delightful book you can read. It’s perfect for a late autumn day, a cup of tea, and tartan blanket. The book has two plot lines, one of some visitors to an old Scotland estate and their tour of the grounds from the caretaker Mrs. Memmary. The other is of the life of Lady Rose who grew up in the house. Lady Rose reminds me of the girl from Jessica’s Daily Affirmations- this girl just loves everything. She loves her house, her family, Bony Prince Charlie, and most importantly her beloved Scotland. It tells the story of how Lady Rose grows up, charms everyone from famous authors to Queen Victoria, goes off to school, and eventually marries a suitable Scottlish gentleman. Stuck in a loveless, oppressive marriage, Lady Rose finally reaches a place where she doesn’t love everything.
I love that this tale has a feminist message about love, marriage, and women’s autonomy. I loved seeing how Rose’s story unfolded, especially with it’s many twists, turns, and uplifting moments. The writing itself is quite humorous and playful, which I really enjoyed. I definitely recommend this book as a cheering, cozy, hygge-approved read. I'm already excited to pick out my next Persephone book. Let me know what your favorites are!
I decided on “Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary” as my first Persephone book. It’s referred to as a love letter to Scotland. Due to this new Outlander season, I’ve been on a Scotland kick recently. Let me tell you, this book is the coziest, most delightful book you can read. It’s perfect for a late autumn day, a cup of tea, and tartan blanket. The book has two plot lines, one of some visitors to an old Scotland estate and their tour of the grounds from the caretaker Mrs. Memmary. The other is of the life of Lady Rose who grew up in the house. Lady Rose reminds me of the girl from Jessica’s Daily Affirmations- this girl just loves everything. She loves her house, her family, Bony Prince Charlie, and most importantly her beloved Scotland. It tells the story of how Lady Rose grows up, charms everyone from famous authors to Queen Victoria, goes off to school, and eventually marries a suitable Scottlish gentleman. Stuck in a loveless, oppressive marriage, Lady Rose finally reaches a place where she doesn’t love everything.
I love that this tale has a feminist message about love, marriage, and women’s autonomy. I loved seeing how Rose’s story unfolded, especially with it’s many twists, turns, and uplifting moments. The writing itself is quite humorous and playful, which I really enjoyed. I definitely recommend this book as a cheering, cozy, hygge-approved read. I'm already excited to pick out my next Persephone book. Let me know what your favorites are!
May 22, 2020
I purchased this book in Persephone Books in London in 2017. I had gone there to see the beautiful feminist press with its soft grey books and their colorful endpapers, and to purchase two copies of A Writer's Diary by Virginia Woolf, one for myself and one for a friend. But they were having a sale: I could get a third. So I perused until I found this one, which was recommended as a love letter to Scotland; as I had just traveled Scotland for weeks and fallen in love, it felt like the perfect choice.
I'm very glad I did. Lady Rose is a spirited and privileged woman growing up in aristocratic Scotland. Her dream is to stay close to her home, her beloved estate and all its wonders. As she grows into a woman, she must confront the repressive rules of society and its limited options for women. Many years in the future, the caretaker of the estate tells Lady Rose's story to a modern female tourist. This is a wonderful novel, well-written, a quick read that I found engaging, and that I was quickly invested in. It reflects wonderfully and complexly on the state of aristocratic women in the Victorian era, and the story is satisfyingly told.
I'm very glad I did. Lady Rose is a spirited and privileged woman growing up in aristocratic Scotland. Her dream is to stay close to her home, her beloved estate and all its wonders. As she grows into a woman, she must confront the repressive rules of society and its limited options for women. Many years in the future, the caretaker of the estate tells Lady Rose's story to a modern female tourist. This is a wonderful novel, well-written, a quick read that I found engaging, and that I was quickly invested in. It reflects wonderfully and complexly on the state of aristocratic women in the Victorian era, and the story is satisfyingly told.
August 1, 2013
This was my first Persephone book! I found the character of Rose extremely likeable, even if she was ever so slightly precocious as a child. I found myself not wanting to put this book down, and although I guessed the small twist from the off, it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the story at all. There were also several points where I laughed out loud, “…marriage with the right kind of man will soon take the romance out of [romantic girls]” on page 118 for instance.
It makes a change to see the darker side of high society and it certainly got me thinking about how even now, even in our own (lowlier) social circles, we are still all bound to a certain extent by convention and expectation.
I enjoyed Lady Rose so much that I'm eager now to read more books I've never heard of, and more Persephones in particular.
It makes a change to see the darker side of high society and it certainly got me thinking about how even now, even in our own (lowlier) social circles, we are still all bound to a certain extent by convention and expectation.
I enjoyed Lady Rose so much that I'm eager now to read more books I've never heard of, and more Persephones in particular.
December 27, 2019
This book felt like a true fairytale. The characters were delightful and the Scottish setting truly stole my heart. I loved how we jumped back and forth between times and the little twist at the end was so charming and sweet. We start off with three people on holiday in 'modern-day' Scotland, when they come past an old estate house, in which they find Mrs Memmary. She tells the guests all about the splendour and loveliness of the house and its past, especially about the girl that once lived there called Lady Rose. We jump through time and hear about Rose's life, starting as a little girl, but growing out to be a lovely woman. We share both her feelings of happiness and sadness and it is so beautiful.
This book was really delightfull. It made me majorly "home"sick for Edinburgh. If you're in the mood for a sweet 'period drama' in book form, this is it.
This book was really delightfull. It made me majorly "home"sick for Edinburgh. If you're in the mood for a sweet 'period drama' in book form, this is it.
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June 6, 2012A Persephone newsletter recommended this for Jubilee reading (it was a favorite of the Queen Mum), and lo and behold, I came across it at the library the very next day. For me, the flowery prose and histrionic emotion made it tough going, and I never felt much for our wee Scottish heroine, the Lady Rose, Countess of Lochlule. But there were two aspects I found interesting: 1) the contrast of colorful, romantic Scotland with pale, limp England; 2) the sometimes funny critique of high aristocracy (as when Lady Rose’s aunt proclaims love “an emotion to be openly enjoyed only by the middle classes”).
March 15, 2019
„A 1937 fairytale with an uneasy crash into social reality“ it certainly was that. Apparently, a favourite of the Queen‘s mother. A quick read and I enjoyed it, but the switch in tone just over half way through caught me a bit off guard.
May 28, 2020
What a lovely book! It is extremely rare that I ever feel compelled on finishing a book to immediately turn to page one and begin again. But Lady Rose and Mrs. Memmary left me with exactly that urge.
December 7, 2025
I loved the strong Scottish setting, near Edinburgh. This is the story of a woman’s life as a Countess and the effects of the decisions she makes. This has a reminiscing tone and was very readable.
March 19, 2024
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec Lady Rose and Mrs Memmary ?
"De l'avis de la plupart des copines qui sont des inconditionnelles de Persephone Books, et que vous pouvez retrouver sur le forum Whoopsy Daisy, celui-ci est un des meilleures romans parus chez la petite maison d'édition indépendante anglaise."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Trois jeunes gens, dans les années 50, visitent une maison en Écosse et la vieille intendante, Mrs Memmary, va retracer pour eux les années de sa splendeur, quand Lady Rose y vivait encore..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"Contrairement à The Making of a Marchioness, chez le même éditeur, ce n'est pas un roman qui m'a happée instantanément. Il commence doucement, avec des flashbacks sur l'enfance de Lady Rose, qui sont mignons mais pas passionnants. Pourtant, j'avais déjà la certitude que ce livre me réservait bien des surprises et en effet, son emprise agit crescendo au fur et à mesure que l'on tourne les pages. Et comme la plupart des romans Persephone, il est si riche et il y a tant à en dire ! J'ai été amusée, par exemple, par la façon dont l'auteur dépeint l'Écosse avec amour et qui, comme la maison d'ailleurs, en devient presque un personnage à part entière. J'ai aimé Helen Dacre, la jeune femme a qui l'intendante raconte son histoire, qui bien que peu présente n'en est pas moins interessante et j'ai apprécié les changements de ton au cours du récit. Enfin, j'ai été attirée par Lady Rose et la manière dont elle a vécu sa vie même si un élément de l'histoire m'a dérangée. C'est, quoi qu'il en soit, un livre qui peut se révéler aussi simple que complexe et j'aime ces différents niveaux de lecture qui laissent le choix au lecteur de ce qu'il va trouver entre ces pages."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"La révélation finale n'en était pas une pour moi, j'avais pressenti ce dénouement dès le départ mais je ne crois pas que ce soit très important. La fin ne trahit ni l'histoire, ni le ton du roman et elle m'a séduite même si je referme ce livre avec un immense sentiment de tristesse et de mélancolie, mais peut-être pas pour les raisons que l'on pourrait croire."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
"De l'avis de la plupart des copines qui sont des inconditionnelles de Persephone Books, et que vous pouvez retrouver sur le forum Whoopsy Daisy, celui-ci est un des meilleures romans parus chez la petite maison d'édition indépendante anglaise."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Trois jeunes gens, dans les années 50, visitent une maison en Écosse et la vieille intendante, Mrs Memmary, va retracer pour eux les années de sa splendeur, quand Lady Rose y vivait encore..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous ?
"Contrairement à The Making of a Marchioness, chez le même éditeur, ce n'est pas un roman qui m'a happée instantanément. Il commence doucement, avec des flashbacks sur l'enfance de Lady Rose, qui sont mignons mais pas passionnants. Pourtant, j'avais déjà la certitude que ce livre me réservait bien des surprises et en effet, son emprise agit crescendo au fur et à mesure que l'on tourne les pages. Et comme la plupart des romans Persephone, il est si riche et il y a tant à en dire ! J'ai été amusée, par exemple, par la façon dont l'auteur dépeint l'Écosse avec amour et qui, comme la maison d'ailleurs, en devient presque un personnage à part entière. J'ai aimé Helen Dacre, la jeune femme a qui l'intendante raconte son histoire, qui bien que peu présente n'en est pas moins interessante et j'ai apprécié les changements de ton au cours du récit. Enfin, j'ai été attirée par Lady Rose et la manière dont elle a vécu sa vie même si un élément de l'histoire m'a dérangée. C'est, quoi qu'il en soit, un livre qui peut se révéler aussi simple que complexe et j'aime ces différents niveaux de lecture qui laissent le choix au lecteur de ce qu'il va trouver entre ces pages."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini ?
"La révélation finale n'en était pas une pour moi, j'avais pressenti ce dénouement dès le départ mais je ne crois pas que ce soit très important. La fin ne trahit ni l'histoire, ni le ton du roman et elle m'a séduite même si je referme ce livre avec un immense sentiment de tristesse et de mélancolie, mais peut-être pas pour les raisons que l'on pourrait croire."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
July 16, 2018
Dear Goodreads,
Please keep all the cynical, unromantic, loveless reviews of this book at the bottom of the page.
Thank you,
Emily
About the twist: I guess I really am as gullible as everyone says, because I didn't see "the twist" coming until the very end. Even if you're a perceptive reader who could see the twist coming, I hope it delighted you as much as it did me. (I cried.)
Don't expect this book to challenge you or muddle your thoughts. It's fluff, plain and simple. What the cold reviews at the bottom of this page said was partially true, but not every book has to be The Great American (or European) Novel. This book is a salute to the past and a love letter to Scotland, and a little bit of a tribute to youthfulness. It's not meant to be an indigestible clod, but something sweet to remind you of a more innocent, but unforgiving time, when social customs were held higher than the rule of law. I identified with Helen Dacre: her appreciation for the dazzle of the glory days of Keepsfield and her reverence for its past reminded me why I am a student in the subject of history.
I so desperately want everyone to love this book, but I know that I am being unreasonable.
A good quote: "If you never suffer from anything more dire than literary sensibility you'll be lucky."
Please keep all the cynical, unromantic, loveless reviews of this book at the bottom of the page.
Thank you,
Emily
About the twist: I guess I really am as gullible as everyone says, because I didn't see "the twist" coming until the very end. Even if you're a perceptive reader who could see the twist coming, I hope it delighted you as much as it did me. (I cried.)
Don't expect this book to challenge you or muddle your thoughts. It's fluff, plain and simple. What the cold reviews at the bottom of this page said was partially true, but not every book has to be The Great American (or European) Novel. This book is a salute to the past and a love letter to Scotland, and a little bit of a tribute to youthfulness. It's not meant to be an indigestible clod, but something sweet to remind you of a more innocent, but unforgiving time, when social customs were held higher than the rule of law. I identified with Helen Dacre: her appreciation for the dazzle of the glory days of Keepsfield and her reverence for its past reminded me why I am a student in the subject of history.
I so desperately want everyone to love this book, but I know that I am being unreasonable.
A good quote: "If you never suffer from anything more dire than literary sensibility you'll be lucky."
January 18, 2016
This book belongs in a fairy-tale land somewhere. Lady Rose is a lovely little girl who is charming and lovely despite her cold and uncaring parents who send her away to boarding school. She marries the mean-spirited Lord Galowrie, equally cold-hearted, and endures a 10 year loveless marriage before he is killed. She finally gets what she deserves and falls in love with a new man. Such is their love that it transcends the society that shuns them and they live happily ever after. Or at least as happily ever after as you can hope for.
It is emotional without being sentimental and sweet without being saccharine. Ferguson manages to make the point that life for a woman was tough in the late 19th century, without having to resort to heavy handed tactics.
The beauty of the book lies in its simplicity. There is no need to over-egg the pudding and it is proof that less is more when it comes to invoking an emotional reaction in your reader. If you can make it through the last chapter of the book without getting a tear in your eye then you are a tougher person than I am.
It is emotional without being sentimental and sweet without being saccharine. Ferguson manages to make the point that life for a woman was tough in the late 19th century, without having to resort to heavy handed tactics.
The beauty of the book lies in its simplicity. There is no need to over-egg the pudding and it is proof that less is more when it comes to invoking an emotional reaction in your reader. If you can make it through the last chapter of the book without getting a tear in your eye then you are a tougher person than I am.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2024
As many have noted, this is a beautiful and lyrical book that really takes you out of the present day. I very much enjoyed it except for one very glaring issue. There is no way that someone who loved her children as much as we are to believe Lady Rose did, would leave them forever for a man. We are supposed to buy that for 50 years she lived blissfully in Italy and even describes it to the lawyer as sheer heaven without one glimpse of her children. When she finds out that one of them died in the war and that no one has any idea where her daughter is, she is calmly accepting.
It pretty much ruined the ending of the book for me, not so much because I’m morally affronted by her behavior (which is neither here nor there) but because it seemed 100% against her character that was built up throughout the entire book.
It pretty much ruined the ending of the book for me, not so much because I’m morally affronted by her behavior (which is neither here nor there) but because it seemed 100% against her character that was built up throughout the entire book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 27, 2022I adored this novel by English author Ruby Ferguson (1899-1966). It's well worth your time to read the introduction of the Persephone edition -- Candia McWilliam is a brilliant novelist and very passionate about the story. If the intro doesn't set your brain on fire, like it did mine, maybe don't bother to continue.
Anyway, Ferguson's novel starts out like a fairy tale about a very fortunate, bright, and imaginative child living during the reign of Queen Victoria. This child happens to be a girl, however, and is expected to follow a very narrow path toward adulthood. For such a quiet novel, there is a lot of pain and struggle. I could not put the book down, and I had a very cathartic cry at the end.
Anyway, Ferguson's novel starts out like a fairy tale about a very fortunate, bright, and imaginative child living during the reign of Queen Victoria. This child happens to be a girl, however, and is expected to follow a very narrow path toward adulthood. For such a quiet novel, there is a lot of pain and struggle. I could not put the book down, and I had a very cathartic cry at the end.
August 16, 2018
I feel like a read two separate books. The first half was this lovely story about a very charmed little girl and the hopes and dreams regarding her life. Well written and very sweet. About 2/3 of the way through the book there's a turn that might very well be an indicator of psychosis. True love is sure important but the direction this book took was numbing. First you have a woman dreading sending her children off to school because she loves them so dearly, next thing you know she makes decisions completely contrary to loving those same children. I did love the little name spin near the end. Made it almost worth the terrible turn, but not quite.
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