The World Keeps Turning

The Duchess of Duke Street

by Mollie Hardwick

'Whatever happens to us, Louisa darling, I want you to know that some part of me will always be yours alone.'

These had been the parting words of Charlie - Lord Haslemere - to Louisa Trotter as he left the Bentinck Hotel with his young bride. Briefly, Louisa felt lonelier and sadder than she could ever remember.; but the pugnacious resilience which had raised her from menial servant to 'Duchess of Duke Street' quickly reasserts itself. It has carried her though worse adversities than the loss of the one brief love of her life.

It will need to stand her in further good stead, for the year in which this third novel about her opens in 1911. The decade ahead will not leave Louisa unscathed, any more than it will the guests and staff of her hotel. Her personal war effort will be characteristic in its generosity and impudence, scornful of authority and dictated by her own eccentric standards.

And with the world changing about her she has her own special motive for looking towards the new generation.

Genres: Historical Fiction

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Mollie Greenhalgh Hardwick was an English author who was best known for writing books that accompanied the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs.

As well as writing many Upstairs, Downstairs, Thomas & Sarah and The Duchess of Duke Street novels, she was also the creator of the Doran Fairweather novels and wrote three Juliet Bravo books. Hardwick also wrote many books and plays based around the Sherlock Holmes novels. She married fellow author Michael Hardwick in 1961.

Series:
* Upstairs Downstairs
* The Duchess of Duke Street
* Thomas and Sarah
* Juliet Bravo
* Doran Fairweather

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent series, and it was wonderful on TV, if I recall correctly.

[Gillian Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It could lose half a star for poor editing in places. Overall, I was "there" and how often do you really feel that about a book set in the past?

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 3rd novel opens in 1911 as Lord Haslemere leaves the Bentinck with his bride. The decade ahead will not leave Louisa, her staff nor her guests unscathed. Louisa's personal war effort will be characteristic in its generosity and impudence, scornful of authority and dictated by her own eccentric standards.

I'd forgotten how sad it was when Charlie died. As I recall I stopped watching the series around the end of this book. Louisa is a superb character.