Longbourn cover art

Longbourn

The unputdownable Richard and Judy pick

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Longbourn

By: Jo Baker
Narrated by: Emma Fielding
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £10.34

Buy Now for £10.34

Summary

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah thought, she would be more careful not to trudge through muddy fields.

It is wash-day for the housemaids at Longbourn House, and Sarah's hands are chapped and bleeding. Domestic life below stairs, ruled tenderly and forcefully by Mrs Hill the housekeeper, is about to be disturbed by the arrival of a new footman smelling of the sea, and bearing secrets.

For in Georgian England, there is a world the young ladies in the drawing room will never know, a world of poverty, love, and brutal war.

 Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c

Critic reviews

A reimagining of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of the servants . . . A joy
A genuinely fresh perspective on the tale of the Bennet household . . . Baker confronts the darker elements of eighteenth century life . . . The result is engrossing - and a lot of fun
A really special book, and not only because its author writes like an angel
Delightfully audacious . . . a work that's both original and charming, even gripping
Intoxicating . . . A joy in its own right, a novel that contrives both to provoke the intellect and, ultimately, to stop the heart
To twist something so familiar into something quite fresh is impressive . . . Baker takes ownership of this world without mimicking Austen's style, asserting instead her own distinctive voice . . . An engrossing tale we neither know nor expect
An Austen lover has the satisfaction of matching the novel chapter for chapter
Just enough Darcy to delight, as well as being a fascinating insight into the harsh working conditions of life in a grand house two hundred years ago
Jo Baker takes the reader on a journey back to a version of Regency England that is as much about poverty and war as social comedy and romance
This clever glimpse of Austen's universe clouded by washday steam is so compelling it leaves you wanting to read the next chapter in the lives below stairs
All stars
Most relevant
I loved the detailed descriptions of the servants' lives and work. For a long time of listening the book was quiet and calm but be warned that descriptions of a soldier's life in the war on the continent can be disturbing. Nonetheless I am glad to have heard this story.

Enjoyable but...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it. I get through 2 books a week and this is the best listen in months. Great story, fabulous historical detail, wonderfully visual. Enjoy.

Wonderful. A summers day of a book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the way this pretty much just focused on the servants at Longbourn, rather than the upper class family we know so much about living upstairs.
They are however cleverly incorporated, with the original storyline.
Would recommend, not just if you already know Pride & Predjudice, but as an entirely new and different story.

A great embellishment on Pride & Predjudice

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I can´t say how much I love this book. I´ve listened to it twice in the space of a month, almost the first time I´ve ever done that with a new Audible book. It´s a fascinating insight into life under the stairs at Longbourn, with great characters, a wonderful setting, bringing Longbourn and the lives of the Bennetts out of mothballs and into technicolour. It´s also a great story in itself, about the servants and their relationships. The narration is lovely too. It´s easy to listen to, compelling and a treat for the ears.

Perfect portrait of Longbourn below stairs

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is a good, pleasant holiday read. It is light and requires little thought.

Longbourne

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews