The Housekeeper's Tale is the history of the traditional English housekeeper, told through the painstakingly-researched histories of five housekeepers in the 19th and 20th centuries. The author has done a heroic job of digging up details about the lives of these five women who were otherwise invisible to history, and often to the aristocrats they worked for. It was a role with significant power and financial responsibility, but also endless drudgery and lack of personal freedom. Each woman's story is different and fascinating - for anyone interested in British history or a view of the less glamorous side of the great English country houses, this is a surprisingly fascinating read.