Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;A must-read for andlt;I andgt;Downton Abbey andlt;/Iandgt;fansand#8212;a lush, historical novel about the secretive Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall.andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Canand#8217;t get enough of andlt;I andgt;Downton Abbeyandlt;/Iandgt;? Visit Wentworth Hall. Itand#8217;s one of Englandand#8217;s oldest estates, and the Darlingtons are among the elite class of British society. But under the wealth are secrets that must stay hidden.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Itand#8217;s 1912, and eighteen-year-old Maggie and her mother have just returned from a year abroad where Lady Darlington has had a baby boy, James. But he is not the only addition to the house. They have also brought back Therese, their new French tutor, as well as welcomed the orphaned teenage twins, Teddy and Jessica, who have just lost their father aboard the Titanic. This adds to an already crowded house of Darlingtons and staff, all of whom have a penchant for gossiping about their employers.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;As time passes, it becomes clear that Teddy and Jessica would rather be anywhere else and that Maggie is a different person from the one who left Wentworth. Her familyand#8217;s financial future rests with her finding the best husbandand#8212;and her parents are sure that is Teddy.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, the family is determined to find the culprit and keep their affairs under wraps. But at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for longand#8230;.
Review
Praise for A Mad, Wicked Folly
* "At equal turns humorous and heartbreaking. . . . A must-have first purchase."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Wallers intriguingly sympathetic characters, effortless and effective blend of history and romance, passion for her subject, and swift-paced plot make her a new YA voice to watch."--Booklist, starred review
"An enjoyable historical romp."--Kirkus Reviews
"[A] compelling coming-of-age tale thats as good as any British period drama. . . . The Edwardian world here is so immersive and Vicky so likable that readers will want to put on the kettle on and settle in for a lovely read."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Nominated for the American Library Association's 2015 Amelia Bloomer Project List
Synopsis
A must-read for Downton Abbey fans--a lush, historical novel about the secretive Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall.
Can't get enough of Downton Abbey? Visit Wentworth Hall. It's one of England's oldest estates, and the Darlingtons are among the elite class of British society. But under the wealth are secrets that must stay hidden.
It's 1912, and eighteen-year-old Maggie and her mother have just returned from a year abroad where Lady Darlington has had a baby boy, James. But he is not the only addition to the house. They have also brought back Therese, their new French tutor, as well as welcomed the orphaned teenage twins, Teddy and Jessica, who have just lost their father aboard the Titanic. This adds to an already crowded house of Darlingtons and staff, all of whom have a penchant for gossiping about their employers.
As time passes, it becomes clear that Teddy and Jessica would rather be anywhere else and that Maggie is a different person from the one who left Wentworth. Her family's financial future rests with her finding the best husband--and her parents are sure that is Teddy.
When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, the family is determined to find the culprit and keep their affairs under wraps. But at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long....
Synopsis
Fans of Downton Abbey will find exactly what they're looking for in this romantic, historical drama
Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artista nearly impossible dream for a girl. After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her museor may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?
About the Author
Sharon Biggs Waller moved to England in 2000, where she worked as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace and as a freelance magazine writer. These days she is a dressage rider and trainer and lives on a ten-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana with her British husband, Mark. She is the author of three non-fiction books, as well as the YA novel A Mad, Wicked Folly.