An outstanding historical novel set in Urania House, a real-life charitable institution founded by Charles Dickens, who appears in a supporting role. The story revolves around Angela, a wealthy benefactor whose life has been marred by a persistent stalker for over a decade.

The focus is on the young women residing at Urania House, a refuge for those recently released from prison, orphaned, mistreated, or otherwise in need. The novel features richly developed characters and weaves a satisfying, complex narrative about their lives and struggles.

Another wonderful book from Halls. I loved that it was based of real events, and the cameo from Charles Dickens was a fun touch!

The book felt incredibly well researched which I find essential for a historical fiction to be immersive. I loved the characters and throughly enjoyed reading it.

The Household by Stacey Halls

NOT ALL WHO ARE FALLEN WANT TO BE SAVED

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard what it was about. This idea of women from well-to-do Victorian families spending their time volunteering with ‘fallen women’ always fascinated me because it seems like such a clash of worlds. Meant to be the Angel in the House from the Coventry Patmore poem, we tend to think of middle and upper class Victorian women living a stifling life focused around the home and pursuits like embroidery, music and flower arranging. However, historical novels from Sarah Waters and Michael Faber’s “The Crimson Petal and the White” show us that these women’s fates were not too different. Neither had much choice in their lives. Set around the real life Urania Cottage, set up by Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett -Coutts in 1847, the novel begins as the final preparations are being made. Placed strategically in a quiet area just outside London, this is a chance for it’s residents to get away from their usual environment and is an important step in their recovery. All the residents are ‘fallen’, a term usually used for prostitutes but also petty thieves and those who are homeless and destitute. The house is being kept top secret and the plan is to help residents complete some education, gain school skills, household management and religion. The plan is that after they leave they could be able to emigrate to Australia and make an honest life there. The women will live together, supervised by a house mother. However, the life doesn’t suit everyone and there are women who leave the house to take their changes outside, preferring their freedom, however precarious.

I really enjoyed the history behind this novel, because it enabled the author to write some very colourful and interesting characters. For people who haven’t studied literature/history in this period there’s a really good grounding in the social issues of 19th Century London. It’s a world so different to the one we have with the NHS and a welfare state. The working class have no security and often crime was the only way to survive, despite the draconian prison system. Women were particularly vulnerable, with prostitution often the only way to survive. Not everyone went into this life voluntarily, with some new residents of London tricked into it or trafficked as we we would not call it. Even the jobs open to women without education are precarious ones, with being in service often just another path to abuse and exploitation. In fact it is a rare woman who can make her own honest living in the 19th Century. Middle and upper class women would not be expected to work and no job is without stigma. Governesses are often the focus of fiction because they are a liminal figure: not rich but earning their own living, often unmarried, educated but not to the level of a man. They were not always under the protection of a man, many having no family.

In her Piccadilly mansion, Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the millionaire benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a terrible discovery. She has been stalked for the past ten years by a man who is obsessed with her and he is about to be released from prison. She knows that he will soon start where he left off and her life will become a nightmare again. She has to depend on the protection of a police officer who keeps her guarded and a friend who is a Duke, because despite her intelligence and financial independence she is still expected to have a man represent her. Using the fictional storylines of these characters within a historical setting that’s incredibly accurate, Stacey Halls is able to give us a good sense of how different classes of women lived their lives in the 19th Century. We switch between protagonists giving us differing perspectives of the house and this becomes even more interesting as the women’s stories intertwine. It’s clear to see that wherever you come from, rich or poor, for women there is always a price to pay for freedom. I was really gripped by the novel and devoured it as I always do with Stacey’s books. I also loved her afterword, which is a must read if you want to know more about the plight of Victorian women and the social conditions in London. Another brilliant novel from this talented writer.

My anticipation for reading this book was extremely high. I am thankful for the review copy.

I did find it a slow burn of a book and it took melonger than expected to finish it. The ending was strong and pace picked up.

A well researched book from Stacey Halls.

Thank you to the publishers for my review copy.

Stacey Halls' "The Household" is a compelling historical novel that masterfully intertwines the lives of its characters with the social dynamics of the time. Set against a vividly described backdrop, the story is both an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of life in the 18th century.

Halls excels at creating strong, nuanced characters, each with their own secrets and motivations. The relationships between the characters are intricately developed, adding depth and tension to the narrative. The author's meticulous attention to historical detail immerses the reader in the period, making the setting feel authentic and alive. The prose is elegant yet accessible, maintaining a balance that keeps the story flowing without overwhelming the reader with historical minutiae.

While the plot unfolds at a measured pace, it allows for a deeper understanding of the characters and their circumstances. Some readers might find this slower pace challenging, but it ultimately enriches the story, making the eventual revelations all the more impactful.

Overall, "The Household" is a beautifully crafted novel that offers a vivid portrayal of life and survival in a bygone era. Stacey Halls has delivered a richly woven tale that is sure to captivate fans of historical fiction.

I absolutely adored The Household. The story focuses on a little known piece of Victorian history, involving Charles Dickens and the creation of Urania Cottage, a house for fallen women. Stacey Halls weaves an intriguing tale, based on this true story, and I learned so much about the dark side of London, and women's struggles in Victorian times. The story is told from various women's viewpoints, from Angela the heiress who puts up the money for Urania Cottage, to Josephine and Martha, two young women who have been 'rescued', but who have their own agendas, to Mrs Holdsworth who struggles to run the establishment, especially when some of the women see is as more of a prison than a sanctuary. Great historical fiction not only educates the reader, but also makes them feel as though they have stepped back into the past, I was engrossed in The Household from the first page to the last.

A house set in a quiet part of London which helps women who have gone down the ‘wrong path’.

Based on real characters from history who worked with these types of houses an interesting story unfolds with one of the vulnerable girls. She befriends one of the men who visit the house to give them another outlook on life. He dishonours her trust and leads her down the ‘wrong path’ again.

Stacey Halls’ The Household offers a compelling blend of historical fiction and mystery. It centres around the [true] setup of Urania Cottage in 1847, on the initiative of Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts. This was a house for fallen young women: girls and women reduced by poverty to prostitution or petty criminality or women who had become pregnant out of wedlock. They were either without education and a regular income, or victims of trickery and deception, or had been exploited within the household where they were working as servants.

At Urania Cottage, these young women were welcomed with sympathy rather than punishment, and educated in household activities, basic school skills and religion. Ideally, the women would be able to emigrate to Australia after completing their education there, to build an honest life there.

In The Household, the young women live together in Urania Cottage under the supervision of a dedicated matron/instructor, Mrs Holdsworth. But not all of them are happy and some leave their refuge despite the uncertain future. The novel follows the life stories of some of these characters and addresses social grievances in 19th century England, notably the defenselessness and lack of social security of the working class, especially girls and women.

Even the wealthy heiress and philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts depends on male protection as an unmarried woman. She has been stalked (in a fictional storyline) by an obsessed stalker for ten years and needs a bodyguard's protection.

The novel is broadly based on historical facts (i.e. the house and its aims). The author provides information about the fictitious additions in an interesting afterword. It provides a fascinating insights into some lesser-known aspects of social reform and social conditions in London around the middle of the 19th century.

As a novel, it's immersive, intriguing and entertaining, with a vivid narrative style and with the constant change of perspective between the protagonists Martha, Polly and Josephine.

Thank you to @NetGalley_UK, @staceyhallsauthor and @manilla_press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thehousehold #staceyhallsauthor #NetGalley_UK #bookreview #historicalfiction

The Household is a home for women who have committed minor crimes to train them to become house maids in places like Australia. I enjoyed the historical detail in this book and exploration of the various circumstances that could lead a woman into poverty.
The plot was a little confusing at times and I felt too many characters rather than one main story. I also feel it's hard to have famous people like Charles Dickens in a book without fleshing them out a lot more.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Martha is one of several "fallen women" taken in by Urania Cottage - a philanthropic enterprise designed to give women a second chance after the workhouse or prison. Uranium Cottage was a real place backed by Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts who both appear in the novel. The Household tells the story of Martha and the other girls in the Cottage, which to some seems little more than another prison, and Angela who despite being unimaginably wealthy lives in a prison constructed by her devious and vile stalker.

A well-written historical novel, with a leisurely start that fleshed out the characters and setting before the pacier second half. I very much enjoyed it.

A powerful, well plotted and intriguing historical fiction that mixes history and fiction telling the story of women of all station of life.
The fallen and the rich lady, women who never learn to read and women who can speak different languages and play piano.
I loved them and liked the storytelling. I wasn't in love with the portrait of Angela that seems a bit flat but I liked what i read
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was so excited to read this, but I was disappointed.
I spent most of it confused and didn't really follow what was going on. The premise sounded amazing, but I was lost.

Great new book by Stacey Halls. Full of Victorian drama. A great era for stories that challenge the status quo of the day. Well-written and immersive, transporting readers to Victorian London. Offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of disadvantaged women during the era and raises some interesting and thought-provoking questions about social justice and gender roles. Not a quick read, needs to be appreciated and thought about.

I absolutely loved this, another belter from Stacey Halls. Set in London in 1847 this is a fictional tale woven around a real life house for fallen women. Benefactors included Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts, of the famous banking family. "Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life" and thus the setting for our story. Whilst Dickens doesn't actually feature, the focus is on Angela and a stalker who has plagued her life for over ten years and is now released from prison.

Stacey Halls is adept at conveying the details of how life was for these women, when they were on the streets, in prison or at the cottage. Class details are beautifully observed. Life at the cottage doesn't suit all the women, some take to it more than others. Their tales overlap and intertwine and it is beautifully brought to life. Highly recommend.

Stacey Halls’ latest book The Household, is set in a house for “fallen” women. This house did actually really exist: Urania Cottage was set up by, amongst others, Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts.

Charles Dickens doesn’t feature in this book, although he is mentioned. This wonderful novel is all about the women.

Angela has been stalked for many years, her life made a misery by a man that no one takes seriously. He has been released from prison for another crime (as stalking wasn’t a crime until recently), and Angela is dreading the moment when he turns up again. And you just know it’s going to happen.

There is also the matter of a missing girl: one of the inhabitants of Urania Cottage has lost contact with her young sister, and she’s missing from the big house she worked in.

This book was captivating - the attention to historical detail, the development of the characters (particularly Angela and Martha), the way that with a modern eye, it’s supremely frustrating that young women of any class were held in such low regard. But these women do fight to get the life they want, and that must have been a reasonably rare occurrence.

This is well worth a read - another fantastic read from Stacey Halls!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK | Manilla Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was definitely an interesting read. The writing style was incredibly immersive and the writing style was lovely to read. However, I found the characters themselves felt like they all needed to be fleshed out a little more, and the plot itself felt meandering and disjointed.

Angela herself felt a little wishy-washy; one one hand you could care she really did care for the girls, but at other moments, it felt like she treated the house as a hobby; somewhere to grace her presence with once in a while to feel better about herself. That is not to say that she seemed selfish or full of herself, just that she felt a little inconsistent. <spoiler>And the way she treated Mrs Holdsworth at the end, despite the fact she was made aware she had requested help was frustrating. She wasn't perfect, but she absolutely cared for those girls and was doing the best she could in the situation she was given. It was a doomed idea from the start, but man.</spoiler>. I also did not enjoy the romantic subplot given to Angela, and felt her story would have been stronger if it hadn't been included.

Regarding the girls, only Martha and Josephine felt remotely fleshed out to me. Polly seemed to fade into the background and all the others were passing thoughts at best, which I suppose to some extent was the point, to emphasis the revolving door of girls at the cottage. Also, whilst I did feel they were more fleshed out than other characters, they still fell a little flat for me. I think the sheer number of plots Stacey Halls tried to incorporated weakened the book significantly.

Thank you Netgalley, Stacey Halls and Bonnier Books UK for the eArc of The Household.

This is a beautifully written historical fiction surrounding a half way house /social experiment called Urania Cottage, This half way house was to take women that were living on the fringes of society, help them set up the skills to become Household staff and then hopefully emigrate them over to the colonies of Australia. This narrative follows a few of those women who decide to stay, or to run away. The story also follows a millionairess, Angela, who is also a benefactor of Urania Cottage learns of some news that chills her to the bone. Her stalker has been realised from prison and it's only a matter of time until he finds her.

I love Staceys writing style. I felt like I was right there, in this cottage back in 1847. The countryside, London city and the surrounding areas were wonderfully described. The main characters from Urania Cottage, Martha, Josephine , Polly and the Millionairess Angela Barnett-Coutts were very strong female characters and so resilient to the lives they lead. The Household had me totally gripped from beginning to end and didn't want the narrative to come to an end !

I loved how Stacey interwove some true history as Urania Cottage did exist and was secretly set up and funded by Charles Dickens. Please do read the historical notes , her research and she even interviews a direct descendant of Angela Coutts.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I've read all of Stacely Hall's books and this one did not disappoint. The historical world building was as beautifully crafted as ever in The Household, and the cast of characters keep me reading on and on. It was in some ways a slower paced books than her others but it was fascinating enough to want to keep reading. Each chracters was well rounded and the story ended satisfactorily.

Urania Cottage, London. 1846. The cottage is ready to take its first guests, the project of Charles Dickens (yes that one) and Angela Burdett-Coutts (yes that banking family).

these guests are different, gathered together with no knowledge of each other, other than the world they have come from. A world where their plight was to fall into vice and crime. Extracted to Urania Cottage is to be the place to be saved from the fall.

But do all these women, want to be saved. Is this just another form of prison?

Although Dickens, is mentioned and referred to, it is Angela Burdett-Coutts who plays a more prominent role int he novel and in Urania Cottage. Richard Dunn is her stalker and has been released from prison and somehow has not lost his fascination and obsession. Which means the world of Burdett-Coutts and the young women of Urania Cottage become entangled into Dunn’s latest quest.

All of this fascinating history, brought to life through this book was slow at times and felt like I was reading two different books, it was interesting, and eventually with a few twists, does all play out and come together. I knew little of the existence of such a place or the philanthropic work that women did in the Victorian Times. If nothing else, this book pique my interest and I went to read more about what Burdett-Coutts actually achieved through her donations and work.

Good historical fiction, with a much more truer background than you initially think.

I absolutely devoured this book. I was hooked from page one!

Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.