Bookish Type House of Tyneford

WhatIWore: Welcome today’s guest collaborator - Jessica Hacker, who regularly reviews her latest reads on her blog Bits of Me. When you’re in need an idea on what book to dig into next, Jessica’s recommendations are where to start!  I’ve asked Jess to share a review of The House at Tyneford plus a list of fashion items found throughout the book. From Jessica…

I really enjoyed this book, which is what you would get if you mixed together three parts Jane Eyre, with one part Anne Frank, and eight parts ‘Downton Abbey’! I couldn’t get enough of the details of aristocratic life in England in the days leading up to World War II. Themes of water, music and family flowed nicely through the pages and put a very different twist on a typical Jew-in-hiding story.

Also, who wouldn’t like spending time with a relatable main character like Elise? She’s feisty and fun, and really likes her girly accessories. Her romantic plotline was a little predictable- but only at times. There were definitely some twists that I didn’t see coming.

All in all, I would suggest giving this book a try if you love classic novels, or anything set in the early 1940s.

1. Elise wore an emerald green scarf, like this one from DVF, while traveling from her home in Vienna to England to work.

2. White gloves like these were a staple of society, both in Elise’s Austrian family and the wealthy Brits she worked for.

3. Elise’s mother snuck a gift of pearls into her possession as a parting gift.

4, 5, 6. Gorgeous party dresses were featured prominently at every special occasion. Elise even kept her favorite one, a pink one belonging to her mother, for sentimental value even though she was working as a maid. (Temperly London, Alexander McQueen, Marchesa)

7, 8, 9, 10. Silk stockings were a luxurious necessity to Elise.

11. All ladies of a certain class carried their belongings in a fashionable trunk such as this one.

12. Maids were required to wear their hair bobbed, which Elise made the best of. 

13. Elizabeth Arden lipstick was a gift to Elise from her sister in America.

14. England’s damp weather required practical footwear.

15. An apron was a glaring symbol of Elise’s new life, which she hated.