England. World War I. High society. This is the setting for Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle written by The Countess of Carnarvon, Lady Fiona Carnarvon. Lords and Ladies. Dukes and Duchesses. This is the language of every little girls fairy tales, except this is also real life. Lady Fiona Carnarvon weaves the story of the Carnarvon family during the years that Almina Wombwell, illegitimate daughter of Alfred Rothschild and Marie Wombwell (who was married to Fred Wombwell), was Lady Carnarvon married to the 5th Lord Carnarvon. The Lord marries Almina in order to use her money to erase his sizeable debts, but Almina becomes the beauty and driving force behind Highclere Castle. She turns the Castle into a comfortable and soothing hospital for the injured from the frontline of WWI.
Downton Abbey is not the story of the Carnarvons but the Castle is the setting for the series and the story of high society is similar. However, it is not the story of Lady Almina. Having never seen the series, this book peaked my interest in the series and I had to do some research online as well as interviewing my mother to learn about the series. The series sounds intriguing but the book is a sure winner in my library. It is historical and well written about life in England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It features a great storyline about Lady Almina and her hospital as well as Lord Carnarvon and his discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. This book is well worth reading!
I received this book free for review from Read It Forward.
Reading for Inspiration 