Book cover of Jill

Book description

Jill is an unconventional heroine - a lady who disguises herself as a maid and runs away to London. Life above and below stairs is portrayed with irreverent wit in this fast-paced story. But at the centre of the novel is Jill's unfolding love for her mistress. On the surface…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Jill as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jill is a little-known but fascinating novel from 1884 about a young woman who, bored of her upper-class life, runs away from home to become a maid.

Jill is everything Victorian women weren’t meant to be: ambitious, scheming, brave, happy to lie, and much more interested in money than marriage. She’s also a bit in love with the woman she works for, which Victorian women certainly weren’t meant to be either.

There is so much I love about Jill, but one of my favourite things about it is how it turns Victorian tropes and expectations on their head,…

From Katie's list on surprisingly feminist Victorian.

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