From the author of Miss Austen comes an emotionally complex novel following 31-year-old Anne Sharpe, a governess who arrives at Godmersham Park in Kent with no experience of teaching or of fine country houses. For her new charge 12-year-old Fanny Austen, Anne’s arrival is all novelty and excitement. As governess, Anne is neither one of the servants, nor one of the family, and balancing a position between the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. One wrong move may result in instant dismissal. When Mr Edward Austen's family comes to stay, Anne forms an immediate attachment to Jane, but when Jane’s brother Henry takes a strong interest in Anne, her days are numbered. The novelist talks to journalist and Director of the European Literature Network Rosie Goldsmith.
