• Minding the Manor

  • The Memoir of a 1930s English Kitchen Maid
  • By: Mollie Moran
  • Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow
  • Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (208 ratings)

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Minding the Manor  By  cover art

Minding the Manor

By: Mollie Moran
Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow
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Publisher's summary

Mollie Moran is one of the few people alive today who can recall working "downstairs" in the early 1930s before the outbreak of World War II. In Minding the Manor, she provides a rare and fascinating insight into a world that has long since vanished.

Mollie left school at age fourteen and became a scullery maid for a wealthy gentleman with a mansion house in London's Knightsbridge and a Tudor manor in Norfolk. Even though her days were long and grueling and included such endless tasks as polishing doorknobs, scrubbing steps, and helping with all of the food prep in the kitchen, Mollie enjoyed her freedom and had a rich life. Like any bright-eyed teenager, Mollie also spent her days daydreaming about boys, dresses, and dances. She cherished her friendship with Flo, the kitchen maid, dated a sweet farmhand, and became secretly involved with a brooding and temperamental footman. Molly eventually rose to kitchen maid and then became cook for the Earl of Leicester's niece at the magnificent Wallington Hall.

©2014 Mollie Moran (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

If you love Downton, this is right up your street! ( Closer)

What listeners say about Minding the Manor

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Delightful little tale

Would you consider the audio edition of Minding the Manor to be better than the print version?

I liked having it read to me - the narrator did a great job of convincing me she was Mollie!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked Mollie's spunk and her sense of adventure. I also enjoyed the ability to understand the daily routines of the downstairs staff in the 1930s.

What does Veida Dehmlow bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She had an accent - I don't know British accents so I assume to be fairly authentic one - but nonetheless made the book entertaining and convincing.

Any additional comments?

I am so glad that Mollie wrote this memoir so as to not loose this this sort of history.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Top Notch Narrator

This book was one of the best books I've listened to. Loved the story and Molly's adventures. The narrator was also top-notch. I will be listening to other books she's narrated.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Listen

Where does Minding the Manor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

More relaxing than many. A simple story told by a lady I would love to meet.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Molly, she captures from the start

Which scene was your favorite?

Molly riiding her bike in a ballgown

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment in which her Dad died

Any additional comments?

A simple pleasant experience. It relaxed me and brought back many memories.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Real Treasure

Firstly, the narration was fantastic! But oh, the story! What a sweet surprise! We’ve heard tell of how hard domestic service is and this story has that but the rest of it is just so amazing and uplifting! How I would have loved to have met Mollie. The stories she has to tell and the way she writes them truly transports you to those grand stately houses in London and the surrounding countryside. You can almost hear the clacking of the copper pots and smell the delicious aroma of the food! And to be found in her mother’s kitchen on baking day sounds like heaven!
A beautiful life and an amazing story with a narrator who gets it right...you can’t go wrong with this book!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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EXCELLENT

Narrator brought it all to life making me feel part of Ms. Moran's history. I could vividly picture the scenes in the scullery, kitchen, her mother's cottage but most of all smell the aroma of baked goods. I just loved it!!

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely loved the story of Mollie Brown

Excellent narration. Very enjoyable book. If you enjoyed Downtown Abbey, you'll love this.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Refreshing and so likeable

Will Mollie's accounts of working for the gentry reveal any new information for those who have already read other books on the subject? No, probably not. But I got such a pleasure from listening to her own memories unique to her and the stories of a young woman from a different time. The narrator was excellent, as if you really stumbled upon old Mollie Moran while working at a nursing home and got to hear her gem of a tale.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Downton Abbey Meets Cinderella

This is the lovely tale of young Mollie Moran and her adventures in the kitchens of the British aristocracy. Her primary story is set during the turbulent years spanning World Wars I and II, and includes frequent reference to historical figures of the day such as King George V and his wife Queen Mary, followed in due course by brief discussions of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, King George VI, and his little girl, Elizabeth. Looming ominously over Mollie's personal narrative is the gathering darkness of Hitler's rise to power in Germany. Both wars figure prominently in the shaping of Mollie's life.

We are given a thumbnail sketch of the history of the day wrapped in the story of Mollie's changing fortunes and professional development. The occasional insertion of little household tips lends an air of humorous authenticity to the tale of the scullery maid who takes on the kitchens of the local gentry.

Narration is good.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book.

What a great book!!I have certainly enjoyed it and would heartily recommend it to other ladies to read at their leisure.i rate the performance of the author at 100 percent! Overall a wonderful book and story!.

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Wonderfully Entertaining!

As a Downton Abbey fan and a fan of that era, this was a marvelous listen. Molly's account of her life in public service is never dull! From varying bosses, to adventures, friends, boys/men and plenty of hard work, you will discover what life was really like in that time of domestic servants, the upper class, and more.

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