Minding the Manor

The Memoir of a 1930s English Kitchen Maid

By: Mollie Moran

Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

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)

A great listen.

If you could sum up Minding the Manor in three words, what would they be?

A great listen. High school aged kids should listen and write a reflection on this. It would be hard to imagine kids today entering domestic service.

Veida Dehmlow perfect narrator

Ms. Dehmlow captures the wicked humor and sparkling descriptions of Mollie's amazing life to a T!

This was a joy to listen to

It went much to fast. I know I will listen to it again one day.

Mollie Moran!!!!

What an awesomely narrated book! It felt like I was there with Mollie or better yet, Mrs. Moran. What an adventurous LIFE! God bless her and her family...

Fantastic

I loved listening to this book
As if someone familiar, Like a relative, was telling me a story of her past. I couldn't stop listening:)

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!.

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.

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!!

Eyewitness to the downstairs

Quite nice to get a firsthand account of the life of an upper class household servant. You get a real picture of what her life was like. As a fun aside, it’s obvious she herself loves watching Downton Abbey in her dotage, and making note of any inaccuracies. I would love to be a fly on that wall.

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.