A house set in a quiet part of London which helps women who have gone down the ‘wrong path’.

Based on real characters from history who worked with these types of houses an interesting story unfolds with one of the vulnerable girls. She befriends one of the men who visit the house to give them another outlook on life. He dishonours her trust and leads her down the ‘wrong path’ again.

Stacey Halls’ The Household offers a compelling blend of historical fiction and mystery. It centres around the [true] setup of Urania Cottage in 1847, on the initiative of Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts. This was a house for fallen young women: girls and women reduced by poverty to prostitution or petty criminality or women who had become pregnant out of wedlock. They were either without education and a regular income, or victims of trickery and deception, or had been exploited within the household where they were working as servants.

At Urania Cottage, these young women were welcomed with sympathy rather than punishment, and educated in household activities, basic school skills and religion. Ideally, the women would be able to emigrate to Australia after completing their education there, to build an honest life there.

In The Household, the young women live together in Urania Cottage under the supervision of a dedicated matron/instructor, Mrs Holdsworth. But not all of them are happy and some leave their refuge despite the uncertain future. The novel follows the life stories of some of these characters and addresses social grievances in 19th century England, notably the defenselessness and lack of social security of the working class, especially girls and women.

Even the wealthy heiress and philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts depends on male protection as an unmarried woman. She has been stalked (in a fictional storyline) by an obsessed stalker for ten years and needs a bodyguard's protection.

The novel is broadly based on historical facts (i.e. the house and its aims). The author provides information about the fictitious additions in an interesting afterword. It provides a fascinating insights into some lesser-known aspects of social reform and social conditions in London around the middle of the 19th century.

As a novel, it's immersive, intriguing and entertaining, with a vivid narrative style and with the constant change of perspective between the protagonists Martha, Polly and Josephine.

Thank you to @NetGalley_UK, @staceyhallsauthor and @manilla_press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thehousehold #staceyhallsauthor #NetGalley_UK #bookreview #historicalfiction

The Household is a home for women who have committed minor crimes to train them to become house maids in places like Australia. I enjoyed the historical detail in this book and exploration of the various circumstances that could lead a woman into poverty.
The plot was a little confusing at times and I felt too many characters rather than one main story. I also feel it's hard to have famous people like Charles Dickens in a book without fleshing them out a lot more.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Martha is one of several "fallen women" taken in by Urania Cottage - a philanthropic enterprise designed to give women a second chance after the workhouse or prison. Uranium Cottage was a real place backed by Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts who both appear in the novel. The Household tells the story of Martha and the other girls in the Cottage, which to some seems little more than another prison, and Angela who despite being unimaginably wealthy lives in a prison constructed by her devious and vile stalker.

A well-written historical novel, with a leisurely start that fleshed out the characters and setting before the pacier second half. I very much enjoyed it.

A powerful, well plotted and intriguing historical fiction that mixes history and fiction telling the story of women of all station of life.
The fallen and the rich lady, women who never learn to read and women who can speak different languages and play piano.
I loved them and liked the storytelling. I wasn't in love with the portrait of Angela that seems a bit flat but I liked what i read
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was so excited to read this, but I was disappointed.
I spent most of it confused and didn't really follow what was going on. The premise sounded amazing, but I was lost.

Great new book by Stacey Halls. Full of Victorian drama. A great era for stories that challenge the status quo of the day. Well-written and immersive, transporting readers to Victorian London. Offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of disadvantaged women during the era and raises some interesting and thought-provoking questions about social justice and gender roles. Not a quick read, needs to be appreciated and thought about.

I absolutely loved this, another belter from Stacey Halls. Set in London in 1847 this is a fictional tale woven around a real life house for fallen women. Benefactors included Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts, of the famous banking family. "Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life" and thus the setting for our story. Whilst Dickens doesn't actually feature, the focus is on Angela and a stalker who has plagued her life for over ten years and is now released from prison.

Stacey Halls is adept at conveying the details of how life was for these women, when they were on the streets, in prison or at the cottage. Class details are beautifully observed. Life at the cottage doesn't suit all the women, some take to it more than others. Their tales overlap and intertwine and it is beautifully brought to life. Highly recommend.

Stacey Halls’ latest book The Household, is set in a house for “fallen” women. This house did actually really exist: Urania Cottage was set up by, amongst others, Charles Dickens and Angela Burdett-Coutts.

Charles Dickens doesn’t feature in this book, although he is mentioned. This wonderful novel is all about the women.

Angela has been stalked for many years, her life made a misery by a man that no one takes seriously. He has been released from prison for another crime (as stalking wasn’t a crime until recently), and Angela is dreading the moment when he turns up again. And you just know it’s going to happen.

There is also the matter of a missing girl: one of the inhabitants of Urania Cottage has lost contact with her young sister, and she’s missing from the big house she worked in.

This book was captivating - the attention to historical detail, the development of the characters (particularly Angela and Martha), the way that with a modern eye, it’s supremely frustrating that young women of any class were held in such low regard. But these women do fight to get the life they want, and that must have been a reasonably rare occurrence.

This is well worth a read - another fantastic read from Stacey Halls!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK | Manilla Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was definitely an interesting read. The writing style was incredibly immersive and the writing style was lovely to read. However, I found the characters themselves felt like they all needed to be fleshed out a little more, and the plot itself felt meandering and disjointed.

Angela herself felt a little wishy-washy; one one hand you could care she really did care for the girls, but at other moments, it felt like she treated the house as a hobby; somewhere to grace her presence with once in a while to feel better about herself. That is not to say that she seemed selfish or full of herself, just that she felt a little inconsistent. <spoiler>And the way she treated Mrs Holdsworth at the end, despite the fact she was made aware she had requested help was frustrating. She wasn't perfect, but she absolutely cared for those girls and was doing the best she could in the situation she was given. It was a doomed idea from the start, but man.</spoiler>. I also did not enjoy the romantic subplot given to Angela, and felt her story would have been stronger if it hadn't been included.

Regarding the girls, only Martha and Josephine felt remotely fleshed out to me. Polly seemed to fade into the background and all the others were passing thoughts at best, which I suppose to some extent was the point, to emphasis the revolving door of girls at the cottage. Also, whilst I did feel they were more fleshed out than other characters, they still fell a little flat for me. I think the sheer number of plots Stacey Halls tried to incorporated weakened the book significantly.

Thank you Netgalley, Stacey Halls and Bonnier Books UK for the eArc of The Household.

This is a beautifully written historical fiction surrounding a half way house /social experiment called Urania Cottage, This half way house was to take women that were living on the fringes of society, help them set up the skills to become Household staff and then hopefully emigrate them over to the colonies of Australia. This narrative follows a few of those women who decide to stay, or to run away. The story also follows a millionairess, Angela, who is also a benefactor of Urania Cottage learns of some news that chills her to the bone. Her stalker has been realised from prison and it's only a matter of time until he finds her.

I love Staceys writing style. I felt like I was right there, in this cottage back in 1847. The countryside, London city and the surrounding areas were wonderfully described. The main characters from Urania Cottage, Martha, Josephine , Polly and the Millionairess Angela Barnett-Coutts were very strong female characters and so resilient to the lives they lead. The Household had me totally gripped from beginning to end and didn't want the narrative to come to an end !

I loved how Stacey interwove some true history as Urania Cottage did exist and was secretly set up and funded by Charles Dickens. Please do read the historical notes , her research and she even interviews a direct descendant of Angela Coutts.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

I've read all of Stacely Hall's books and this one did not disappoint. The historical world building was as beautifully crafted as ever in The Household, and the cast of characters keep me reading on and on. It was in some ways a slower paced books than her others but it was fascinating enough to want to keep reading. Each chracters was well rounded and the story ended satisfactorily.

Urania Cottage, London. 1846. The cottage is ready to take its first guests, the project of Charles Dickens (yes that one) and Angela Burdett-Coutts (yes that banking family).

these guests are different, gathered together with no knowledge of each other, other than the world they have come from. A world where their plight was to fall into vice and crime. Extracted to Urania Cottage is to be the place to be saved from the fall.

But do all these women, want to be saved. Is this just another form of prison?

Although Dickens, is mentioned and referred to, it is Angela Burdett-Coutts who plays a more prominent role int he novel and in Urania Cottage. Richard Dunn is her stalker and has been released from prison and somehow has not lost his fascination and obsession. Which means the world of Burdett-Coutts and the young women of Urania Cottage become entangled into Dunn’s latest quest.

All of this fascinating history, brought to life through this book was slow at times and felt like I was reading two different books, it was interesting, and eventually with a few twists, does all play out and come together. I knew little of the existence of such a place or the philanthropic work that women did in the Victorian Times. If nothing else, this book pique my interest and I went to read more about what Burdett-Coutts actually achieved through her donations and work.

Good historical fiction, with a much more truer background than you initially think.

I absolutely devoured this book. I was hooked from page one!

Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and very much enjoyed all of Stacey Halls' previous books and this one did not disappoint. Set in the 1800s in a house for "fallen girls", this is a wonderfully recounted story of several very interesting characters and with some excellent plot twists that I did not see coming! Halls' writing style is superb and if you like historical fiction, I can definitely recommend this book.

Stacey Halls writes enthralling historical fiction. This story is based on real people and places. It is set in 1847 and tells us about Urbania Cottage; set up as a place for 'fallen' young women to learn how to run a home and become useful members of society before they emigrate to Australia.
Urbania Cottage existed and one of it's benefactors was the author Charles Dickens. The benefactor we hear most about though is Angela Coutts of the banking family. A fabulously rich but rather sad figure who also existed and has a rather troubled life.
The young women in the story have all had problems but show us that with determination, friendship and forgiveness we can all make the most of second (and even third) chances.

The Household may be the best yet from Stacey Halls. Taking real people and places as anchor points, she has crafted an engrossing story encompassing life in Dickensian London. Urania Cottage was a real place - opened as a place of safety and education for ‘fallen women’ who are vetted to ensure their suitability for rehabilitation. Once at Urania Cottage they receive an education: reading and writing, are schooled in the art of running a home and taught religious instruction. They have a warm bed, good food and the opportunity to see themselves as women with a future. Urania Cottage was driven by Dickens and by Angela Coutts, whose vast fortune funds and underpins the project. Dickens himself is an off-stage character; the primary focus is on the female protagonists which range from Angela Coutts herself, to Mrs Holdsworth in charge of the day to day running of the house and the various young women who find themselves there. Each character has her own backstory and challenges to face, all cleverly interwoven. The stories are tense and compelling. A wonderful novel!

I enjoy Stacey halls writing and this did not disappoint I loved the characters and their interlinking read this in 2 days couldn’t wait to find out what would become of them all

Stacey Hall can sure knock out some fascinating thrilling superbly preformed characterisation of books that keep me totally enthralled, invested and entertained plus….. Urania Cottage was co-founded by Charles Dickens in Shepherd’s Bush on the then western outskirts of London in the late 1840s so although fiction it’s a fact.

A house for “fallen girls/women” which involved some that didn’t even realise they were seen that way.

There are a mixture of strong characters to those not so strong. Emotionally challenged.
The bonds formed within that house were touching.

The class distinction totally exact.

This author has fast become a favourite of mine as she takes parts in history that are very rarely explored and opens a readers mind to aspect of life that you never thought you’d want to know about, until one of Stacey Halls books and then it won’t leave you alone. You will always remember what the book was about.

Very impressionable.

If you’ve never read a book by this author and like historical fiction that delves in other than WWI OR WWII, try this.

Unfortunately a DNF as I was not drawn into the story and engaged in it. The premise was interesting but the characters were boring and I was not interested in continuing. A shame as I have previously enjoyed one of the authors books before