Life as We Have Known It

By Co-operative Women’s Guild, Margaret Llewelyn Davies (editor),

Book cover of Life as We Have Known It

Book description

“You unlocked a drawer and took out a packet of papers. . . . Sometimes, you said, you got a letter which you could not bring yourself to burn; once or twice a Guildswoman had at your suggestion written a few pages about her life . . .” ―Virginia Woolf…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Life as We Have Known It as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

With this book, you get two servants for the price of one! This is a collection of memories from working women who were members of the Women’s Co-operative Guild. The two servants are Mrs. Layton (chapter titled "Memories of Seventy Years") and Mrs. Wrigley (chapter title "A Plate-Layer’s Wife"). Mrs. Wrigley’s recollections of domestic service only span three pages, but she describes her first place, aged nine, as a servant-of-all-work in heart-breaking detail. Mrs. Layton describes ten years in service from the age of ten with some kind (and not so kind) employers. After her marriage, she became a midwife. 

From Michelle's list on Victorian servants telling their stories.

Want books like Life as We Have Known It?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Life as We Have Known It.

Browse books like Life as We Have Known It

Book cover of The Diaries of Hannah Cullwick: Victorian Maidservant
Book cover of What the Butler Winked At: Being the Life and Adventures of Eric Horne, Butler
Book cover of Campaigns of Curiosity: Journalistic Adventures of an American Girl in London

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,201

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Victorian, London, and murder?

Victorian 163 books
London 862 books
Murder 1,071 books