Ashton Park

I have never encountered Murray Pura before, but his book, Ashton Park, is a great introduction to his works. This is the story of a family during and after World War I. The Danforths have three sons in the military and four daughters to watch over. While two of the sons are fighting on the continent, one son is fighting in Ireland. One daughter is married to a minister who had lost an arm in the war, one daughter is married to an Irishman watching over the shipping interests of Sir William, two daughters are at home.

There are several flies in this family's ointment:

Norah, the maid who liked to spread malicious gossip
Albert, Catherine's husband who cuckolds her
William's prejudice
Edward's bitterness
Victoria's love for a "mere" stable boy
Kipp's broken engagement with Caroline

This book is a fascinating read and surely will be a hit for every fan of Upstairs, Downstairs or Downton Abbey. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an armistice.