The Room Upstairs by Monica Dickens

The Room Upstairs by Monica Dickens

Softcover/ paperback

Book has not been read but in a 2nd hand condition.

Great grand daughter to Charles Dickens, Monica (1915-1992) was born into an upper middle class family. Disillusioned with the world she was brought up in - she was expelled from St Paul's Girls' School in London for throwing her school uniform over Hammersmith Bridge - Dickens then decided to go into service, despite coming from the privileged class; her experiences as a cook and general servant would form the nucleus of her first book, One Pair Of Hands in 1939. Dickens married an American Navy officer, Roy O. Stratton, and spent much of her adult life in Massachusetts and Washington D.C., but the majority of writing continued to be set in Britain. Her book of 1953, No More Meadows, reflected her work with the NSPCC and she later helped to found the American Samaritans in Massachusetts. Between 1970 and 1971 she wrote a series of children's books known as The Worlds End Series which dealt with rescuing animals, and to some extent children. After the death of her husband in 1985, Dickens returned to England where she continued to write until her death aged 77.

Description:

This novel tells the story of Jess, a British woman who moves to America after a whirlwind romance to marry Laurie. She finds herself living with Laurie's ailing and stubborn grandmother, Sybil, in a creaky old house. The narrative explores the challenges Jess faces as she cares for Sybil, who is struggling with senility and haunted by the echoes of deceased loved ones. The story delves into whether these echoes will also drive Jess towards madness. Monica Dickens is noted for creating a character in Sybil who is rich in determination, dark humor, and resilience. The book was published in 1967.