Cluny Brown: A Novel

An unconventional parlor maid disrupts the lives of an aristocratic family in prewar England. Cluny Brown refuses to conform to social expectations. After taking herself to tea at the Ritz and spending a day in bed eating oranges, her uncle—a plumber who raised her as an orphan—sends her into service as a parlor maid at Friars Carmel, a stately manor house in Devonshire. There, Cluny works for Sir Henry, a country squire, and Lady Carmel, who manages the household with composure. Their son Andrew has recently returned from abroad with a Polish émigré writer friend and believes war is imminent. The household also includes Andrew's fiancée and the town pharmacist. As those around her grapple with a changing world, Cluny remains true to herself, affecting those in her orbit through her spirited approach to life.