Meadowlands

Starred review from April 15, 2015
Fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs will be captivated by Jeffrey's (For Better, for Worse, 2013) latest, which is set in England during WWI. In the Meadowlands manor, twins James and Ned Barsham have completely different reactions to the news of war. James immediately enlists in the army and is sent to Flanders. Ned refuses to kill another person and is widely condemned as a coward instead of the conscientious objector he is. Their mother, Lady Adelaide, acts as though nothing has changed, demanding the same luxuries she has enjoyed her entire life. Her husband, Sir George, leaves for London, happy to be away from his spoiled, pampered wife. Daughter Millie signs up as an ambulance driver, while daughter Gina starts a soup club for the families thrown into poverty when husbands and fathers are killed or wounded. Things then fall apart at the manor when the staff resigns en masse, enticed by the lure of higher wages at the munitions factory. With compelling characters, interesting historical facts, realistic situations, and wonderfully sharp attention to detail, Jeffrey brings readers right into Meadowlands. Let's hope a sequel is in the works!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)