Return to Sender by Fern Michaels

Return to Sender by Fern Michaels. Innocent girl, Lin, from an abusive home gets in the family way. Thrown out on her own, loses chance of college education, has a son all alone, is a waitress, works hard, does well and all through the years tries to connect with the baby’s father. Her letters come back, “Return to Sender.” In the mean time the father is extremely wealthy, tied to a  woman who tricked him into marriage, behaves deplorably at work, at home and out on the town, and has a terminal illness. Will, the son, attends college in N.Y.C. where his father gives the welcome speech to the new students.  Neither know about the other, but it throws Lin into action. She is determined to ruin the father's life as he has refused to acknowledge his child. Then the story gets rolling. 7 out of 10. Fast reading romance novel, light and easy. I can not understand why the author and editor decided to totally repeat pages as Lin tells her “story” to other people. Word for word, page for page, right at the end.  I thought she was going to change the story in the retelling, but no, it was the same line by line. I’ve been reading tougher stuff and this a nice departure, but not a great read.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, by The Countess of Carnarvon.  Those of us who have claimed “Downton Abbey” as our most important hour of TV, EVER, will love this non-fiction history of Highclere Castle.  Centered on the 1895-1925 era of wealth, fame, travel, extravagance beyond imagination and living in the highest of high styles, this story will keep visions of the TV story flashing in your mind as the real lives are interwoven in your mind with the fictional lives.  There are names in the real story that are also in the TV story, Bates and Crawley!  Characters with entirely different positions, but it was fun to come across the real names as they related to the real story.  There may have been more that I missed, but those two jumped out at me.  The real story tells even more about the many many people employed to sustain the lavish life styles of the Castle. With their own saw mill, huge gardens to feed hundreds, huge house staff, gardeners, horse raising, hunting grounds, and more, comprising an entire village of support, it is hard to imagine so many people being employed just to keep the small main family going.  The real characters also spent many winters in Egypt at archeolgical digs for which the 5th Earl of Carnarvon won world wide acclaim.  The book starts with the 5th Earl of Carnarvon marrying Almina, a wealthy heiress.  He needs her wealth, she wants his social position.  It works very well. As in the TV rendition, the Castle really was a hospital during W.W. I. Thus the story goes on with details about their entertaining, travels, family, and spending...based on actual events and recorded into documents from that time.  It points out the question:  Do they own the castle, or does the castle own them?  Loved this book. Have always loved Castles. Notice the capital letter there.  Oh, be still my beating heart.  9/10.  Keep in mind it is NOT fiction.