About the book

Sara Darlington has made a comfortable home with her brother Arnold, but his engagement changes her place within it. Rather than remain as an awkward addition to the newly married couple, she answers an advertisement from an invalid widow in Westmorland. The position promises modest wages and considerable demands on patience, resourcefulness, and good humor. Friends question the choice, while Sara struggles with the painful feeling that she has become unnecessary. Amy Le Feuvre follows her into a household where bringing comfort to others is more difficult than simply deciding to be cheerful. Christian faith gives the novel its understanding of service and happiness, while Sara's pride, loneliness, and need for affection keep her usefulness connected to a recognizable personal struggle.

Service and independence
Faith and happiness
Belonging and displacement

Why read it

Sara's decision makes domestic care a demanding form of work and a search for purpose.

English text of the Religious Tract Society edition

Contents and reading sections

About the book

Why read it

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