The Wet Nurse's Tale (2009) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters edit see section history

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• Susan Rose: After working with two of her sisters in the Great House in Leighton, she births her first child, with no husband, which prompts her father to send her off to earn her keep as a wet nurse, like her mother before her.
• Mrs. Rebecca Rose: To keep her drunken husband less brutish, she has wet-nursed dozens of babies along with her own ten to keep the family fed. A cheerful women who always sang to her children. Her children: John, a groomsman at the Great House; Georgie; Ada; Mary, works in the kitchen of the Great House; Ellen; William/Bill; Janey; and Susan (but not in that order).
• Frederick Bonney: Son of the Master of the Great House, not a handsome man, patchy beard, stout and a dandy. His mother's favorite. His father scoffs at his not being a man.
• Master James Bonney: Master of the Great House in Leighton, an avid hunter, despoiler of Susan's younger sister, Ellen.
• Mistress Louisa Bonney: Lady of the Great House. A proud, haughty, mean-spirited woman, who dotes on her son, Frederick, and does not control her younger daughters from running wild, Miss Maria and Miss Eliza.
• Harry Abrams: Hebrew dentist in Aubrey who pulls Susan's rotten tooth, and later befriends her.
• Ellen: Susan Rose's sister who worked in the Great House until Master James Bonney raped her.
• Mrs. Jane Norval: Mentally unstable wife of "handsy" Captain Norval and cousin to Mrs. Bonney. She lives with servants in Hampstead Street, London, while her husband finishes his service in India. Mrs. Norval is always over warm, and refuses to heat the house.
• Minette: Lady's maid to Mistress Bonney.
• Mrs. Hart: Housekeeper at the Great House.
• Miss Anne: Cousin to Miss Eliza and Miss Maria and acts as chaperon.
• Mrs. Maude: Frederick Bonney's fiance and later wife.
• The Chandlers: Susan Roses wet nurses twins, Richard and Anne, in Compton. They are friends of the Bonney's.
• Joey: Susan Rose's first child by Frederick Bonney.
• Henrietta Abrams: Harry Abram's sister.
• Mrs. Lucinda Holcombs: First to hire Susan Rose as a wet nurse. She lives in Aubrey with baby William.
• The Clarks: A brief hire in Hittyfield as the baby died within five days and the mother only two days prior.
• Mr. Tom Rose: Susan Rose's alcoholic and abusive father.
• Patsy Garnett: Rebecca Rose's cousin, her daughter is Vincey.
• Vincey: Hires Susan Rose in order to have time to help her husband in the field.
• Mrs. Hubbard: Laundry mistress at the Great House. A gossip.
• Martha Campbell: Fellow laundress at the Great House and shy.
• Jim: Gives Susan Rose ride to Longbourne Village for two goes-at-its and more.
• David: Also known as Davey, Susan's second child.
• Mr. James Brooks: Brother of Mrs. Norval and comes weekly to see her, worries over her "nerves."
• Lydia: Maid to Mrs. Norval.
• Carrie: Scullery maid to Mrs. Norval.
• Mrs. McCullough: Cook to Mrs. Norval.
• Lily: Lady's maid to Mrs. Norval.
• Mrs. Golden: A Jewess in Aubrey who hires Susan to wet nurse her son Samuel, and will let her keep Davey with her.
• Davey: Add a description of this character.
• Mrs. Stone
• Master Freddie
• Mary
• John
• Mrs. Potts
• Mr. Guzzardi
• William
• Leighton
• Jeannie
• Sara Moore
• Barbara
• Alice
• Mrs. Caraway
• Tamar
• Ada
• Dick
• Bill

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Great House: The Bonney's residence in Leighton.
• Charlotte Street: A street in the Jewish ghetto.
• Compton, Aubrey: Where the Chandler's residence is located.
• London, England: On Hampstead Street is located the Norval residence.
• Longbourne Village: A stop along the way to London.
• Hampstead Street
• India

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

List the series to which this book belongs.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Erica Eisdorfer (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (Finalist, 2008)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.6

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Descriptions of sex, childbirth, and nursing

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Women's Fiction › Domestic Life
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary