THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET

by Mollie Hardwick ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 1977

Edwardian hijinks high and low, based on a BBC-TV series (soon to be seen here) from the folks who brought us Upstairs, Downstairs, bless their hearts. In service since she was a girl, Louisa Leyton--despite her good looks--simply wants to be ""the best cook in England,"" and her determination is so striking that even one of her would-be gentleman-seducers murmurs, ""What a good idea."" On her way to culinary stardom, Louisa is deflowered by no less than Prince Edward himself, has a brief unconsummated marriage with a very boring butler, and eventually runs a London hotel where the food is superb and the management discreet. The hotel setting provides incidents of romantic misadventure among the moneyed clientele and enough gastronomic description to fill three issues of Gourmet magazine. Unfortunately, novelizations of scripts tend to be less nuanced and intelligent than the acted originals. Ah, but will America be able to resist a heroine whose motto in love is ""No letters, no lawyers, and kiss me baby's bottom""? Not bloody likely.

Pub Date: April 14, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1977

Categories: FICTION