Books like Life below stairs by Alison Maloney

After their father disappears, a London family moves to the countryside where their adventures with a railway station and friendly locals bring hope and companionship.

A suspenseful look inside the seemingly perfect marriage of Jack and Grace, where love, secrecy, and abuse mask a household of hidden violence.

Harriet Jacobs' autobiographical narrative recounts her escape from slavery in North Carolina, her concealment in a hidden garret for seven years, and her eventual reunion with her children in the North.

Margaret Powell’s memoir chronicles her life as a kitchen maid in 1920s England, revealing the hidden world of servants in grand houses and the resilience of working‑class women.

Was medieval England full of knights on horseback rescuing fainting damsels in distress? Were the Middle Ages mired in superstition and ignorance? Why does nobody ever mention King Louis the First and Last? And, of couse, those key questions: which monks were forbidden the delights of donning underpants. . . and did outlaws never wear trousers? Terry Jones and Alan Ereira are your guides to this most misrepresented and misunderstood period, and they point you to things that will surprise and provoke. Did you know, for example, that medieval people didn't think the world was flat? That was a total fabrication by an American journalist in the 19th century. Did you know that they didn't burn witches in the Middle Ages? That was a refinement of the so-called Renaissance. In fact, medieval kings weren't necessarily merciless tyrants and peasants entertained at home using French pottery and fine wine. Terry Jones' Medieval Lives reveals Medieval Britain as you have never seen it before - a vibrant society teeming with individuality, intrigue and innovation. 'Jones laces the latest academic research with his own increasingly avuncular humour. Who says history cant be fun? In the hands of Professor Jones, how could it be anything else?' Observer 'Jones really knows his subject he is also a passionate apologist for the Middle Ages you also learnt things which made your view of the period a little more complex. ' Independent 'Brimming with life, colour, and yes, facts too. ' Daily Telegraph 'Jones is a reliable and accurate guide to his period, mercifully free from the pomposity that afflicts so many telly historians three cheers for Terry Jones. ' London Evening Standard

Known as "the Leopard," the president of Zaire for thirty-two years, Mobutu Sese Seko, showed all the cunning of his namesake -- seducing Western powers, buying up the opposition, and dominating his people with a devastating combination of brutality and charm. While the population was pauperized, he plundered the country's copper and diamond resources, downing pink champagne in his jungle palace like some modern-day reincarnation of Joseph Conrad's crazed station manager.Michela Wrong, a correspondent who witnessed Mobutu's last days, traces the rise and fall of the idealistic young journalist who became the stereotype of an African despot. Engrossing, highly readable, and as funny as it is tragic, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz assesses the acts of the villains and the heroes in this fascinating story of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Young cook Kat Holloway begins work in a Mayfair mansion, where her kitchen assistant is murdered. Teaming up with delivery man Daniel McAdam, she uncovers a plot that threatens Queen Victoria itself.

An original, authoritative look at the social history of the twentieth century, brilliantly retold through the eyes of the household servants.

Socio‑researcher Sudhir Venkatesh infiltrates a Chicago crack‑dealing gang, documenting urban poverty and crime from within.

Margaret Powell’s memoir, Below Stairs, chronicles her life as a kitchen maid in England’s great houses from the 1920s, offering a vivid, personal view of the servants’ world behind the grand estates of Downton Abbey and 165 Eaton Place.

A remarkable and complex biography of Saartjie Baartman, known as the 'Hottentot Venus,' tracing her journey from slavery to fame and the ongoing struggle for her return to her homeland.

Jane Addams's narrative of life in an immigrant urban neighborhood provides students with an introduction to the issues of the Progressive era and the tenets of social activism. This new teaching edition reduces Addams's original text by about 35 percent, trimming illustrative detail to focus on the ideological underpinnings of the original work. The author sketches a brief biographical portrait of Addams, outlines the decisions and convictions that led her to found Hull-House, and includes a vivid picture of turn-of-the-century Chicago. Related documents include a description of life at Hull-House from the perspective of an immigrant who frequented it, an early review of Hull-House, and perspectives from other reformers.

An in‑depth nonfiction examination of Thomas Jefferson’s complex relationships with the women in his life, from early courtships to marriage, flirtations, and the contested partnership with Sally Hemings.

Max Arthur, bestselling author of the hugely popular 'Forgotten Voices' series, recaptures the day-to-day lives of working people in the Edwardian era. The Edwardian era is often eclipsed in the popular imagination by the Victorian era that preceded it and the First World War that followed. In this wonderful work, Max Arthur redresses this imbalance, combining oral history and rare images and rediscovered film stills from the turn of the century to give voice to the forgotten figures who peopled the cities, factories and seasides of Edwardian Britain. This extraordinary period was fuelled by a relentless sense of progress and witnessed the invention of many of the technologies we now take for granted. The extremes of this upstairs-downstairs world prompted a huge upsurge in political activity, and the Edwardian age saw the rise of socialism and the emergence of the suffragette movement. These years are made all the more poignant by our knowledge that the First World War was imminent and this time of optimistic development would be brutally cut short. This book draws together the experiences of people from all walks of life, capturing the first generation that was able to record its experiences on film.

A vivid day‑in‑the‑life look inside an Edwardian upper‑class English household, from the servants’ early chores to the family’s sumptuous dinner.