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The Apprentices
Old James is dead, and Lady Luckley has no recourse but to hire a new footman. She is elated when she is given the priceless opportunity to get two perfectly matched footmen at the same time. Meticulously researched, The Apprentices will give you a glimpse into the servants' quarters of an old house - and a peek at how two innocent boys can turn an elderly household upside down!But is Dunderlee House ready for identical twins?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
126 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2014
About the author
Sarah Beth Brazytis
34 books59 followersSarah Brazytis is a home educated graduate, historian, and small business owner. Her historical fiction spans the ages from medieval Europe to WWII London, but her favorite time period is the 19th century. A storyteller from childhood, Sarah loves to spin a tale that is clean and sweet, and celebrates heroism, courage, faith, and true love. Every book reflects her Christian worldview and passion for every aspect of historical accuracy.
Follow Sarah on Goodreads, Amazon, and Facebook. Or find her bookstore and blog at www.gatheringofgoods.com.
Follow Sarah on Goodreads, Amazon, and Facebook. Or find her bookstore and blog at www.gatheringofgoods.com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 5, 2016
I loved this book! It was short, yet the characters had a depth that surprised me. I absolutely loved the twins; their different quirks and personalities kept me smiling throughout the whole book. I also loved how they cared about each other, and even though their parents were never really a part of the story, I loved how the twins, even in their absence, respected and honored them.
A lovely short story that is worth the read!
A lovely short story that is worth the read!
August 22, 2016
Awww, this book was so good! I really enjoyed it!!
This book was so sweet!!!! There wasn’t a huge, complicated plot, but it had me laughing way more than I thought it would. Especially the wigs part. :)
Plot/Storyline: 5/5
There wasn’t much of a plot, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless. Something was so sweet and enduring about the simplicity of it.
Characters: 4/5
The characters weren’t explored in depth, but I loved them all.
Writing: 5/5
The writing of this book astounded me! It was so historically accurate, the writing itself was historically accurate…wow. Well done.
Dialogue: 5/5
Awesome.
Want-to-read-ability: 4/5
This was not anywhere close to a thriller type of story, but it was a perfect cozy-up-and-read book. It will make you laugh, too. Guaranteed.
This book was so sweet!!!! There wasn’t a huge, complicated plot, but it had me laughing way more than I thought it would. Especially the wigs part. :)
Plot/Storyline: 5/5
There wasn’t much of a plot, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nevertheless. Something was so sweet and enduring about the simplicity of it.
Characters: 4/5
The characters weren’t explored in depth, but I loved them all.
Writing: 5/5
The writing of this book astounded me! It was so historically accurate, the writing itself was historically accurate…wow. Well done.
Dialogue: 5/5
Awesome.
Want-to-read-ability: 4/5
This was not anywhere close to a thriller type of story, but it was a perfect cozy-up-and-read book. It will make you laugh, too. Guaranteed.
August 2, 2016
This is a great book! I loved it, it's a gem.
It even knocked Harry Potter to second place on my favorite books list. Yes, that's how much I adored it.
It's about 15, almost 16 year-old twin brothers, George and Geoffrey, who serve as footmen at the Dunderlee House.
They do get into trouble with their squeaky shoes and crooked wigs, but they do a good job at their duties nevertheless.
I really liked the twins and Collins.
Collins was always quite fair with the twins and the twins were absolutely lovable.
I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes Downton Abbey.
It even knocked Harry Potter to second place on my favorite books list. Yes, that's how much I adored it.
It's about 15, almost 16 year-old twin brothers, George and Geoffrey, who serve as footmen at the Dunderlee House.
They do get into trouble with their squeaky shoes and crooked wigs, but they do a good job at their duties nevertheless.
I really liked the twins and Collins.
Collins was always quite fair with the twins and the twins were absolutely lovable.
I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes Downton Abbey.
July 18, 2016
*I received a free PDF copy of The Apprentices from the author in exchange for an honest review, which has in no way shaped my views or opinion of this book*
This is a short and interesting story about servant life in an old and traditional household and almost-sixteen twin brothers Geoffrey and George, who have been hired by Lady Luckley as second footmen in the Dunderlee house and are expected to conform to the strict, no nonsense ways of the other servants, but instead turn the household's familiar routine upside down with their infectious cheeriness, new and interesting ways of doing things, and selfless approach toward their work and other people.
This book had a good message to send and plenty of laughs to go with it, which I really appreciated since there aren't an insane amount of books I've read that I could have fun with and still get something substantial out of it.
The only issue that I had with the book is that everything was very black and white. You could spot the not-so-nice people from a mile away, and you could instantly tell when someone was to be trusted, and even that was rather refreshing after all of the morally grey YA books that people have been publishing recently. I loved all of the characters (especially Mr. Collins), how unique they were, and how willing they were to take the twins under their wings. The servant's perspective of how a house was run in this particular time period was very interesting and, I thought, well-researched and rather reminded me of Downtown Abbey if it were less serious and completely from the servant's point of view rather then the landowner's.
The end result is that I will probably be reading more from this author and would recommend The Apprentices to anyone looking for a short, clean, and fun read!
This is a short and interesting story about servant life in an old and traditional household and almost-sixteen twin brothers Geoffrey and George, who have been hired by Lady Luckley as second footmen in the Dunderlee house and are expected to conform to the strict, no nonsense ways of the other servants, but instead turn the household's familiar routine upside down with their infectious cheeriness, new and interesting ways of doing things, and selfless approach toward their work and other people.
This book had a good message to send and plenty of laughs to go with it, which I really appreciated since there aren't an insane amount of books I've read that I could have fun with and still get something substantial out of it.
The only issue that I had with the book is that everything was very black and white. You could spot the not-so-nice people from a mile away, and you could instantly tell when someone was to be trusted, and even that was rather refreshing after all of the morally grey YA books that people have been publishing recently. I loved all of the characters (especially Mr. Collins), how unique they were, and how willing they were to take the twins under their wings. The servant's perspective of how a house was run in this particular time period was very interesting and, I thought, well-researched and rather reminded me of Downtown Abbey if it were less serious and completely from the servant's point of view rather then the landowner's.
The end result is that I will probably be reading more from this author and would recommend The Apprentices to anyone looking for a short, clean, and fun read!
December 5, 2016
What a fun read! I loved the characters, the setting, the history... The writing and plot were similar to Alcott's, and since I love Alcott, I had to love this. Geoff and George were fun characters to follow, (I especially liked how the duo would continually switch places to keep anyone from getting in trouble), but there could be a little more about them- it was a very short book, and the author could have made it longer by more fully developing the characters. Still, I loved them all... *goes into fit of giggles* Anyway, I would definitely recommend it as a short read for a winter's evening. favorite Quotes:
" 'How will we ever tell you apart?' Collins asked, unable to resist the question.
'It's really quite simple, sir, once you know us,' the spokesman assured him. 'If he's talking it's
probably George, because Geoff is a quiet lad; if he's dancing a hornpipe it's Geoff, because hornpipes make me dizzy.'
'You're George, then?'
'Yes, sir - the eldest.'
'By five minutes and fifty-five seconds,' added Geoffrey, frowning.
'No, it was five minutes and fifty-nine seconds,' George corrected him calmly."
Later, they just call it five minutes and fifty-seven seconds :P
" 'How will we ever tell you apart?' Collins asked, unable to resist the question.
'It's really quite simple, sir, once you know us,' the spokesman assured him. 'If he's talking it's
probably George, because Geoff is a quiet lad; if he's dancing a hornpipe it's Geoff, because hornpipes make me dizzy.'
'You're George, then?'
'Yes, sir - the eldest.'
'By five minutes and fifty-five seconds,' added Geoffrey, frowning.
'No, it was five minutes and fifty-nine seconds,' George corrected him calmly."
Later, they just call it five minutes and fifty-seven seconds :P
September 8, 2016
“The Apprentices”, by Sarah Beth Brazytis, is a delightful story about what life was like for the servants of a wealthy Victorian mansion. George and Geoffrey, fifteen-year-old twins, are appointed as footmen at Dunderlee House. The older servants, as well as Lady Luckley, expect them to conform exactly to the dry, stoical way of life that footmen of that time were expected to live. But they are soon to find that the task is more difficult than they had imagined. It appears that the boisterous, but ever respectful and polite, young twins are more capable of changing the outlook and mind-set of the rest of the household instead!
Absolutely hilarious in parts, with a sweet, thoughtful message, this book gives a revealing glimpse of what life below stairs was like; and how two young boys could make a life-changing impact on even the stoniest of hearts.
I would recommend this book to ages 12+.
Absolutely hilarious in parts, with a sweet, thoughtful message, this book gives a revealing glimpse of what life below stairs was like; and how two young boys could make a life-changing impact on even the stoniest of hearts.
I would recommend this book to ages 12+.
October 14, 2019
Age Appropriate For: All Ages
Best for Ages: 8-15
This book has been on my to-read list for a very long time, so I was very glad to finally have a chance to read it with Kindle Unlimited.
This book was well researched to what was expected of servants in a Victorian house. I feel like it would be a great read-aloud for kids learning about the time. It would be a great Homeschool Resource to introduce children to what it might be like as a servant.
The book fell a little short for me because it lacked any depth. While we got to see what the servants did, some of their struggles, and some of the funny escapades of the twins, we never learned much about the people. The whole story was about the actions, not really any of the emotions, or who the servants were.
This book was completely clean and the story was sweet. I would recommend it for children, homeschool students learning about life in a Victorian house, and those looking for a sweet uncomplicated story.
Best for Ages: 8-15
This book has been on my to-read list for a very long time, so I was very glad to finally have a chance to read it with Kindle Unlimited.
This book was well researched to what was expected of servants in a Victorian house. I feel like it would be a great read-aloud for kids learning about the time. It would be a great Homeschool Resource to introduce children to what it might be like as a servant.
The book fell a little short for me because it lacked any depth. While we got to see what the servants did, some of their struggles, and some of the funny escapades of the twins, we never learned much about the people. The whole story was about the actions, not really any of the emotions, or who the servants were.
This book was completely clean and the story was sweet. I would recommend it for children, homeschool students learning about life in a Victorian house, and those looking for a sweet uncomplicated story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews