Bryson uses his home, an English rectory built in Norfolk in the pivotal year 1851, as the starting point to look at people’s private lives in the time we would call the Industrial Revolution and times proceeding it that influenced all that came after. This is engaging social history. Each chapter centers on a different room in the house, but as my husband said after reading it, where Bryson takes you can be widely afield of that room and time! There’s great trivia that could make one very entertaining at a dinner gathering.

posted Mar 28, 2011 at 10:36AM

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