The Making of a Marchioness facts for kids
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| Author | Frances Hodgson Burnett |
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| Language | English |
| Published | 1901 |
The Making of a Marchioness is a classic novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was first published in 1901. This book tells an interesting story about a young woman's journey.
Later, a second part, called The Methods of Lady Walderhurst, was also released. Sometimes, these two stories were published together in one book. They were known either by the original title, The Making of a Marchioness, or as Emily Fox-Seton. In 2007, Persephone Books republished the combined version. The story has also been adapted for radio and television, allowing even more people to enjoy it.
Contents
What is the Story About?
The main character is Emily Fox-Seton. She comes from a good family, but she does not have much money. Emily works hard helping wealthy people with their daily tasks. She is often a lady's companion, which means she helps ladies with their social life and household needs.
When the story begins, Emily is 34 years old. She lives in a small room in London. Her main employer is Lady Maria Bayne. Lady Maria is quite selfish, but she is also very funny. Over time, she grows to care for Emily.
In a surprising turn of events, much like the Cinderella story, Emily marries a man named James. He is the Marquess of Walderhurst. A Marquess is a noble title, and his wife becomes a marchioness. Lord Walderhurst is about twenty years older than Emily.
Emily's New Life
The second part of the story, The Methods of Lady Walderhurst, continues Emily's journey. Emily and Lord Walderhurst have a child. This event changes things for Lord Walderhurst's former heir, Alec Osborn. He tries to get back what he believed was his rightful inheritance. The story explores the challenges Emily faces in her new life as a marchioness.
How the Book Was Published
The Making of a Marchioness and its sequel, The Methods of Lady Walderhurst, both came out in 1901. At that time, Frances Hodgson Burnett was also busy writing another long novel called The Shuttle. Both books were re-released in 2007 by Persephone Books. They were published together under the title The Making of a Marchioness.
Bringing the Story to Life
The popular story of The Making of a Marchioness has been brought to life in different ways.
Radio Play
In 2007, the BBC Radio 4 channel turned the book into a Classic Serial. This was a radio play adapted by Michelene Wandor and directed by Chris Wallis. Famous actors lent their voices to the characters. Charles Dance played Lord Walderhurst, and Miriam Margolyes was Lady Walderhurst. Emily was voiced by Lucy Briers. Joanna David was the narrator, Anjali Jay played Hester, and Amara Karan was Lady Agatha. The Radio Times magazine described this radio version as a "delightful and occasionally dark romance."
Television Film
In 2012, the book was adapted into a television film called The Making of a Lady. Kate Brooke wrote the screenplay, which is the script for the film. Richard Curson Smith directed the movie.
The cast included Lydia Wilson as Emily and Linus Roache as Lord James Walderhurst. Joanna Lumley played Lady Maria Byrne, and James D’Arcy was Captain Alec Osborn. The film first aired in 2012 on ITV in Britain. Later, it was shown in the United States on PBS in 2014.
