Were you a fan of Downton  Abbey? Having recently seen the movie, I was feeling nostalgic about all the members of the Crawley clan and those around them.  This book provides a unique way to spend more time with those who are connected to the property. 


In this title, the authors examine the ways in which the law influenced what happened in the world of the Crawleys.  For example, readers learn about inheritance as it applied to Matthew with explorations of primogeniture and who can inherit when a property is entailed.  There are sections on other ways to inherit as well such as how Matthew inherited Lavinia's property.  Laws that affected children born outside of marriage, grounds for divorce, crime, conscientious objection in war (Thomas) and more are here.


This is a fun way to learn more about the law while spending time with well loved characters.  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest reivew.

Fans of Downton Abbey will love this deeper look into the show! After reminiscing about certain situations and how the law was at that time, I'm so glad for the changes that have happened since then, but it was fun to break down how things differ. This was the perfect read for binge-watching to show to prepare for the film and I loved the memories it brought back, although I'll definitely be looking at certain scenes in a different way from now on, lol.

Princess Fuzzypants here: My family loves Downton Abbey. We have the entire series and have watched it again and again. So when I saw this book that looked at the legalities of the story lines, it seemed like a fun book to read. It did provide a refresher on several of the key storylines from the very first one of inheritance to the more thorny ones of illegitimacy and everything in between.
It’s an easy book to read, not weighted down by lengthy and dry exposition. In fact, it could be the kind of book the reader dips into and out of frequently. It does not need to be read in one fell swoop but could be read in bite sized nuggets. I liked the way the story background is presented and then there is a look at how the same situation would play out in the US and finally what the law of the time said in Britain. In many cases, particularly being of the female persuasion, it makes me very happy to live in this era and not back then. It truly was a man’s world.
Fans of the series will enjoy the memories. I give it four purrs and two paws up.

Entertaining book! I think Downton fans will interested in reading this. Karen Morris had done her research! Great work!