IF YOU LIKE
DOWNTON ABBEY...
Check out this collection of Adult and YA books celebrating the Jazz Age!
FICTION TITLES
Libba Bray, The Diviners
Evie O’Neill can uncover people’s secrets by holding objects that belong to them. But in 1920’s New York, there are some
secrets best left undiscovered. A suspenseful young adult novel with grand themes and wonderful characters.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Flappers and Philosophers
While The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s most famous depiction of the Jazz Age, this short story collection contains some
true gems, including “Bernice Bobs Her Hair.”
Anna Godbersen, Bright Young Things
In this lushly set first book in a young adult series, two small town girls become big city flappers, awash in the
speakeasies, romantic intrigue, and high society drama of 1920’s Manhattan.
Eva Ibbotson, The Reluctant Heiress
Tessa is the headstrong and penniless heir to Pfaffenstein Castle, which has just been bought by a business magnate as
a gift to his fiancé. Infused with Ibbotson’s signature humor, this charming romance is set in post-WWI Vienna.
Nancy Mitford, The Pursuit of Love
Perhaps the best-loved and most delightful novel by any of the famous Mitford sisters, this thinly veiled autobiography
portrays life in a privileged, eccentric British family in the 1920’s.
Allison Pittman, Lilies in Moonlight
When young flapper Lily breaks her ankle on the estate of wealthy Cullen Burnside, it turns out to be a stroke of luck
as the two fall in love. But she is hiding a secret which may destroy their happiness.
Evelyn Waugh, Vile Bodies
Waugh’s satire of the “Bright Young People” of 1920’s London examines their promiscuous, party-filled lifestyle,
contrasting it with the brutal realities of war.
P.G. Wodehouse, Summer Lightning
Downton fans will love Blandings Castle, where secret romance, scandalous memoirs, and the repeated theft of a pig
are all portrayed with Wodehouse’s signature rapier wit.
Recommendations are provided by Hayden Bass, teen services librarian, Seattle (Wash.) Public Library. Hayden is the
creator of her library’s personalized reading list service and loves to connect a reader with just the right book.
NONFICTION TITLES
Tiziana Lo Porto, Superzelda: The Graphic Life of Zelda Fitzgerald
Born in Alabama in 1900, Zelda Fitzgerald eloped at 18 to become a star of the Jazz Age, leading a life steeped in art,
romance, extravagance, and eventually, madness. This graceful graphic novel gives her story the attention it deserves.
Dorothy Parker, The Portable Dorothy Parker
While the Bright Young Things ruled London, Dorothy Parker was the brightest light at the Algonquin Round Table in
New York. This collection includes not only her poems and short stories, but theater reviews, letters, and more.
Margaret Powell, Servants' Hall: A Real Life Upstairs, Downstairs Romance
In this follow-up to Below Stairs, Powell tells of her own quest for romance, as well as the true Cinderella story of a
parlor maid who eloped with the only son of her employers.
Juliet Nicholson, The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age
Using multiple sources, including Queen Mary’s diary and the recollections of a chauffeur, Nicholson captures British
life in the early 1920’s.
D. J. Taylor, Bright Young People: The Lost Generation of London's Jazz Age
An inside look at the exploits of the London socialites whose costume parties and decadent lifestyle were at the center
of early celebrity culture in Britain.
The most-watched drama in PBS history enters its fourth gripping season
with the whole world waiting to learn how the beloved characters deal with
a shocking tragedy. The acclaimed ensemble is back, together with returning
guest star Shirley MacLaine and new guest star Paul Giamatti.
Downton Abbey Season 4 will air on MASTERPIECE on
PBS, Sundays starting January 5th, 9pm/EST.