In the impressively researched How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life, historian and BBC documentary star Ruth Goodman (Victorian Farm) outlines everyday life for both working-class and middle-class Victorians in Great Britain in a period of great social and economic change.
Goodman immerses herself in Victorian culture as a guinea pig to report the results of "dry washing" her body without water for months (surprisingly effective), lacing herself into corsets (supportive yet annoying) and washing her face with crushed elderflowers (very refreshing). She covers the dichotomy of the Victorian family unit, the conditions in which people cooked and slept, the fashions of the era and the subtle techniques necessary to advertise feminine-hygiene products. All of her findings on life in the 1800s are nothing short of engrossing, though some readers may be saddened or shocked by a few common practices, particularly the harsh discipline of schoolchildren and the doctor-endorsed drugging of babies all day long so their mothers could go to work.
In providing a thorough account of this era, Goodman doesn't sugarcoat the widespread hunger and poverty. Pulling source material from surviving journal accounts, she shares the hardships many people experienced along with the more charming elements such as luncheon menus of the upper class. Allow Goodman's book to transport you back to this time and you'll have a renewed appreciation for indoor plumbing and microwaves. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend