Good Old Anna

Mrs. Otway is the widow living in an idyllic, rural town in southern England. She has raised her only daughter with the help of a German servant, Anna, who has been housekeeper, cook and nanny all in one. Anna is hard-working and loyal, but also has worries about providing for herself in case she loses her job. When WWI breaks out, the neighbors start looking suspiciously at the German staying in the household and Anna is torn between well-wishing for her adopted family and patriotic enthusiasm for the virtues of her native country.

Marie Lowndes Belloc (1868-1947) was a prolific English novelist, and sister of author Hilaire Belloc. Active from 1898 until her death, she had a literary reputation for combining exciting incidents with psychological interest. Lowndes Belloc produced mainly mysteries, well-plotted and on occasion based on real-life crime, though she herself resented being classed as a crime writer. Her best known work is The Lodger, a haunting mystery tale that revolves around the Jack the Ripper murders.