Extravagant Englishwomen, a book that takes us to England's grand and lesser country estates, tells us about a way of life that no longer exists. Many nobles, born into aristocratic families, grew up in poorly heated country houses and were raised by staff who lived "downstairs." It's no wonder that this situation gave rise to many eccentricities and extravagances. Luise Berg-Ehlers focuses on English aristocrats who throughout their lives tried to break free from the tight corset of social and familial conventions, including the writer Virginia Woolf, the daring Mitford sisters, and the eccentric ladies Edith Sitwell and Ottoline Morrell. Jane Austen, Vita Sackville-West, and Elizabeth von Arnim wrote their way to freedom and independence through their books.