Lower Than Vermin

Set against the changing world of England from the late Victorian era through the aftermath of the Second World War, Lower Than Vermin follows the fortunes of an aristocratic family as old traditions confront the social and political changes of the modern age.

Through the eyes of the governess Miss Carson, Dornford Yates traces the lives, relationships, ambitions, and fortunes of a privileged brother and sister. Money, romance, family loyalty, social class, and changing attitudes shape a story that looks back upon a vanished English world while confronting the realities of post-war Britain.

Originally published in 1950, Lower Than Vermin is a distinctive example of Dornford Yates's later fiction and offers readers a vivid portrait of the manners, values, and social divisions of an earlier England.