The synopsis intrigued me with its Gothic undertones, and I am always a sucker for books set during the second World War. This also seemed to bear a hint of Sarah Waters about it, and I have read everything she's written and loved each one, so that seemed promising. I also liked the feminist slant to this first chapter, with our heroine/narrator being justifiably miffed at the inequality at hand ... and it gave just enough to make me intrigued about where this story would travel.