Oscar Defoe and the Victorian Workhouse, 1834 A review of chapter 6 - Syon House "With no time to read the whole book before the printers speed into action, I studied the chapter on Syon House, my family’s London home for 400 years, and was immensely impressed by the accuracy of the author’s research and the fluent style which brings the characters to life. The contrast between Syon and the workhouse and between the rich and poor, is a poignant reminder of the hellish life that so many lived in Victorian times. This brief taste of Barbara O’Sullivan’s historical tale has certainly wetted my appetite for a more comprehensive study of Oscar Defoe." Duke of Northumberland,2006 "It is very interesting; a good period piece and has a nice historical flavour." J K Wingfield Digby, Sherborne Castle, Dorset, 2006