Carnegie’s Maid

Clara is walking on eggshells.  She’s tired of pretending to be someone she’s not and of hiding her feelings for the man of the house.  But her job as the lady’s maid to Margaret Carnegie is what is giving her hope of saving her family back in Ireland.  It also means that her feelings for Andrew are both inappropriate and unsustainable.  Working for the woman of the house is no walk in the park, but her rendezvous with Andrew literally are.  Will Andrew’s promises to bring her financial fortune pay off, or will Clara find herself out on the street and destitute when they are found out?

Marie Benedict is known for her historical fiction uncovering the lesser-known female figures around some of history’s biggest names.  Carnegie’s Maid is Benedict’s sophomore release and follow up to The Other Einstein.  Following an Irish immigrant maid working in the most intimate of circumstances for a leading Pittsburgh businessman and his family, this novel explores the challenges faced by immigrants in this era including discrimination and fear for their families back home.  This is a novel about learning who you can trust and making the best of the hand you are dealt.

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I give Carnegie’s Maid 4 out of 5 stars.  I really enjoyed this novel because of how it framed the legacy of the Carnegie family against events of the period such as the Civil War and the Irish famine.  I did have trouble connecting with the characters throughout the novel – there were moments of clarity, but also moments I found hard to follow.  With that said, I loved this book for the same reasons I have loved others of Benedict’s books – the historical accuracy and the audacity to focus not on the celebrity at the center of the story, but on the supporting characters behind them.

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If you love historical fiction with hints of nonfiction, you will love any of Marie Benedict’s books.  I would recommend this book for anyone looking to learn more about the legacy of Andrew Carnegie.  This would made a fantastic book club selection with so much to unpack around the deception that begins Clara’s journey and the play Andrew makes to keep her in his life.

I chose Carnegie’s Maid for the US States Reading Challenge prompt “Pennsylvania”.  While this begins in the middle of the Atlantic on the journey from Ireland to America, the majority of this novel is set in Pittsburgh.  I had the pleasure of sightseeing around Pittsburgh while in the area for work – have you been before?  What’s your favorite part?

 

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
• Current audio book: The Burning of Washington, Anthony S. Pitch
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry