From the author of The Other Einstein, the mesmerizing tale of what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She’s not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest households. She’s a poor farmer’s daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, … name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.
If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady’s maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills he doesn’t have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can’t let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future — and her family’s.
With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie’s Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie’s transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world’s first true philanthropist..
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4 out of 5 stars to Carnegie’s Maid, a historical fiction novel set to be published in January 2018 by Marie Benedict.
Why This Book
I saw this show up on NetGalley and wanted to read something about the Carnegie family. I’ve been on a hunt to read/learn more about all the “tycoons” of America, curious about all the connections between them. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, so I requested this one and was approved. I picked it up last month because of a trip to the Vanderbilt Estate, even though it’s a different family. Wanted to immerse myself in the culture before the trip.
Plot, Characters & Setting
Andrew Carnegie, a leading member of one of America’s tycoon families, has settled in Pittsburgh with his mother and brother. A woman who leaves Ireland to help earn money to send her family back home, learns that the lady’s maid hired for Mrs. Carnegie has died during the Atlantic voyage. She takes her place and becomes Clara Kelly, despite not having all the knowledge a lady’s maid should have. She learns quickly, befriends some of the other staff, even fights with a few. Over time, she convinces everyone she is a good maid, but there is much more to her than they realize; she’s got strong business acumen and become a confidante of sorts to Mrs. Carnegie’s son, Andrew. Their relationship grows and begins to cause a few folks to question what is going on in the Carnegie household. This is a story about the relationship between the Carnegie family and their staff, love between two unexpected souls and the vicious rules of society.
Approach & Style
I read the Kindle version on my iPad over 3 days. It is about 250 pages with short chapters, told from the perspective of Mrs. Carnegie’s maid during the 1860s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, America.
Strengths
The story is simple and complex, quite beautifully told from the maid’s perspective. Only she’s so much more than a maid, and you can hear every bit of pain and love in her voice. Benedict does a fantastic job at transporting us to the setting of the story, which makes it a strong connection. It’s a slow-build to see and feel the love, but quite believable.
I learned a bit about how Carnegie grew to fame and fortune. The book has made me curious to know how much of this story is true, hence why I am on the lookout for a biography on him and the family. A good author makes that happen… thanks, Ms. Benedict!
We only see a glimpse (less than ten years) of the life between these characters, then it jumps to when they are much older. I loved seeing a future glance rather than everything that happened over the years after Andrew and Clara met. Usually I don’t like missing details, but in this story, it worked quite well.
Concerns
The writing is a little clunky at times; sometimes it’s as it should be, given the story takes place 150 years ago. But on a few occasions, I thought simpler phrases or imagery would have helped with the complexity in the differences between the time period and today.
Author & Other Similar Books
This is the author’s second book, as she has a debut titled ‘The Other Einstein.’ I don’t know a lot about it, but I am curious to check out the description to see if it’s something I’d want to read.
I read a bunch of historical fiction and have encountered books like this before; however, seeing it about a famous American family, and learning of a potential ‘hidden’ relationship, was different and exciting.
Final Thoughts
Good read. Quick. Informative. I liked the style. Characters well-drawn. Matches the style of the time period. Overall, better than average.
Marie Benedict has penned a sensational novel that turns the conventional Cinderella story into an all-American triumph. Young Clara Kelley steps off the boat from Ireland into Andrew Carnegie’s affluent world, where invention can transform men and women into whatever they dare to dream.
In Carnegie’s Maid, Marie Benedict skillfully introduces us to Clara, a young woman who immigrates to American in the 1860s and unexpectedly becomes the maid to Andrew Carnegie’s mother. Clara becomes close to Andrew Carnegie and helps to make him America’s first philanthropist. Downton Abbey fans should flock to this charming tale of fateful turns and unexpected romance, and the often unsung role of women in history.
Feels like Downton Abbey in the United States… Benedict demonstrates the relevance of history to the present day in this impeccably researched novel of the early immigrant experience. Deeply human, and brimming with complex, vulnerable characters, CARNEGIE’S MAID shows the power of ambition tempered by altruism, and the true realization of the American Dream.
I found myself wishing and hoping that Clara really existed! I loved how this story about the Carnegies intertwined reality with a fictional story line of another possible immigrant. I wanted the happily “ever after” and the “poor” girl to get her prince. I had to read more about the Carnegies after reading this book. I was left intrigued with them and can see how the author created Clara and wove her story through research about the Carnegies. It is another “must read”. I haven’t read a book by this author that I just couldn’t put down.
It was very realistic, and I really liked that it was a different kind of cinderella retelling.
I loved The Other Einstein and looked forward to another great story, and I wasn’t disappointed. Carnegie’s Maid is a wonderful tale of Andrew Carnegie and Clara Kelley, not just from their social functions but from their deeper underlying personalities and convictions. You see Clara’s deep seated desire to protect her family, coupled with her growing interest in Andrew, and Andrews ruthlessness as a businessman coupled with his slowly changing morality. The dichotomy between the classes is wide and fascinating, and yet you hope and hope that something will happen, because we all want the happily ever after. Beautifully portrayed, Ms. Benedict.
An intriguing story, Carnegie’s Maid offers a “what if” scenario regarding the real life of Andrew Carengie. A man known for being a ruthless businessman, something softened him into becomimg a great philanthropist with a focus on helping the poor and immigrants become educated in order to lift themselves out of poverty and improve their lives.
While historians have never been able to unearth the reason for Carnegie’s generosity, author Marie Benedict posits in her novel, Carnegie’s Maid, the possibility of a love interest – the lady’s maid to Andrew’s mother – as being the catalyst for the outpouring of his benevolence.
Benedict’s descriptions of the lavish lifestyles of the Carnegies and others in their economic sphere as well as of the servant class, and working poor are so well crafted the reader gets the sense of “being there.” The author obviously did her research well in order to present these worlds with a truly authentic voice.
My only complaint is that, at times, conversations between some characters were unrealistic in that they seemed meant to convey information to the reader rather than things characters would actually say to each other given that both already knew the information. The conveying of information also occured in narrative in a few places in a way that felt didactic. But these are small detractions in an otherwise beautifully written, interesting, and entertaining story. Highly recommened.
“I learned that when you’ve gone astray, a helping hand will always emerge from the darkness.”
I loved the writing of this novel! The details were amazing.
The compassion and yearning Clara demonstrated to improve the lives of herself and her family, as she crossed the ocean to work and survive in the United States and serve as a lady’s maid was felt while reading each page of this book.
The resilience and goals Clara set at a time when women could not do this; was intriguing!
Historical fiction, love story and so much more!
Held my interest from the start.
Great historical fiction
I found it very interesting in bringing out the personalities of a famous person and someone who influenced his endowments.
Interesting study of the haves and haves not. The Carnegies had massive wealth, the maid no wealth at all. In a case of mistaken identity instead of joining the household as a scullery maid (worst job) she was installed as Mrs. Carnegie’s personal maid.
Interesting to watch the social juggling between old money and new.
Honestly it was not the best book I have read. Others may like it but it seemed to drag.
Really gripping story with an audacious main character, Clara Kelley. Sent from famine-hit Ireland she assumes the identity of another Clara Kelley who disappeared on the voyage to work for the new- money Carnegie family. Using her quick wits, Clara assumes the identity, doing a job that she’s never done before – being a lady’s maid.
Her intelligence makes her attractive to the eldest son, Andrew. Her grasp of historical detail is absolute and Clara is engaging and very believable. It’s a skilful mix of fiction and fact and I enjoyed it, and the narrative flows smoothly and well.
Painted a real
Picture of the time period in America.
Really loved the story and the “what could have happened” to create such a wonderful turn of a character’s nature.
An informative read that deals with class discrimation and immigration issues. As a relative of Irish immigrants I found it interesting to think about what their lives may have been like when coming to the United States. It was also interesting to see how Andrew Carnegie became the man he did.
A very enjoyable read.
Very interesting insight and thoughts about Andrew Carnegie and his early rise to wealth. Although the story of the maid is fictional, it is plausible and the historic facts are accurate. I feel like I now know more about Andrew Carnegie