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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Loved this story! An imaginative and fascinating take on what might have turned Andrew Carnegie into one of the world’s most well-known philanthropists. The story was delightful, although the ending left me…slightly disappointed? I guess I deep down wanted a very specific kind of “happily ever after”, and the ending was not quite what I expected. But it was still a really great read and very well written! I always love historical stories that imagine what might have been happening behind the scenes in areas where historians have never quite solved the puzzle. This was one of those. And it did a fantastic job.
Although a work of fiction, I enjoyed the glimpse into the life of Andrew Carnegie and his personal and private life.
Easy read…interesting “what if” about the life of Andrew Carnegie and his philanthropic donation of libraries in the U.S.
I hadn’t read any Marie Benedict novels, and knew nothing about her, before reading The Only Woman in the Room. The book was a delight to read, so I was excited to follow it up with Carnegie’s Maid. This one did not disappoint! As an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon and with a longstanding interest in the industrial history of Pittsburgh, I was drawn to the setting and era in which the story takes place. Benedict’s descriptions of the filth and poverty of the city juxtaposed against the wealth are written in such masterful detail. The story’s topics of wealth inequality and immigration challenges remain relevant even today. Clara, the protagonist, is strong, likeable, intelligent and relatable, much like Hedy in The Only Woman in the Room. I loved Benedict’s diplomatic rendering of Andrew Carnegie, whose reputation as an ambitious, somewhat greedy “robber baron” has, in my opinion, always been too one-sided. She paints a more nuanced and complex picture of Carnegie as a young man, with redeeming and attractive traits; the playful dialogue between Carnegie and Clara make him more human and fallible as well. Can’t wait to read another Marie Benedict novel!
In 1863, Clara Kelley arrives in America from Ireland and is mistaken for someone else. She accepts a ride to her destination–Pittsburgh–and finds she is expected to assume the job of a ladies’ maid. There are two problems: 1) she has no experience, and 2) her employer is the wife of the fabulously wealthy Andrew Carnegie. Clara Kelley is a wonderful character, intelligent and plucky. The reader cannot help but to root for her wholeheartedly.
Historical fiction
Clara Kelley arrives in America to have a better life and to help her family back in Ireland financially. When she arrives at the dock she hears her name being called. Who could this be? She is not expecting anyone to meet her. The man calling her name is very well dressed and distinguished He couldn’t be anyone for her. She decides to go along with this and tells him she is Clara Kelley. Obviously she is the wrong Clara Kelley. She secures a job as a ladies maid for the Carnegie family. Clara has no experience as a ladies maid but is determined to be successful. Clara meets Andrew Carnegie and becomes very interested in his business endeavors. Clara and Andrew develop feelings for each other but Clara is very cautious. Her family must come first. She can not jeopardize her job and lose her earnings. Clara feels she can never tell Andrew the truth about who she really is. Andrew is very persistent and peruses her all the more.
This is a wonderful historical fiction tale of Clara an Irish immigrant. Clara is fictitious character but tells her story of living in poverty in Ireland.
This is also the story of Andrew Carnegie who was a Scottish immigrant and how he found his fortune, but also became a philanthropist.
This a a very compelling read and very well written.
I highly recommend it.
Historical fiction (favorite genre) and history of the Carnegie Public Library (clearly I am a reader and would have deep appreciation for libraries) sound like a winning combination. However, this book fell a bit flat for me.
Andrew’s character was highly volatile and I didn’t trust him right away. His dishonesty and selfishness were appalling. But then he also created the public library so there had to be good in him. I’m sure there was. But the Jekyll and Hyde nature of his character made it difficult to know what was real and was affected to get what he wanted.
Clara was an interesting character. I didn’t dislike her but also didn’t find myself overly fond of her. Her story is meant to tug at your heartstrings, and that it does. It saddens me how many were forced to do difficult things because of starvation from the famine in Ireland. The letters she received from home were the worst part. I was most interested in those letters.
Andrew’s mother was perhaps the person whose character was the most diverse and dynamic. I found it interesting how the author chose to portray the relationship between Mrs Carnegie and Clara. Mrs Carnegie’s social awkwardness and fears but shrewd business sense made for a very interesting character. Doesn’t mean I like her (the final treatment of Clara and those of poorer classes than herself, even though she had been there herself not many years prior, spoke to her true nature perhaps more than anything she said).
Learning about the social classes, the prejudice by Americans against the Irish immigrants, and the injustices heaped upon a person if they were poor, was in turns fascinating and disheartening. The division of classes was quite disgraceful, particularly the judgement of the poor by the wealthy. How exactly were they supposed to change their circumstances if they never received any kind of advantage? But even the divisions between various groups in the same social class was interesting.
The premise of this story is quite intriguing but I think the way it was told just didn’t give it quite the justice it could have been given.
Whether a mysterious woman was truly the impetus for Andrew’s creation of the public library is up for debate. It makes for a good story. And we have libraries. So I guess we’ll still thank him for them.
The audiobook of Carnegie’s Maid captivated me from the first chapter. A seamless tale of true historical account mixed with an entertaining and insightful perspective of fiction. I was drawn in by both the narration and the storyline.
The inspiring notion of how Andrew Carnegie became one of the world’s first philanthropists is filled with hope as he navigates the road between the desire for fortune and the responsibility to do good in the world around him. I enjoyed the fictional character of Clara Kelly immensely and was left with a better understanding of what the life of an Irish immigrant / servant, in Pittsburgh might have been like during the time period. A truly insightful read!
Carnegie’s Maid is the story of Andrew Carnegie and his family as told from the viewpoint of one of their lady’s maids- Clara Kelley. Clara ends up with the Carnegie’s after a misunderstanding when she arrives in America as an Irish immigrant. Clara must keep her secret so she can help her family in Ireland. This is an interesting read about the famous industrialist family.
Great historical fiction!
This was a wonderful story that was well written. I couldn’t put it down!
Fiction based on many true characters around actual happenings and the immigrant’s experience during the American civil war period. Extremely good read.
CARNEGIE’S MAID is a pleasant fantasy. A young Irish woman lands in America in the 1860’s and improbably finds herself serving as lady’s maid to the mother of Andrew Carnegie. In the course of her duties, she catches the eye of the businessman himself, to the extent that he not only falls in love with her, but finds her a source of valuable advice in his business dealings.
Realistic? No. Clara Kelley (a borrowed name, at that) is from a poor farming family and should have no clue how to be a lady’s maid, much less how to advise a huge industrialist on patent violations. That this Clara Kelley does both involves a willing suspension of disbelief. If one does that, CARNEGIE’S MAID is an enjoyable read.
The author’s goal, according to the publisher’s blurb, is to suggest, fictitiously, the way in which a ruthless industrialist became one of America’s first philanthropists. It’s a noble cause, but a bit much for me.
Still, as historical fiction goes, CARNEGIE’S MAID is a vividly detailed period piece. The upstairs-downstairs dynamic is fun for a while, until the author’s plotting stumbles.
Though I wasn’t wild about this book, the writing was colorful enough that I would try another by this author.
When I read the authors note at the end I realized why it ended as it did. Although I enjoyed the book certain aspects of the book felt incomplete.
I loved this book. It is the second book by Marie Benedict I’ve read. The first was The Other Einstein which I also loved. Now I can’t wait to read her third one, The Only Woman in the Room. This is well-researched historical fiction about Andrew Carnegie, immigrants from Ireland/Scotland, and other themes of class struggles in 1860s US. How do I explain it without spoilers? I love history. Check. I love true stories (ok, if fiction, stories that could be true.) There is an intriguing plot. There is a lot of internal dialogue to get through, but I attribute that to style rather than as a problem. Lower classes were not free to speak their minds. I listened to the audio book, read by someone with a delightful Irish brogue, which added to the enjoyment. This book is a definite recommend. I’m glad my book club chose it as a selection.
I so wanted to love this book. The premise was there. The potential was ripe. The reviews had me excited. I mean, allusions to “Downton Abbey”? I was all in. I had no experience with this author before and if she could provide me with a book option as a historical television drama fix? I couldn’t go wrong.
What I enjoyed about Carnegie’s Maid>:
The idea was original – I can’t recall even coming across another book from this time and perspective. The Gilded Age? The Carnegies? Pittsburgh during the steel boom? Heck yes!
The PBS “Masterpiece” vibe – There were, in fact, traces of “Downton Abbe”y. I also felt nuances of “Victoria” and “Call the Midwife” as well.
What I didn’t care for:
Lack of editing – The issues were minor. Using ‘at’ instead of ‘as’, for example. At one point there was actually an omitted word. Just enough to be distracting. There was also some occasional repetition, almost as if the author didn’t trust that I was paying attention to the details and that I would need to be reminded.
Not my kind of historical fiction – This book felt much more like fiction taking place in a certain historical time and surrounding particular historical figures. I prefer the telling of history fleshed out with some imagination in the parts we can’t possibly know to make these well-known individuals more real. Because the main character was entirely fictional and her role was entirely fabricated, I didn’t come away feeling as though I knew this slice of history more intimately. Maybe I would have enjoyed the story being told more from Andrew Carnegie’s perspective, or his mother’s, or even his future wife’s. While Clara made a somewhat sympathetic character, I just couldn’t hold the respect for this telling of history that I might have had she even been based on a tiny bit on even an obscure fact.
Here’s the trouble with blind high expectations. There’s so far to fall. And they fell. Everything I hoped this story would be, it teased me with and then never got there. For a book I looked forward to with so much anticipation, I ended up disappointed. Ultimately, I felt like the rave reviews from other authors (author’s I read and enjoy) over-inflated my expectations for a book that was mostly mediocre.
A different perspective on Andrew Carnegie.
The title and premise of this book caught my interest right away. The idea of a young Irish immigrant assuming the identity and role of another woman as maid to Mrs. Carnegie held my intrigue while the writing and narration kept my interest throughout the book. I love reading about this era, the 1860s, and I learned more about Andrew Carnegie, who came from a lowly background and eventually funded the first public libraries. A very worthwhile reading experience.
Clara Kelly is not Clara Kelly. Or rather, this Clara Kelly – sent by her family to America to hedge against the possibility of losing their farm in Ireland is not the Anglo-Irish Clara Kelly traveling from Dublin to serve as a ladies maid in one of the leading houses in Pittsburgh. But when that Clara Kelly succombs to conditions on the voyage to America, this Clara Kelly takes her place, accepting first the carriage ride over the Allegheny Mountains and then the position as maid to Mrs. Carnegie, mother of Andrew and Tom. Clara Kelly was not, after all, an uncommon name for an Irish girl.
I liked the set up of the story, the swapping of identities, and our protagonist’s quick study of what it would take to be successful in her role. Author Marie Benedict imbues Clara with pluck and spunk and her writing feels true to the times. Unfortunately, I found Clara a bit too obsessed with her family, her family, her family…which, yes, I understand is the reason she’s there, but Clara’s concern with being found out appears to border on paranoia, especially after the point at which, presumably, she could parlay her position with the Carnegies into a different position where she wouldn’t need to live in constant fear of being found out.
However, Benedict is virtually forced to create this aspect of Clara’s character by virtue of the fact that Clara is a fictional character in the midst of actual men and women and events. Had this obsession not driven her every moment, Clara would not be able to make her final choice, which Benedict must make Clara make in order to retain historical accuracy for the events that followed. Still, I found this aspect of the book distracting, and it detracted from my overall enjoyment.
(This review was originally published at https://www.thisyearinbooks.com/2019/03/carnegies-maid.html)