Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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, 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.

Review: Clara Kelley has been sent from Ireland to America by her destitute family to find work in order to send some money home. While only a poor farmer's daughter with no work experiences, she manages to land a prestigious position as a lady's maid in the Carnegie household through a case of mistaken identity; she pretends to be another Clara Kelley who perished on the journey over. In the Carnegie household, she works hard to please her demanding mistress and feels drawn to her mistress's son, the indomitable businessman Andrew Carnegie. Yet the whole time, Clara must keep her true history a secret and the strain weighs heavily on her. 

There was a lot to love about this book. In the spirit of Downton Abbey, I loved the inside look at life as a lady's maid and the hierarchy of the household help. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about, as numerous great fortunes were being made in America and the economy was shifting rapidly. Clara has a front row seat to this, as she is privy to the business conversations between Andrew and his mother, as well as additional business lessons that Andrew gives her in their private conversations. The pull Clara feels from her family left behind in Ireland, as well as the destitute cousins that she visits in Pittsburgh weigh heavily on her even while she dreams of pursuing her own goals and desires. Despite her own person wishes, she primarily feels the pressure to do her job well and continue to earn money so she can assist her family and is constrained by her circumstances. 

On the other hand, this book felt like a whole lot of buildup for nothing much to happen in the end. There's a lot of anticipation for action the whole story only to result in a sort of deflated ending. The conceit that Clara took over another Clara Kelley's identity seemed difficult to believe. It would have been more believable if she had at least just pretended to be the other person, but it seemed so unlikely they would have had the exact same name. Also, unlike many historical fiction novels, this one is entirely imaginary and not based on any sort of real evidence of a true relationship between Andrew Carnegie and a maid. I can't help but think the real man would be absolutely scandalized at the suggestion of impropriety with his mother's lady's maid. Despite how romantic the story reads, Clara's story was sort of unsatisfactory. I would have liked more details about her next steps after the novel ended, as well as details on her family. 

Stars: 3