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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
An entertaining novel of historical fiction. I was disappointed with the ending which seemed to leave a lot of the plot unresolved.
This book was super duper cheesy. I definitely was hoping it was based on a true story, but it was totally fictional. Which just made it super cheesy- none of the circumstances were realistic at all.
I love historical fiction. I love an insider's look into the life of one of America's most famous men. And I love a story that explores a women's quiet influence in history. You would think this would hit every mark.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice story. But I feel like it's just the bare bones. There are some great bits focusing on the socioeconomic gap between the Carnegies and recent Irish immigrants, and the discrimination the Irish Catholics faced when they came to America. There's a definite sense of struggle and it touches a bit on slavery. There's also a great bit about what happens when companies merge and how that affects jobs and people's livelihoods. And of course the class system and how that divide works when two from opposite ends of it start developing feelings for one another. It's for these reasons I'm giving it a three-star rating because otherwise, it was just "okay".
I feel like the problem is that all of these great bits are just that: bits. None of it is really given more than a few mentions to get an idea of what life was like. The book was way too short, in my opinion. I almost feel like I would get more out of an actual biography of Carnegie. If nothing else, this book did succeed in making me more interested in his life and wanting to read about him.
So, a nice enough read, but nothing really substantial.
Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice story. But I feel like it's just the bare bones. There are some great bits focusing on the socioeconomic gap between the Carnegies and recent Irish immigrants, and the discrimination the Irish Catholics faced when they came to America. There's a definite sense of struggle and it touches a bit on slavery. There's also a great bit about what happens when companies merge and how that affects jobs and people's livelihoods. And of course the class system and how that divide works when two from opposite ends of it start developing feelings for one another. It's for these reasons I'm giving it a three-star rating because otherwise, it was just "okay".
I feel like the problem is that all of these great bits are just that: bits. None of it is really given more than a few mentions to get an idea of what life was like. The book was way too short, in my opinion. I almost feel like I would get more out of an actual biography of Carnegie. If nothing else, this book did succeed in making me more interested in his life and wanting to read about him.
So, a nice enough read, but nothing really substantial.
Interesting but felt somewhat unresolved at the end.
Das Buch hat viele interessante Aspekte, z. B. der wirtschaftliche und soziale Aufstieg von Andrew Carnegie und die Lebensbedingungen im 19. Jahrhundert. Wenn die Autorin das Buch als eine Biografie von Andrew Carnegie oder besser noch von seiner Mutter geschrieben hätte wäre das sicher vier Sterne wert. Stattdessen wird eine völlig unglaubwürdige Figur erfunden, die Tochter eines politisch aktiven irischen Pächters, die ohne jede Vorkenntnisse sowohl als Ladys Maid als auch mit Geschäftsideen brilliert. Bei Fan-Fiction heißt diese Art von Figur "Mary Sue" und ist zurecht verpönt, weil niemand außer der jeweiligen Autorin sie mag.
“Carnegie’s Maid” is a fictional tale about a young Irish Immigrant that secures a position as a ladies maid in Andrew Carnegie’s household. Given her upbringing she is not expected to be more than a servant, but has the knowledge and wherewithal to provide inspiration and guidance to Andrew. Marie Benedict was inspired by her own ancestry and a single letter to craft a plausible explanation for Andrew Carnegie’s commitment to the education and support of the lower class.
While I usually like historical fiction to be based off of real people, Marie did a great job at representing the Irish Immigrants coming to America during the Industrial Age. The story was well crafted, although slightly too buttoned up or easy for the main character for my taste. I enjoyed the characterization of the time period and the historical facts woven into the story. It was interesting to think about my own 3 times great grandmother, Julia, immigrating for similar reasons and making her life in America. Overall, a good books for historical fiction lovers.
While I usually like historical fiction to be based off of real people, Marie did a great job at representing the Irish Immigrants coming to America during the Industrial Age. The story was well crafted, although slightly too buttoned up or easy for the main character for my taste. I enjoyed the characterization of the time period and the historical facts woven into the story. It was interesting to think about my own 3 times great grandmother, Julia, immigrating for similar reasons and making her life in America. Overall, a good books for historical fiction lovers.
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Loved this book! The descriptive narrative about life during the 1800's in Pittsburgh for both the hard working factory families and the wealthier class (The Carnegie Family specifically) was vivid. The author provided great detail about the Carnegie's rise in society and wealth from their immigrant status from Scotland. She spun a story about why Andrew Carnegie (cutthroat and ingenious businessman) would also be so vested in philanthropic ventures. Some of them were building colleges and another was providing free libraries for all people especially hoping the immigrant societies would benefit. Clara, (the maid to Mrs. Carnegie) was educated as much as a woman could be in that time, often reminded Andrew how he used personal libraries to improve his education which then helped him to elevate his family's earnings thus improving their status in society. The author took little liberties with the storyline that could cause the reader to scratch their heads - for example, it took months for a letter to arrive from Ireland for Clara yet, the Carnegie family could track down information from Europe in just days.
I listened to this as an audiobook - the Irish accent of the narrator added to my enjoyment. Highly recommend it!
I listened to this as an audiobook - the Irish accent of the narrator added to my enjoyment. Highly recommend it!
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced