The Harvey Girls is page-turning historical fiction set in the 1920s, featuring an unlikely friendship and railroad travel in the United States.

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1920s), Railway, Friendship, United States (mainly Grand Canyon)

***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @GalleryBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheHarveyGirls upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Set in the 1920s, The Harvey Girls is the story of two women working as waitresses for America’s first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe Railroad. Billie and Charlotte come from different backgrounds, have different reasons for becoming Harvey Girls, and are hiding secrets. Will they support or betray each other?

My Thoughts:

Little Known History

I appreciate authors who bring little-known history to light. Maybe you know of the Harvey Girls, but they were all new to me. Women had so few options in the 1920s, and becoming a Harvey Girl and enjoying decent wages and opportunities for advancement and travel was enticing to many young women. One of the many popular restaurants in the chain was the Grand Canyon location. (see picture and link to the article) I appreciate the author’s vivid historical details, which help develop a strong sense of place. You might find the YouTube clip fascinating!

Secrets

Many Harvey Girls pursue the job because of travel opportunities and the hope of meeting a rich man. Others like Billy and Charlotte are desperate. Billy needs to earn money to support her family, and Charlotte must escape a toxic marriage. Billy hides the fact that she’s underage (15 going on 16) while Charlotte covers up bruises and avoids recognition out of fear her abusive husband will find her. These young women strive to complete the rigorous training and excel in their work to earn the distinction of becoming a Harvey Girl. Although the work is demanding, it gives them a decent salary, free meals and housing, and independence. As secrets are revealed, the young women must trust each other.

Themes

Women supporting women is a strong theme in The Harvey Girls. Other themes include independence, family loyalty, domestic abuse, prejudice/racism, unlikely friendships, and new beginnings. Small sides of suspense and sweet romance round out the story.

Content Consideration: domestic abuse, toxic relationship, racism (hate crime)

Recommending The Harvey Girls:

Fans of compelling and page-turning histfic with strong, independent female characters will want to add this to their TBRs!

Related: A woman becomes a stewardess in the 1960s to escape an abusive husband: Come Fly With Me by Camille Di Maio

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

More Information Here

Meet the Author of The Harvey Girls, Juliette Fay

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including, THE HARVEY GIRLS, THE HALF OF IT, CATCH US WHEN WE FALL, CITY OF FLICKERING LIGHT and THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS, a USA Today bestseller and Costco Pennie’s Book Club Pick. Previous novels include THE SHORTEST WAY HOME, one of Library Journal’s Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women’s Fiction; DEEP DOWN TRUE, short-listed for the 2011Women’s Fiction award by the American Library Association; and SHELTER ME, a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Must-Read Book” and an Indie Next pick.

Juliette is a graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, and lives in Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at JulietteFay dot com, Facebook: Juliette Fay author, BookBub: Juliette Fay, and Instagram: Juliette_Fay.

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QOTD:

Do you love books set in the 1920s?

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All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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