A fictionalized story of how Andrew Carnegie became so generous with his fortune. The romantic aspect of the story I found very cliched but the historical telling was much more interesting. For a sort book I found the reading a bit of a slog but worth a read anyway.

I really enjoyed this novel and finished it in one afternoon. The writing was great and I really liked the overall plot. Clara is an interesting protagonist and I enjoyed reading about her and her relationships. The relationship between her and Carnegie developed believably and the depiction of her life as a lady's maid felt realistic. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical novels.

Being from Pittsburgh, I found this a very enjoyable book. Andrew Carnegie is legend here, but very little is known about his personal life. The fictional retelling of the reason why we have Carnegie libraries today was engaging, well paced, and interesting. The tough little Scot finds his heart. I wanted so much for Clara and Andrew to get together! I would recommend this book to lovers of historic fiction with just a touch of romance.

Clara is a common name in Ireland and Carnegie's maid takes advantage of this by taking the place meant for another. Educated at home she is clever and able to slip into a role as Mrs. Carnegie's ladies maid in 19th C. Pittsburgh. She draws the attention of Mrs. Carnegie's elder son. Will Clara be able to maintain the illusion and her position? Was Clara responsible in part for the birth of Andrew Carnegie's philanthropy? An interesting account of what might have led Andrew Carnegie to become one of America's great philanthropists. Whatever the reason I for one am so glad that he chose to donate so much to help so many.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this egalley.

The description of this book was not that exciting, so I wasn't that excited to read it, however I totally enjoyed this historical fiction novel.
Almost impossible to put it down. The characters so came to life and pulled you into their stories.
This was so engaging and a definite must read!

If ever there was a market for this book, it would be me - a born and raised Pittsburgher who has read nonfiction works about Carnegie's life, is a massive historical fiction fan, has visited the former house museum of his arch enemy, Henry Clay Frick, (twice) because I am so fascinated with the era...I even got married at Carnegie museum. So a fictional account of a love story involving Andrew Carnegie? Sign.me.up.

However.

I can't be sure if it's this bias that left me disappointed with this book; if my expectations were too high. So please take my review with a grain of salt, and please pick this one up to make your own opinion - you may love it much more than I did.

This is a fictional account of "what would have happened had Andrew Carnegie's mother had a lady's maid who he fell in love with and changed his view of the world?". An interesting concept for a romantic soul as myself.

I believe it's strongest point was how this book highlighted the social injustices of the time. It gives factual, historical evidence of how those in the lower classes were treated and forced to suffer during these times, all from the perspective of someone who is experiencing these injustices yet is thrown into the world of luxury and opulence. This juxtaposition of her two worlds lays heavily on her heart and truly demonstrates the difference between the upper and lower classes of the gilded age.

For a relatively short book, this took me an awful long time to complete. It's slower pace left me feeling a bit underwhelmed and I believe I read two other books from the time I picked this one up because I kept putting it down. As I mentioned before, my expectations may have been too high based on my personal experience. I would recommend this to historical fiction fans.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Carnegie’s Maid” is an enthralling piece of historical fiction. The prologue gives us Andrew’s perspective, which sets the tone for a mystery. He speaks about the maid and we know that something has happened to her but not what. We then go back to where it all began with Clara Kelly, Carnegie’s maid. We follow her perspective exclusively throughout the rest of the book in the first person. Although this book is framed around the Carnegies, I really found it to be more poignantly about immigration to the US in the mid-nineteenth century.

Clara travels to America from Ireland as her family needs her to be able to make money and send it back to them- they are concerned about losing their tenancy on their farm. After a grueling voyage, Clara arrives in America with a stroke of luck- someone looking for Clara Kelly who wants to take her to Pittsburgh. The name is common, but as she does not have much cash, she takes the other Clara Kelly’s place. This Clara Kelly was destined to be a lady’s maid, a much better prospect than what could have awaited her on her own (with people taking advantage of new immigrants- and even those who “make it” live a tough life as we witness). Clara soon finds herself attending to Mrs. Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie’s mother, who helps him with his burgeoning business. Although the Carnegies were recent Irish immigrants themselves, they have burst their way into the upper class scene in Pittsburgh.

We follow Clara as she navigates this new life and although her life is easy/lucky, she witnesses what it is like for other immigrants through the cousins she knows in Pittsburgh (and it’s not pretty). She is lucky to have been educated by her father, but even that education can only go so far in the new America. Additionally, she observes the way the Civil War impacts the classes differently- where the wealthy men can pay new immigrants to take their place on the battlefield. As the synopsis mentions, Clara runs into Andrew on occasion and a romance of sorts takes place. She observes his business dealings and contributes ideas of her own. I found that the romance between them was mild and took a backseat to the more engaging storyline of immigrants in America and the class lines that appeared and were carefully delineated, modeled after those in Europe. America was not so much the land of opportunity it appears, but did have the possibility for social mobility if one was able to make the right connections.

We also glimpse into the life of an escaped slave through Mr. Ford, who serves in the Carnegie’s house as well- I wish we could have heard more from him, to help fully capture this time period in America. The book really focuses on the immigrant experience, and I found it really educational and engaging. I do wish there was some historical context at the end about the characters and how like the real people they are/were… I tried doing my own research, but information about less major characters was not easy to locate. This book seems very well researched, and I would be curious to learn more about the reality versus the fiction presented in the novel. Regardless, I found this to be a really fantastic and enthralling read, transporting the reader to mid-nineteenth century Pittsburgh (and New York). I would definitely be curious to read more from this talented author.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A sudden death on a trans-Atlantic journey opens up a future far different than Clara Kelley could have ever imagined. As an immigrant to America from Ireland, Clara is expecting nothing more than some steady low paying employment so she could help support her family back home. A tragic accident upon the vessel <i>Envoy</i> has left one Clara Kelley deceased and given the other a chance at a future far better than was anticipated. A caller is waiting for the Clara Kelley who has been offered employment as a highly desirable ladies maid for one of the richest families in America and Clara jumps in the carriage. Clara has only a second to choose her fate and decides to carve out a future for herself.

Clara is transported to Philadelphia where she meets the wealthy and innovative Carnegie family. She learns how to pretend to be something she is not and eventually finds a friend in the eldest son of the Carnegie family, Andrew Carnegie.

<b>Carnegie's Maid </b> is a historical fiction about class differentiation, industrialization and the many forms that love can take. This story reveals how not just the drive for success, but also love for ones family can at times cloud our judgement and affect our morality. Clara and her master Andrew Carnegie share a special understanding of ideals and both want to provide financially for their families. In a way they both help each other succeed.

I really enjoyed <b>Carnegie's Maid </b> and would definitely recommend it. I appreciated the author's writing style and felt like it was a well written, captivating story. However, the ending of the novel fell short for me. I really wished that Carnegie and Clara's relationship did not end so abruptly and never reconnect. Furthermore, I could have also used more of Andrew's point of view; his characterization wasn't developed enough for me. The beginning of the story gives the reader a little taste of who Andrew is but otherwise the story is entirely from Clara's point of view. I feel as though more insight into the thoughts of Andrew Carnegie would have helped the overall success of the story.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review <b> Carnegie's Maid</b>.

A quick, entertaining read that historical fiction fans will enjoy.

This novel is a wonderfully imagined historical fiction! I loved everything about it--the historical details (both the upperclass, the immigrants, AND their interactions), the possibility of romance, the hesitation, plights, and determination of Clara, the lady's maid. Clara's narrative is plausible and would explain so much if the coreof it was true. I think I will choose to believe this version of Andrew Carnegie's life, because it has a most realistic portrayal of him behaving like every other human being--capable of love.

Usually, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres so I approached Carnegie's Maid with great anticipation. I was somewhat disappointed in this book.

The name Andrew Carnegie is certainly well-known for his many philanthropic actions during his lifetime and beyond. But in this novel, readers really don't get a clear picture of the man. His very humble beginnings as in immigrant are swiftly covered and his business acumen is revealed too quickly. I found it difficult to believe the premise that the business magnate was so taken with a lady's maid that he would discuss business ideas with her.

His interactions with Clara Kelley, his mother's maid who has secrets of her own, are rather implausible. Clara, herself a poor Irish immigrant desperate to save money for her family in Ireland, is a maid in the household because of a rather simple mistake. The expected maid for Mrs. Carnegie, also named Clara Kelley, was travelling on the same ship with the protagonist Clara Kelley, and expected maid dies mid-voyage. Consequently, poor Irish Clara Kelley takes her place in the Carnegie household. Thankfully, this Clara is a fast learner so she quickly learns her duties. Her intellect is hardly challenged by her duties and she begins to learn much about the Carnegie business holdings. Tutored by Andrew Carnegie, she quickly proffers significant and valuable suggestions that are very successful and that serve as a basis for a more personal relationship between Clara and Andrew.

Carnegie's Maid has a few too many improbable coincidences to make it a great read. Benedict's writing is fine but does not truly immerse the reader in the world of the wealthy.

Great book. Brilliant plot and main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Very enjoyable.

Started to read this and just couldn't get interested in it. would not recommend.

Another fascinating book by author Marie Benedict! I love this author and hope she continues to write for a long time. She has the ability to write about historical figures and then ask "What if?" This is the story of Andrew Carnegie and a maid named Clara Kelly. Ms. Kelly is a fictional character, but Marie Benedict asks what if Clara had existed and had a profound and lasting influence on Andrew Carnegie. Loved it!

Marie Benedict really evokes the period and class differences. A joy to read.

I liked this story. Characters are well developed. Story is well researched.

I'm a fan of historical fiction, and I really enjoyed this book. This is a fascinating peek at one of America's most wealthy families, and of the Irish immigrant experience in the late 1800s. It's told from Clara's point of view, and to experience her inner dialogue as she lives among the wealthy Carnegies and their friends is fascinating.

Clara Kelly is sent by her family in Ireland to the United States to get a job so she can get away from the poverty that afflicts them and hopefully send money back home. Her family are tenant farmers who are slowly losing their land, and her father is involved in the Irish independence movement against the English.

When Clara gets off the boat in Philadelphia, she is mistaken for another Clara Kelly, who died at sea and who was intended to be a lady's maid. She decides to take the job, and she relies on her father's education and her knowledge of the manners of the Irish landowners back home.

Clara becomes the lady's maid to Mrs. Carnegie, who immigrated from Scotland with her family. Her eldest son Andrew worked hard and studied the ways of his employers and founded the family fortune. Clara and Andrew meet and find kindred souls in one another. They are both intelligent hard workers who want to get ahead, and Clara influences Andrew's thinking and his actions.

The character development is very good, and the budding romance between Clara and Andrew isn't the focus of the book. The writing is solid and the book moves along quickly and held my interest.

I definitely recommend this book, especially for lovers of historical fiction.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who was Andrew Carnegie? He came from humble beginnings in Scotland. In America, he became an iron magnate and the richest man in the world. He used his wealth to improve society, creating free libraries. He sparked philanthropy with pouring money into education and scientific research.

Nevertheless, some accused him of being ruthless. And that’s what this story explores, his character.

Usually, I’m not a fan of a fictional character taking center stage in historical fiction, but Clara Kelley is a very moral, likeable and interesting character. She comes from humble beginnings like Carnegies, but from Ireland. Her father encouraged women education when it was unseen for family of her status to do so. She is observant of Andrew’s character. She likes his equal treatment of all men, but she is bothered by his determination of success. She questions, does the end justify the means? She witnesses family conversations and is allowed access to their library, where she puts pieces together of a 28 year old ambitious Andrew Carnegie.

The story is set between 1863-1867, during a time when opportunities for women were very limited; either in household or marriage. Serving as a nurse (which was limited to religious women) or working as telegraph operator was something new and rare.

It is set mostly in industrial Pittsburgh of Pennsylvania, but it also touches upon the Knickerbockers of NYC – a very tight society of Dutch settlers, who amassed fortunes in trade, railroad and stocks. They had no status in Europe, so to make themselves very important; they invented rules of society and didn’t want to let any outsider in, especially immigrant, no matter how rich.

The story is very grasping, progressing in action (not words), which makes it a page-turner.

Did not fully work for me. The dialogue felt too modern - especially how Clara and her sister communicated through letter - but the thought experiment was delightful. Why Carnegie changed himself so radically is a mystery worth exploring and I adore the idea it was an Irish immigrant who did it.

A grand idea, executed not nearly as grandly.

I must have requested this in error. I don't think I would enjoy it and therefore wouldn't want to give it a low rating. Thanks for the opportunity.