I loved this book! It was an engaging, fascinating and emotional read!
The book follows Miss Clara Kelley from the moment she crosses the Atlantic. She is a poor passenger travelling in the third class. Her Irish family spent all their funds for her passage in hope that she will secure a good position for herself in America and will help support them. They face difficult times because Clara’s father’s past involvement in the Fenian movement led to his persecution and lose of property. Upon her arrival to America Clara has to make a hard choice when unexpected opportunity arises. She can pretend to be somebody else and land a better position than she ever dreamed of – a position of Mrs. Carnegie’s lady’s maid. Could she do it? And for how long could she keep the pretences of being someone she is not? That’s a hard decision to make for an honest Catholic girl, but her family’s well-being is at stake. Her life becomes even more complicated when she develops unexpected feelings towards Mr. Andrew Carnegie - the elder son of Mrs. Carnegie, feelings that he seems to reciprocate. Then her family’s situation back in Ireland becomes dire and she has to choose again between what her heart wants and what the duty to her family dictates. How can she make the right choice?
At the beginning of the book I was worried that it would be a simple Cinderella kind of story, but it proved to be much more than that. I thought that the first part of the book showed Mr. Carnegie in too much favourable light. But later Clara sees more of him, understands his character better and stops being naïve. She had her Cinderella moment, but it was well thought and I enjoyed how it was written. Clara transforms through the book. She learns a lot about herself and becomes her own person.
Without doubt Mr. Carnegie should be admired for his philanthropic activity, for which he is remembered. But at the same time it should be borne in mind that many of his actions were fuelled by greed. The novel shows clearly his ruthless business machinations, that caused unemployment and grief for many people. It also reveals amoral means he used to earn a fortune. Above all he was a man ruled by ambition and greed, so it is even more admirable how he managed to better himself and at the end how his philanthropic actions helped so many people.
I especially loved how perils of the immigrants’ lives were described. When they arrived to America they faced deceit, starvation, homelessness, unemployment and unfair working conditions. This novel was a fascinating account of the possible immigrants’ fates.
I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read "Carnegie's Maid" by Marie Benedict. What a beautiful piece of historical fiction! I was completely memorized by the attention to detail and the character development. Clara is a young Irish girl who goes to America in search of work to help out her family back in Ireland. Clara ends up getting a position as a lady's maid for Mrs. Carnegie whose son, Andrew had started to build an empire out of iron and other ventures. Clara learns the ways of being a ladies maid while dealing with the hardship upon her family overseas. I liked how romance was not overdone. It was easy to picture all of the beautiful and not so beautiful places that Clara went on her journey. I would highly recommend this incredible work of historical fiction to anyone. This is a new favorite for me. I can't wait to see what else Marie Benedict publishes in the future.

Being from western Pennsylvania, though more to the north than Andrew Carnegie was, I requested an ARC of Marie Benedict’s Carnegie’s Maid because historical fiction is my genre of choice and because you can’t live in western Pennsylvania without having some idea of who Andrew Carnegie was and what he did. I’ve seen him covered a hundred times on History Channel documentaries about the ‘men who built America’ but I’ve never read a biography or a history. And I wouldn’t know where to start, so I started with this book, involving a real man’s interactions with a fictional maid in his household.

Fictional biographies of real people can be hit or miss but maybe this book doesn’t count as that because Clara Kelley is entirely fictional. There’s an argument to be made that Clara, an Irish immigrant from a tenant farm in the 1860s, is too… perfect but it’s also easy to take her as a summary of those that were good, and even a allegory to Carnegie, an immigrant himself. Almost like telling Carnegie’s story in a different way.

That Clara takes on an entirely new identity in order to send money back to her family in Ireland, pretending that she is knowledgeable about the things the ‘new money’ Carnegies are not is an interesting twist I haven’t seen in other novels. It wouldn’t work in all of them, and it’s the real-ness of the Carnegies that makes it work here. Once again, it is almost a story of America that an immigrant was able to come and be something newly created, whether it’s Andrew Carnegie going from factory boy to steel baron or Clara becoming a ladies’ maid instead of a seamstress or washerwoman.

Having not read much about Irish immigrants to America at the time of the Civil War, I can’t say if the backstory Benedict gives Clara is realistic, but it is something I’m going to research more.

The key plot to Carnegie’s Maid is the friendship between Clara, who serves as a maid to Carnegie’s mother, and Andrew. There are hints of a, forbidden, romance but Clara is, after all, fictional. So it’s never more than would-be, could-be romance and an incredibly strong friendship that I’d like to hope Andrew Carnegie might have had with someone. The idea that someone like fictional Clara influence Carnegie’s philanthropy is a nice one to have.

Their relationship ends badly, with secrets spilled and secrets kept, but how could it not end badly when Clara never existed? That doesn’t mean it’s not a good story. It is. It is so good that I sometimes forgot that Andrew Carnegie was real. I found myself incredibly invested in the personal life that Benedict created for him. But, in an epilogue of sorts, Benedict ties some of Carnegie’s philanthropic ideas to Clara’s influence and that is a nice way to end the novel.

Andrew Carnegie is an incredibly important figure in American history and, from my novice perspective, he is done justice here.

This novel has passed the ultimate test I give to historical fiction novels… it has made me research something real, made me learn more about something I don’t know a lot about, and made me reach for more books!

(I received a copy of CARNEGIE’S MAID through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. This review is posted on Goodreads, NetGalley, and my blog.)

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Marie Benedict delivers another winner! I requested this book because I really enjoyed The Other Einstein. This book was just as interesting and satisfying. It follows Clara Kelley as she immigrates from Ireland and secures a position as a lady's maid to Andrew Carnegie's mother. As Clara adjustes to her huge change in circumstances, she has a profound impact on the household too.

Who knows what really drove Andrew Carnegie’s to become a philanthropist building many libraries and endowing several trusts and charitable foundations. Author Marie Benedict breathes new life into an America of a bygone era, so much so that even history buffs may find themselves questioning how much of the story of Clara Kelley, the ladies maid who works for the Carnegies, Benedict is pulling from fact and how much from her own imagination. This is a tale of immigration, American dreams and the power of a heroine whose intellect and fierce independence and indomitable will makes her the driving force in the steel magnate’s metamorphosis.

While the circumstances surrounding Clara’s fortuitous employment in the Carnegie household might appear to be just a little to convenient, Carnegie’s Maid is a literary pilgrimage that charms as it poses questions about the nature of the relationship and motivation of these kindred spirits.

Having previously read THE OTHER EINSTEIN it is obvious to this reader that Benedict is no stranger to exploring both fact and fiction and CARNEGIE’S MAID makes it clear that it’s not just beauty the lies in the eye of the beholder but often truth itself.

This is the story of Clara Kelley, she immigrates to America from Ireland during the industrial revolution in order to send money back to her struggling Irish family. She lies to get a job as Andrew Carnegie's mother's ladies maid. Over the years of working for the Carnegie's, Clara and Andrew fall in love and Clara helps Andrew become the philanthropist that history remembers him as.

What I enjoyed about this story was the history. It is obvious that a lot of research was put into this book. I also found the characters of Andrew and his Mother, as well as Mr. Ford the cook really interesting. Unfortunately, I just never really connected with Clara. I also found a lot of the dialogue very unnatural. I understand that people spoke differently back then, this was more like she had characters say things so that the reader would get certain details, but reading it all I could think was that no one would ever say that to a person they know, because they would already know that. Like the maids saying "my mistress, Mrs.---". just sounds so awkward. If these girls are friends, they know who they work for already. Or Clara sending letters to her family detailing their difficulties. Her family already knows their problems, and the reader already knows too. So it just seemed redundant.

A lot of the book of the rest of the book just read like a history book too. Like the author just wanted to put in as many little historical details as possible. I found these tidbits interesting, but often the way they were put in just came across as really awkward and unnatural.

Despite these things, I did find the book entertaining and interesting.

The first time I started this book, it did not hook me and I abandoned it. However, I gave it a second chance and really enjoyed it. This is a fictional story of a house maid in the Carnegie household in Pittsburgh in the years of the end of the Civil War. Clara finds herself in the position of lady's maid to Mrs. Carnegie. A friendship forms between Clara and the oldest son Andrew. Clara learns the world of business from Andrew and the two become friends. While fiction, the story is a realistic hypothesis as to the origins of the philanthropy Andrew Carnegie later exhibited.
I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

Carnigie's Maid is yet another book by author Marie Benedict, who penned The Other Einstein, who leaves a smile on my face and a feeling of delight and I read the last sentence. This wonderful story of Clara Kelley who finds, through no fault of her own, herself homeless and penniless after a long journey by ship from Ireland to New York City. Young Clara finds herself as a lady's maid, an occupation she has no reference to nor what to do, for Mrs. Carniege.. After giving it a go she excells as she is smart, intuitive and principled; the story flows smoothly and is enticing. And, she finds she is quite smitten by Mrs. Carniege's son, Andrew Carniege. There is a line "Colonel Anderson's library opend to other employed young men, giving them - me - the ability to check out a book a week" If you've heard of or had the joyous experience of purusing a A Carniege Library, think of Miss Clara Kelley who may have put the idea into Mr. Carniegie's head. This is beautiful story of a young woman's growth, fortitude and her commitment to her knowledge of what is right and kind. I have to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy!

I grew up in a small midwestern town and every week I got to go to our beautiful Carnegie library. So I was so excited to read this book and find out more about Andrew Carnegie and his family. And it did not disappoint - I think this could be a great pick for a book club and will definitely recommend it to other bookish friends.

“Carnegie’s Maid” by Marie Benedict 🌟🌟🌟🌟(4/5 stars) Poignant piece of historical fiction! This novel follows Clara, an immigrant from Ireland, as she gains employment in the Carnegie household during the mid 1860’s. Clara brings awareness of the plights of immigrants and the marginalized. This piece of fiction is wonderfully written and developed. I found it timely and insightful as well as entertaining.

Irish immigrant and daughter of a poor family, Clara Kelley leaves her family to travel to America where she finds herself in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In order to send money back to her family in Ireland, she starts work as as a lady’s maid in Andrew Carnegie's house. The book resonated with me as I myself have Irish family and nationality.

Andrew is one of the country’s richest, most ruthless industrialists. One person's tragedy becomes another's gain, as Clara learns that the lady who was to be the original maid to the Carnegie family passed away during the journey on the boat. It's this event as well as her need to find a way of providing for her family that makes her take the decision to go to the Carnegie's home.

However, as the story evolves, we realise she is not who they think she is. Clara is strong and has a very deep understanding of business. When she gets on better and better with Andrew, her future is at stake......

The book is a very detailed account of life in the USA in the 1890s. From the first page to the last, we are transported back in time to first accompany Clara on her journey across the Atlantic and then through her days in the opulent Carnegie house. Through the author's writing, Clara comes to life, as do Mr and Mrs Carnegie and their son Andrew.

Clara has family in the USA, and we see her cousin's house which is a much poorer house than the Carnegie's house. Nonetheless, their life is better in the USA than back in Ireland. The book is about family relationships, fighting for a better life and finding unexpected friendship.

Clara feels very comfortable in Andrew's company and he admires her. We see how she relates to the family and takes part in discussions as well as is the witness to some fights between them.

The way the story is told is very open and descriptive and the emotions running through the story can get quite raw at times. I really got the feeling that Clara missed her sister Eliza and her family judging from the letters between the two sisters. I found the way that many people spoke to be quite formal, but I suppose that was just how they spoke at that time.

Clara experiences upper class life and in the palatial setting of the Carnegie house and estate. I imagined a Downton Abbey style house and it's interesting to see how different classes lived (the Carnegie family's priveledged life compared to all the difficulties Clara's family face).

Thanks to Marie Benedict and Sourcebooks Landmark for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. Carnegie's Maid is a very well written historical fiction novel that had me absorbed in the writing from start to end.
4 out of 5 stars. I also participated in the blog tour for this title.

Clara Kelley leaves for America seeking employment to help her family in Ireland. She hopes that she will earn enough to keep her family from losing their farm. Her journey by ship was tough and many fell ill and died on the voyage. When she arrives at the dock she hears her name being called by a gentleman seeking a different Clara Kelley. Deciding to take a risk, she follows him to Pittsburgh to take a job as a lady’s maid.

Clara finds herself working in the home of the Carnegie family. She has no training or experience about the responsibilities of a lady’s maid. She learns her role quickly and becomes indispensable to Mrs. Carnegie. She keeps her true identity a secret and one day catches the eye of her employer’s son. He becomes interested in her advice and eventually, a romance starts to form.

I enjoyed Marie Benedict’s first novel, The Other Einstein, so I could not wait to read this book. This was an engaging historical fiction novel about individuals whose lives are dictated by social classes.

I enjoyed this much more than Marie Carnegie's fictional novel on Einstein's first wife, but perhaps because I knew little about Andrew Carnegie, the real character this new story is written around. My issue with the Einstein novel was the way Einstein was portrayed, making him out to be a rather unpleasant character to say the least, and his wife to be the brains behind aspects of some of his theories! Whether 'Carnegie's Maid' takes unfair liberties with Andrew Carnegie I don't know, but in any case Carnegie in the novel is a reasonable fellow... The story is very unlikely—a poor immigrant from Ireland fooling the Carnegie family that she is someone else by the same name, and her romance with Andre Carnegie, but never mind, it is an interesting read and gives insight into the times and the plight of the poor Irish immigrants, especially the women. And I, along with millions of others are grateful for Carnegie's gift of libraries to the US nation (including visitors to the US) and why not enjoy a good fictional story about his life! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

Before I started this novel, I didn't know much about Andrew Carnegie besides the knowledge that he helped start the library system. This book was an intriguing premise, explaining why he went from immigrant to wealthy businessman to philanthropist. While the book is fiction, and is just a premise, it is very well written and intriguing. The story and plight of Clara and other immigrants rings true and stays with you long after the book is finished.
A story of immigration, social injustice, and social justice, and the start of the Carnegie's philanthropy, <I> Carnegie's Maid </I> is an interesting look at the "what if" premise behind Andrew Carnegie and his philanthropy.

Before reading this book, I hardly knew anything about Andrew Carnegie. He was one of the most influential and richest man in American history. This book is about the relationship between him, and his mother’s maid. Clara, an immigrant from Ireland, is much more than she seems. As their relationship develops, we also get a glimpse of the relationship of the family and their servants.

The story is told from Clara’s perspective. It was intriguing at first, but I had a hard time finishing this book. It story was unrealistic, her thoughts repeated themselves, and also, I didn’t like the conclusion. I would have liked to see some character development, but there wasn’t much.

However, I liked the description of social injustices of the time, the difference between rich and poor, and the struggle that the not wealthy had to endure.

Andrew Carnegie is known for building libraries across the world. This is important because even though there were libraries, they could only be used by the rich. The libraries he built were free and anyone could use them.
He is also known for his philanthropy and his desire for every to gain an education. Andrew was also known as the riches man in the world. Who would know that his inspiration was given to him by a ladies maid ,Clara who had made a sea voyage from Ireland. Her father had understand the importance of an education. His daughters had been educated, even when most women didn't get that privledge.
A well written account. Keeps your interest.
5 Stard

<b>4 Steelers’ Stars to Carnegie’s Maid</b> ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Author’s Note at the beginning by Marie Benedict sets the stage. In a letter, supposedly steel-hearted Andrew Carnegie professed that he would do more for the immigrants and working class in America. After that time, he founded his famous library, which later led to him being a full-fledged philanthropist. Why was he inspired to change his ways? Marie Benedict has some ideas based on her own family’s experience.

The writing was smooth, and the picture painted had me firmly in Pittsburgh during the time period. It reminded me a bit of Downton Abbey with an upstairs/downstairs feel due to the live-in help and the gossip that ensued. The only drawback I found with the book is that I wasn’t sure if I bought into the theory completely (which I don’t want to give away).

Overall, I found the story to be vivid and detailed. I loved what I learned about Carnegie’s life and time.

Thank you to Marie Benedict, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

<b>Carnegie’s Maid was released on January 16, 2018.</b>

*Why Steelers’ Stars? Because I married a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and anything Pittsburgh related makes me think of the Steelers, and also because of Carnegie’s relationship to the steel mills and the Steel City.

A charming story about the evolution of Andrew Carnegie's philanthropy, and the influence of one young Irish immigrant on his family. Part romance, part feminist tale of struggle, part coming-of-age.

CARNEGIE'S MAID by Marie Benedict is a powerful and heartbreaking tale of love and sacrifice at a time when class, power, and social divisions were the most important thing to uphold.

With times very tough in Ireland and her family being persecuted by a landlord with his own agenda, Clara Kelly finds herself on the boat to America in the hopes of a better life and future for herself and her family back home. And when she inadvertently ends up as a lady's maid for the wealthy Mrs. Carnegie, Clara knows that she must do whatever it takes to make herself indispensable to her ladyship. But Clara did not expect to find a true friend and fellow intellect in the form of Andrew Carnegie, the eldest son of the family. As they discuss politics, business, and life, Clara and Andrew connect on a deep level and their feelings steadily grow for each other. But life is harsh and for Clara to secure a safe and happy future for her family, she may just have to sacrifice her heart ...

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical story even though it broke my heart at times. The poverty in Ireland and America is expertly detailed and adds an important level of depth to the plot. Clara is a wonderful character as she is strong, determined, loyal, and fiercely intelligent in a world which expected women to fade into the background and look pretty. Andrew while not always likeable, is a noble character who saw beyond status to see the real person in Clara, and allowed her to shape him into a more considerate man. I don't know that much about the actual Andrew Carnegie other than that he was a dedicated philanthropist but after reading this fictionalised story I am intrigued to know more about the real man. My only issue with this story is that I would have loved to know more about how Clara's family in Ireland fared but it is only a small gripe.

CARNEGIE'S MAID by Marie Benedict is a compelling historical story that will burrow under your skin and ensnare your heart and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Fast moving and informative historical fiction with a likable heroine. I really enjoyed this! Carnegie’s Maid takes us back in time to 1860s Pittsburgh, and is told from the point of view of Clara, a lady’s maid who works for Mrs Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie’s mother.
Clara was a compelling main character. She’s an Irish immigrant, and the story of immigrants settling in Pittsburgh was not one that I had read before, so I found her story fascinating. Clara is a fictional character, but the way the author, Marie Benedict, has integrated her into the Carnegie’s story was well done.
I found the character of Mrs. Carnegie fascinating, with her tough determination, and wished that we had a bit more of her story. I would’ve loved to have more insight into her thoughts.
One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the setting of 1860s Pittsburgh. Since much takes place during the Civil War, I found the Pittsburgh setting a bit of a different story in regards to the Civil War. The majority of books I’ve read that take place during the Civil War have been set in the south, so this read brought a different take to what was going on in other parts of the country during that time period.
What I also found fascinating was the Carnegie’s story. How Mrs. Carnegie brought her family over from Scotland, and how she was so determined to be successful in America, and instilled that determination in her son, Andrew. Their story is truly remarkable and fascinating.
Carnegie’s Maid would make an excellent book club read, as it brings a slightly different take on the immigrant story, and also brings into the picture the Carnegie’s story, and the rise of business in America. Discussion points could be the different business practices that the Carnegie’s were involved in, and whether certain business decisions were right or wrong.
I definitely recommend Carnegie’s Maid to those who enjoy historical fiction and those who would like to read about Andrew Carnegie and his rise to success. I wished for a tad more closure at the end of the novel, but that is just a minor quibble I have.
Bottom Line: Fast paced and fascinating historical fiction.