A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay is an intriguing story about family, love, friendship, loyalty and survival. Set in the 1920's it takes you through a friendship that develops over time.

Charlotte is well born. Living in Boston, she makes some pretty grave mistakes. She takes a job as a Harvey Girl. a safe place to hide from the violence that has kept her a prisoner for the last two years. Billie is the oldest of nine to a poor working class family. She lies about her age so she can earn money to send home. The friendship they develop is sweet and heartwarming. The strength and weaknesses of the characters allowed me to glimpse into their hearts and lives. An excellent summer read.

Thank you Net Galley for providing a ecopy. All opinions are my own.

THE HARVEY GIRLS by Juliette Fay is a fascinating and fun tale. I had been aware of the benefits of the Harvey House restaurants for train travelers, but I hadn’t thought of the rare and precious opportunity they presented for employees with decent pay, security, and independence. Hard work, but well compensated, a rarity, and for many an escape and/or a way to help families back home. A business model built on treating workers well — commendable and worth emulating.
I loved the building of friendships and loyalties, facing troubles and danger together, and learning of others’ ways, including often overlooked cultures. The final chapter was a lovely summing up of later years, the “wonder what happened” that a reader desires when the connection to characters is strong.
There was a special treat in the reappearance of beloved friends from previous books. It’s not necessary to have read them first, but there is time to do so before August should you wish. ;-)

Traveling through the Southwest, and stopping in Winslow, AZ, I was introduced to a “Harvey Girls” restaurant.
With that experience, I was excited to read this new historical novel about The Harvey Girls.

I loved the book. Yes, it is a little “sweet,” and a little “ sappy,” but it is a wonderful reminder of the limited opportunities for women in the early 20th century. The book introduces characters from vastly different social circumstances, seeking employment….. or, a change of locations…for varying reasons.

The character development was well executed, and the relationships satisfying. . The only thing missing for me was I wanted meow about The Harvey Hotel’s….their history, their decline. But, I fully understand this was a people-centric story, not a hotel-centric one.

Highly recommended as a great summer read….or, a nice introduction to historical novels for young women who might enjoy the adventurous spirit of the Harvey Girls.

A warm story of duty, love, friendship, family, and survival set in the 1920s along the Santa Fe Railway lines in the chain of Fred Harvey restaurants. You may have seen the Judy Garland movie by the same name, but if you haven’t, the Harvey restaurants employed young, single, women — paid them good wages (especially for women at that time), held them to high standards of conduct, and offered passengers on the railway a clean, efficient, high quality and safe place to stop for refreshments on what were often very long train journeys.

Charlotte grew up in Boston with wealth and opportunity, but for her the job at Harvey house offered a place of safety where she could hide from a very big mistake; Billie is the eldest of nine, who sets off for the Harvey house at 15 — her six foot tall frame lending credibility to the fiction that she meets the minimum age requirement — to help earn desperately needed money for the family during the slightly less “Great” depression of 1926. With straightforward prose we follow these two dissimilar but each fiercely loyal and tough women, as they interact with an array of engaging, intelligent, and highly ethical characters — taking care of each other in what can only be described as tough times. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what the world was like before social safety nets, penicillin, and women’s rights. There are plenty of historical references that bring the story to life, and quite a bit about how the Harvey houses were run (which I found fascinating). Also, many beautiful descriptions of scenery and quite a bit about Native Americans, with individual characters depicting their status in the area, their way of supporting themselves, and their (quite understandable) attitudes towards tourists.

FYI — the El Tovar Hotel featured in this story (the Harvey house near the Grand Canyon) is one of only two of the original 84 Harvey houses still in operation today. An easy and compelling read.

This was a cute timepiece. I enjoyed it although at times I thought it could have used a little more of something to hold my interest. I definitely enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. I fluctuated between 3.5 and 4.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was so interested in this novel. I knew about the Harvey Girls, but never realized it was an such a good opportunity for women in the 1920s. The deepening friendship and set in the historical context made this informative too. Absolutely will recommend

Such an informative, interesting, and intriguing story! I was transported to the times of the Harvey Girls and so enjoyed the characters, esp Billie and Charlotte. Their deepening friendship is a lesson to all - understanding our differences and accepting them makes our world a much better place. Learning more about the Native Americans and their treatment is an important addition to the novel. The author combined mystery, friendship, and real life scenarios to deliver this excellent book.

I really enjoyed The Harvey Girls.
I liked reading about the history of this group of ladies. Other books that I have read did not
go into quite as much historical detail. Thank you for doing that.
The characters were likable and I cared what happened to them.
And yes, I did cry at the end.
I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Story about two young women in the 1920s who become unlikely friends. Charlotte is running from her abusive husband, while Billie lies about her age in order to get a job to support her family. I had heard of the Harvey Girls before, but this was an interesting look at both the constrains and opportunities the job offered for women at the time.