The Harvey Girls

Author: Juliette Fay
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 2025
Pages: 384
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: 1926: Charlotte Crowninshield was born into one of the finest Boston society families. Now she's on the run from a brutal husband, desperate to disappear into the wilds of the Southwest. Billie MacTavish is the oldest of nine children born to Scottish immigrants in Nebraska. She quit school in the sixth grade to help her mother's washing and mending business, but even that isn't enough to keep the family afloat.

Desperate, both women join the ranks of the Harvey Girls, waitresses who serve in America's first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. Hired on the same day, they share three things: a room, a heartfelt dislike of each other. . .and each has a secret that will certainly get them fired.

Through twelve-hour days of training in Topeka, Kansas, they learn the fine art of service, perfecting their skills despite bouts of homesickness, fear of being discovered, and a run-in with the KKK. When they're sent to work at the luxurious El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon, the challenges only grow, as Billie struggles to hid her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park's history.

Review: Unfortunately, I was born about 75 years too late to be a Harvey Girl, but my imagination was off and running. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love historical fiction and this novel had a satisfying ending. If anything, I wanted more.