When my sister chose Nita Prose's The Maid to read for our book club, I thought it was Maid, the novel that became a gritty Netflix series. Naturally, I was relieved to find out that it wasn't that book. But once I started turning the pages of Prose's debut not-quite-whodunit, my concern returned.
Twenty-five-year-old Molly Gray is a maid at a fancy hotel. But she isn't a clock puncher eager to trade her Pledge for party clothes after her shift. Cleaning is Molly's life. She takes unparalleled joy in "returning rooms to a state of perfection" and maintains a rigorous home housework schedule in the tenement she shares with her grandmother. Molly and her grandmother are best friends. Actually, Gran is Molly's only friend. Her wisdom, often dispensed as aphorisms, helps Molly navigate the daily challenge of social situations as well as the sometimes not-so-nice (i.e. cruel) colleagues and guests she encounters.
So it isn't easy being Molly. And it gets more difficult when she finds a dead body while cleaning the penthouse. What happens next tests everything Molly knows -- and doesn't know -- about how people work. Their characters, their motivations, and their shockingly common tendency to bend the truth. Watching her forge through the forest that is this puzzle is painful, memories of her grandmother and other past moments mingling to reveal the extent of her struggles.
Prose's story isn't so much about solving a murder mystery, or even the mystery of Molly herself. It's about understanding -- and ultimately respecting -- people who are different. Because as Gran herself often says, "We're all the same in different ways." By placing Molly in a dangerous situation, Prose magnifies her otherness, rousing our sympathies. But she also shows us that Molly has the rare kind of courage that just might save the day.
Poignant and human and sometimes hard to read, The Maid is a metaphor for life's messes. In the end, I was glad we read it for book club.
If only as a little reminder that we're each equipped with our own kind of mop.
5 comments:
Oh, it has been on my list. So great to read your review. It looks like a nice one for book club. Hope January has been good to you. Lots of cold, snow and all that comes with it here.. we are warming up to 30, but we got a wintery mix again.. thanks for your comments. [I had wanted to do the Carmen story for awhile and then when I heard a similar story happen on the local news and of course, where some stories were going in my blog..I thought..I think it's time] Great to see what is one your reading list this year! Hopefully, February is going to be not such an artic blast.
This one looks like a great book club choice. Housekeeping is an art. I rarely dabble in it (✿◡‿◡) myself. I am sure this has such a rich history in the telling of this story. Thanks so much for the wonderful review. It is a book that is always checked out at our library.❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️I hope you are doing well. We still seem to have bad weather with the snow and such. The temps just can't warm up much. All the best to your creativity and more. Thanks for being here. And thanks so much for your comments. I had wanted to see Wonka. I hope it was good.
That is a very interesting last sentence! And so many choices of mops these days too. This has been on my list. So great to see your review! It does look like a great book to discuss. Thanks so much❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ We seem to be thawing some, but with it comes a little snow too or rain. Honestly, I think these days I might need more naps, but no, I am trying to get through these days ahead which can be challenging. But of course, I find more Barbie projects to think about too. Wishing you lots of good books and more on your reading list!
I read this book a couple of years ago when I was given an advanced copy. I had heard that there was supposed to be a movie with Florence Pugh in the lead role, but never heard any more about that. I’m not a big mainstream movie person, so perhaps I missed it. I found this book to be interesting, and look forward to the next one by this author.
This sounds like a really interesting read!!! How cool that it's a mix of mystery and lessons about life. "We're all the same in different ways." - That is so true! I like the book tie-in of life's messes and being a maid - also how you ended it with, "If only as a little reminder that we're each equipped with our own kind of mop." Brilliantly put! 💖
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