The Hired Girl

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

It's 1911 and our protagonist is Joan Skraggs, a young farm girl who longs for more than what her current life can give her. Joan runs away and changes her name to Janet, a name that she imagines as a more romantic, less homely name than Joan. (Obviously, she's never seen Three's Company.)

She finds herself on the streets of Baltimore on her first day. She has no idea what she is doing, or what she should do, or where she is safe. Luckily, a young man named Mr. Solomon takes her back to his parents. Janet's one night of safe haven turns into a permanent job as a housekeeper. What makes this story interesting is that Janet's employers are a wealthy Jewish family, and Janet is clearly a Christian with a deep desire to become a full Catholic. While Janet works for this family, she gains a greater understanding of faith and family. In that vein, this book had some wonderful reflections on what it means to have faith and what it means to have respect for all faiths.

Below is my representation of the suspense and excitement I felt while reading this book. There wasn't much. This was like a Sunday car drive in the spring. Pleasant and roundabout, with a much anticipated ice cream trip at the end. 

That being said, I imagine this may be the book I feel the most satisfaction about reading this summer - including all the books I hope to read in the weeks to come. Like, I really felt good about myself for reading it AND I enjoyed it. I would give this book a solid A- and I would recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys female-focused historical fiction. This has the self-discovery and growth evident in Call the Midwife, but also brings in that interesting intersection of the privileged and their working class servants - like Downton Abbey.