The Harvey Girls
Published on 12. August 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-6680-9506-5 (ISBN)
Description
Juliette Fay-known for her "well-drawn characters and vibrant historical backdrops" (Library Journal)-transports us to 1920s America with this big-hearted tale of two very different women who must learn to trust each other as one tries save her family and the other to save herself. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kristina McMorris.
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 with 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 hide her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park's history.
"Juliette Fay's gift for creating complex, exquisitely human characters" (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author) is on full display in this deeply moving and joyous celebration of female empowerment, loyalty, and friendship.
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 with 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 hide her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park's history.
"Juliette Fay's gift for creating complex, exquisitely human characters" (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author) is on full display in this deeply moving and joyous celebration of female empowerment, loyalty, and friendship.
Reviews / Votes
"Fay's enjoyable tale of friendship, love, and tribulations, set mostly in the breathtaking Grand Canyon area, is an intriguing look into the world of the Harvey Girls, with a well-developed plot and characters that bring the era to life." * <B><i>Library Journal</i>, starred review</B> * "Set against the sweeping backdrop of 1920s America, The Harvey Girls shines a light on a little-known chapter of women's history with warmth and insight. Juliette Fay brings to life the world of railroad hospitality with rich period detail, illuminating how two women from vastly different backgrounds forge a path forward in a rapidly changing country. This is historical fiction at its most transportive-grounded, vivid, and unexpectedly moving." -- <B>Christina Baker Kline, <I>New York Times</I> bestselling author of <I>Orphan Train</I></B> "Fay brings to life a fascinating piece of jazz-age history through the lens of two women who, at first glance, appear to have nothing in common besides their jobs at a fast-paced restaurant chain that was once ubiquitous. The novel crackles with secrets while also highlighting the struggles of women trying to make their way in an unforgiving world." -- <B>Fiona Davis, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Stolen Queen</i></B> "The Harvey Girls is as satisfying as a slice of lemon meringue pie served in a Harvey House dining room." * <B><I>Shelf Awareness</I></B> * "The Harvey Girls is a heartwarming, satisfying read centering on two well-drawn characters from opposite sides of the track. As Billie and Charlotte seek one of the few opportunities for security and independence for women in the 1920s at the Harvey Hotels and railway service, their eyes are opened to a side of America they've never experienced. As an unlikely friendship forms, their loyalty--and their views of who they are as people--is tested. Compulsively readable and immersive, Fay writes another winner!" -- <B>Heather Webb, <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of <i>Queens of London</i></B> "The Harvey Girls may be Juliette Fay's best historical novel to date, full of unforgettable women, juicy conflict, and fascinating facts about an underexplored chapter in the history of the American West. A must-read." -- <B>Greer Macallister, bestselling author of <i>The Thirteenth Husband</i> and <i>The Arctic Fury</i></B> "The Harvey Girls is Juliette Fay at her very best: a gorgeously written, impeccably-researched novel filled with resilient and beautifully drawn female characters. Billie and Charlotte will capture readers' hearts and bring them back in time to a true and fascinating historical piece of the west in this powerful story of female friendship, strength, and ultimately love." -- <B>Jillian Cantor, <I>USA Today</I> bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools</B> "I spent two summers working for 'Fred Harvey' at the Grand Canyon; I absolutely loved this book." * <B><I>The Colorado Sun</I></B> *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York, NY
United States
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 136 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
296 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6680-9506-5 (9781668095065)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. A graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, she lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at JulietteFay.com.