Bookquote.net Bookquote.net – Books Review and Quote site
Related Articles
| Categories | Thrillers & Suspense |
| Author | Nita Prose |
| Publisher | Random House Large Print; Large type / Large print edition (February 1, 2022) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 416 pages |
| Item Weight | 13.6 ounces |
| Dimensions |
6.06 x 0.93 x 9.19 inches |
I. Book introduction
The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose, satisfies on every level — from place to plot to protagonist.
In a fancy urban hotel, a guest lies dead, and the main suspect is Molly Gray, a member of the cleaning staff whose devotion to her work is matched only by her love for her deceased grandmother.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.
“The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
“Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour
In development as a major motion picture produced by and starring Florence Pugh
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.
But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?
A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.
Editorial Reviews
“A cozy mystery to take along on vacation . . . a lighthearted mystery that shines as Molly evolves and learns to connect.”—The Washington Post
“Excellent and totally entertaining . . . The most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.”—Stephen King
“What begins as a sprightly murder mystery turns into a meaningful, and at times even delicate, portrait of growth.”—NPR
“Charming, eccentric.”—The New York Times
“Daring.”—W Magazine
“Entrancing . . . something of a modern-day Clue.”—PopSugar
“A murder mystery with tremendous heart.”—Lisa Jewell
“An eccentric and unforgettable sleuth who captivated me and kept me furiously turning the pages.”—Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
“The Maid is a masterful, charming mystery that will touch your heart in ways you could never expect. The endearing, unforgettable Molly reminds us to challenge our assumptions about one another, and shows us how meaningful it is to feel truly seen in the world.”—Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
“A charming, clever, and wholly original whodunit. I cheered and felt deeply for Molly the Maid—a complex and masterfully drawn protagonist I won’t soon forget.”—Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here
“A heroine as loveable and quirky as Eleanor Oliphant, caught up in a crime worthy of Agatha Christie. Loved it!”—Clare Pooley, New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project
“It’s impossible not to love Molly, an endearing, eccentric hotel maid. . . . As in any cozy whodunit, clean appearances may in fact hide a few smudges. The twists and surprises keep coming until the very last page of this delightfully fresh debut.”—Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary
“Fresh, fiendish, and darkly beguiling . . . The Maid is so thrillingly original, clever, and joyous. I just adored every page.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
“The Maid is sure to leave mystery lovers delighted, charmed, and eager for more of Prose’s work.”—Karma Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife
“It took only a few lines for me to fall hopelessly in love with hotel maid Molly Gray. Being in Molly’s mind is like eating ice cream on a hot summer day: delicious and refreshing.”—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today bestselling author of Woman on the Edge
“For anyone who has ever felt out of step with the world, no matter how hard they try to fit it, Nita Prose has blessed us with Molly Gray.”—Heather O’Neill, internationally bestselling author of The Lonely Hearts Hotel
“Molly is a likeable, neurodivergent narrator in this outstanding debut. The character-rich mystery ends with several twists that will appeal to fans of Eleanor Oliphant and other sympathetic heroines.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Captivating, charming, and heart-warming, with deft writing and a clever, original plot, this unusual crime novel will leave readers with a warm glow.”—Booklist (starred review)
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of January 2022: In The Maid, Molly, a twenty-something maid working in a New York hotel, discovers notorious—and very wealthy—guest Charles Black dead in his bed. This is a problem for any number of reasons, not least of which is that it offends Molly’s sense of order, which is what leads her to clean Black’s room immediately. At sea when it comes to social cues, lonely, and reliant on her late Gran’s codes of conduct to navigate the world, Molly’s actions and curious demeanor see her propelled to the top of the suspect list. Guileless, earnest, and determined, the bulk of the suspense in this novel is watching Molly—as vulnerable as a toddler on train tracks—hunt down the real killer. Luckily, this endearing odd duck has more friends than she realizes, and that makes this mystery as charming and amusing as it is propulsively readable. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor –This text refers to the hardcover edition.
About Nita Prose
Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.
Visit her at nitaprose.com or on Twitter: @NitaProse.
II. [Reviews] The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose
| Here is a summary of the book Review “The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose“. Helps you have the most overview of the book without searching through time. Please access “BookQuote.Net” regularly or save it to keep track and update the latest information. |
1. NILUFER OZMEKIK Review The Maid: a Novel
Don’t you dare to miss this book and celebrate its publishing day! This is FREAKING GOOD! 🥳🍾🎈
This is fabulous! Absolutely marvelous! Entertaining, smart, riveting combination of cozy mystery, dark comedy and thriller with intriguing whodunnit vibes!
And the most amazing news I got is this brilliant debut will be adapted into movies and one of my favorite actresses Florence Pugh will play Molly! Yesssssssss! They couldn’t make a better choice!
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you one of the most unique, original, quirky character you’ve ever met! Molly the Maid! She was one of a kind!
Molly, 25 years old, proud maid of 5 star boutique hotel Regency Boutique Hotel, having poor social skills, struggling to interpret the people’s intentions which puts her in awkward situations.
The people call her Molly The Mutant, Roomba the Robot, The Formality Freak behind her back.
But she keeps her head high as her lovely Gran- her only family who raised and took care of her- told and doing meticulous, impeccable job. Her fixation to clean things till they glow help her exceed the expectations of her employers!
Everyday of work is joy to her. She loves cleaning, she loves her maid’s trolley and she loves her uniform. She was born to do this job!
But now her gran passed away. And her Fabarge account was siphoned by a conman. And these are not the worst problems of hers.
She finds the wealthiest and highly important hotel customer Mr. Black lying dead on his bed and she becomes the prime suspect.
How and why? Social disconnected, lonely, good hearted Molly cannot hurt a fly! Yes, she trusted wrong people and believed in their lies. Yes, her peculiar perception misdirected her but she has to find a way to prove her innocence and she has to dig more to find what kind of dangerous operations have been conducting at her work place.
Luckily Columbo episodes she watched with her Gran can help her seeing things at different way to fix the puzzle. And thankfully she loves puzzles way too much!
This is absolute delight, incredible debut, remarkable characterization and well developed, unputdownable story! Molly Gray already became one of my all time favorite characters!
I laughed out loud so much! This is pure joy and great combination of dark comedy and smart mystery! I cannot wait to watch it on the big screen! And I cannot wait to read future works of Nina Prose! She has one of the brilliant minds with excellent story telling skills!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballentine for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
2. DORIE Review The Maid: a Novel
***A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK JUST OPTED FOR A FILM, LOVED IT***
I absolutely fell in love with Molly Gray! She is one of the most unique, delightful and charming characters I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in a novel! The entire novel is narrated by Molly and what a joy to get to know her. She reminded me of all of the “invisible” people who are often overlooked.
Molly is 25 years old and was raised by her dear Gran who passed away a few months ago. She is feeling somewhat adrift but she has her routines at home and a job that she loves to carry her through the days.
Being a maid is what Molly always wanted, she takes great pride in working at The Grand Regency Hotel. She enjoys coming into work and having her clean, crisp uniform hanging in her locker. She loves her trolley on which she always arranges the little soaps, shampoos and other items in meticulous fashion.
Molly is a bit different than others her age, she sometimes has a hard time interpreting things that people say, she takes everything literally. In turn she always speaks how she feels which can be off putting to some.
Molly has been befriended by Rodney, the bartender and she takes this friendship to mean something more than it is. When he asks her for a favor she is quick to respond. She doesn’t understand that everyone isn’t as honest and open as she is.
Molly’s world is turned upside down the day that she enters Mr. Black’s room and finds him dead. SHE IS SO SHOCKED THAT SHE FAINTS; when she comes to she calls for help, describing how she found Mr. Black.
As you can imagine what follows is very confusing and disorienting for Molly. She finds herself accused of the MURDER OF MR. BLACK and there is evidence that she may be guilty!! Lead detective Spark is quick to suspect Molly, she is young and HAS A LOT TO LEARN!!
Gran’s words come to Molly often and she is reassured by them. Gran had always told her “DEAR GIRL . . .DO NOT FRET YOURSELF INTO A TIZZY. LIFE HAS A WAY OF SORTING ITSELF OUT”.
This mystery is multi-layered, intricate and surprising. Just when you think you know all about Molly, there are some surprises in store!!!!!
There are many other characters in the novel, some incredibly kind and others nefarious. Mr. Preston, the doorman, is thoughtful and caring, and his daughter Charlotte, an attorney, comes to Molly’s aid when she needs it most.
It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel!! Nita Prose has been a long time editor and has learned the craft well. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!! I can highly recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!!!
3. MARILYNW Review The Maid: a Novel
The Maid by Nita Prose
“Molly, the Maid” is different. She’s always been the subject of taunts, jeers, stares, ridicule and cruelty. The ability to read social cues, intentions, expressions, or to even understand words in a non literal sense is foreign to her. But she’s always had her grandmother to explain those things to her and to interpret the events of her day, so that she could move forward, slowly learning to negotiate people and situations, gradually adding some clarity to the puzzles of interacting with people.
Molly loves her job as a maid for Regency Grand Hotel. She is able to put to use all the rules her Gran has taught her. And she excels at remembering every training mantra that Mr. Snow has uttered in his group training sessions for the hotel employees. Rules and mantras have served Molly well for the most part. She has been taken advantage of in a costly way, in the past, so life is harder now. First, with the loss of finances and then with the death of Gran. Now Molly is alone for the first time, barely getting any joy out of her job or home routines. Gran was her life, her mentor, protector, friend, and family.
But things have gotten interesting at work. She’s walked into the hotel suite of wealthy Mr. Black, to find him dead. As she tries to negotiate the police investigation, she finds herself the chief suspect in his murder. It is now that she will find out who has her best interests in mind and who has been taking advantage of her different way of seeing life. This is a sweet story that imparts many lessons, if we are willing to listen and learn. Molly is so much more than most people think, if they even see her in her “invisible” occupation as a hotel maid.
Pub: January 4th 2022
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.
4. MRSLEIF Review The Maid: a Novel
The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose – A wonderful character with a perfect plot!
I can’t believe that someone would read this book without enjoying it. I did the audio for some chapters and the narrator did an amazing job as Molly!
Molly Gray is a young woman working as a maid in a hotel. Molly is quite different from another 25 year old. She has a hard time understanding certain expressions, situations, sarcasm, and evil. When her grandmother was alive, she helped her navigate the world. Grandmother created a safe routine for Molly. She is the one who got her a job at The Grand Regency Hotel and the one who took care of her until she became ill.
After her passing, Molly felt lost but working is one of the things she loves the most. She is always on time, proud of her crisp clean uniform, and enjoys having her trolley full of supplies. Molly is OCD about her cleaning and she makes sure all the rooms she takes care of are left pristine, back to a state of perfection.
Molly starts becoming friendly with Mrs. Black. She and her husband stay in one of the suites regularly. Molly doesn’t like Mr. Black. She believes he is a bad egg but the last thing she was expecting was to find him dead on his bed. After passing out, she comes back to herself and calls her boss to let him know about Mr. Black’s death. The police are called in and soon they believe Molly is involved. Clue after clue is pointing to Molly but she knows she is not responsible for his death. Friends she thought she had begun turning on her and if she doesn’t get help soon, she will lose more than her job, she will lose her freedom.
I adore Molly. She was an amazing woman. She had respect for others. She was smart and resourceful in her own special way. She had pride in her work and she was ready to help her friends.
I can’t wait to see this book turned into a movie.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
5. D.KUKAL Review The Maid: a Novel
“The Maid by Nita Prose” I loved this book. Well, for the most part. The characters are interesting, the plot emotionally engaging and satisfying, and the story line excellent.
Until we discover that, although we’re hearing the story from the character’s point of view, we have been kept in the dark. How could that work? Even without the moral dilemma, from a stream of consciousness perspective I don’t think it does.
Poirot encountered a similar issue. He acknowledged the moral issues, and responded in a way that took them into account. Our character – our culture? – does not.
Nonetheless, I am glad I read the book. It was well-written, charming as a character study, fun as a mystery – and perhaps most interesting as a comment on our cultural perspective.
6. ROBINOHARA Review The Maid: a Novel
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of an apparently autistic woman who happens on a murder. Her struggle to function in an unforgiving world that doesn’t understand her odd processing of events and her gradual growth in learning to read the good and bad in people is interesting and remarkable. Ms. Prose gives you a glimpse into the psyche of Molly the humble maid, into a mind that is different than most. Getting to know her through the pages of the story encourages you to love her spirit, respect her perseverance through adversity and admire her quirky character.
7. MARY BETH Review The Maid: a Novel
Molly is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.
She feels that she is different. She has problems with social skills.
She can offend people when she means to compliment them. She says wrong things at the wrong time.
Its only because of her Gran that she knows a smile doesn’t necessarily mean that they are happy. She understands that sometimes people smile when they are laughing at you. Her Gran always gave her pointers to make her life more easier. She is always the last person invited to a party. She also feels that she makes awkward conversations. She feels that when she wears her uniform that she can be anyone.
Her Gran died a few months ago.
When Molly went into Mr. Black’s room to clean it. She thought he was napping. Then she notices that there is a medication bottle on the bedside table that had fallen and blue pills spilled onto the table and onto the floor and were crushed into the carpet.
She tries to wake up Mr. Black and notices that he is dead. She calls the front desk and introduces herself and lets the person know that she works housekeeping and to contact Mr. Snow to let him know that Mr. Black who is in the penthouse and is in Suite 401 is very dead. Dead in his bed. Have him call emergency services immediately. Molly is terrified and the police thinks she could be a suspect.
I just adored Molly! I loved how her Gran gave her pointers that helped her have a more simple life. There was just so much meaning behind this story. I felt that her job as a maid in the Regency Grand Hotel gave Molly a lot of confidence in herself. She loved to clean and she loved her job.
“The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different.
This is a cozy mystery and it is my favorite cozy mystery that I have ever read.
I highly recommend this book to those who loved Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely fine. Molly and Eleanor are both quirky characters that you will love. I loved Molly as much as I loved Eleanor.
I want to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Available Now
8. JAYME Review The Maid: a Novel
Good Golly, Miss Molly!
This was probably my favorite “COZY” ever!
Twenty-Five year old Molly Gray is not like everyone else-she struggles with social skills and misinterprets the intentions of others. Since her Gran died a few months ago, she no longer has anybody to help her navigate the challenges she faces, but she has learned her lessons well including those picked up while watching every episode of “Columbo” over and over again with Gran.🕵🏼♂️
Who knew THOSE would come in handy?
Molly is employed as a maid at the Regency Grand, a 5 Star boutique hotel that prides itself on “sophisticated elegance and proper decorum for the modern age.” and with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, she is just the person to return the guest rooms to a “state of perfection”.
She loves changing into her her crisp, clean uniform each morning, and stocking the maid’s trolley with the little soaps that smell of orange blossoms and the tiny Crabtree & Evelyn shampoos. It is pleasing to leave a room pristine and to slip out without a trace-she doesn’t mind being invisible.
Unfortunately, her orderly world is about to be “turned on its head” when she finds guest Mr. Black, “dead in his bed” and the Police make Molly their prime suspect!
She will need the help of her friends to clean up this mess, but who can she trust?
If you are looking for your next endearing character to root for-you have found her!
Molly is the definition of her favorite word-delightful-and I felt anxious for her as I was reading this and more and more people took advantage of her trusting heart!❤️
This charming COZY mystery by DEBUT author Nita Prose is NOW AVAILABLE!! Read it before watching the MOVIE version snapped up by Universal Studios, starring Florence Pugh.
Thank You to my friend Susan for buddy reading this with me so early!! Be sure to check out her wonderful review as well! 🥰
And a BIG Thank You to Ballantine Books for granting my wish to read a very early gifted copy, provided through NetGalley. it was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
9. LIZ Review The Maid: a Novel
Five big stars, one of my favorites of 2021
This debut novel brings a unique perspective to a murder mystery. Molly is the maid in a boutique luxury hotel. One afternoon, she stumbles across the corpse of one of their frequent guests. It would appear that Molly is somewhere on the autism spectrum. She definitely sees things in a black and white fashion and her sense of morality is based on her now deceased Gran’s common sense edicts. “She was clever. She believed in the three E’s – Etiquette, Elocution, and Erudition. She taught me a lot. Everything, in fact.” In fact, the world could use a lot more Grans in it.
The story is told completely from Molly’s POV. I got totally wrapped up in how Molly sees the world and her place in it. She’s proud to be a maid, to wear the uniform and create a pristine environment. The story is heartwarming (a word I typically don’t think of when describing a mystery), with a lovely sense of humor. It also touches on larger issues – personal worth and identity, invisibility and trust.
I just wanted to wrap my arms around Molly in a hug and wrap my hands around the necks of those that took advantage of her trust and desire for friendship. Thank heavens it turns out she does have a few real friends.
The ending was absolutely perfect.
Nita Prose is a long time book editor and it shows. There wasn’t a word out of place. The writing was enchanting (I adored Molly’s way of speaking) and the pace of the book struck just the right chord. I was thrilled to learn the story is being turned into a movie.
My thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.
10. HOLLY B Review The Maid: a Novel
A delightful, cozy crime mystery !
It is light and humorous with lovable characters (as well as a scoundrel)!
I simply adored Molly Gray (Molly Maid)! She felt “alive” every time she arrived at the Regency Grand Hotel (a five star boutique hotel) where every day of work was a joy to her!
Molly knows that others may see her as a lowly person, but she is ever so thankful for her job. She even pinches herself daily! She is alone now that her Gran has passed away and since she is socially challenged, she depends on the lessons her wise Gran taught her like, “Never mind what others think; it’s what you think that matters.”
One morning Molly is busy cleaning and following her motto of “Never leave a mess to be discovered by a guest.” when she finds a guest very dead in his bed.
The Maid was a perfect escape, part quirky rom-com, part classic who dunnit . Molly is naive and quirky, and may win your heart.
Thanks to the publisher and NG for granting my wish! OUT on Jan 4, 2022
III. [Quote] The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose
The best book quotes from The Maid: a Novel
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
“That’s the trouble with pain. It’s a contagious as a disease. It spreads from the person who first endured it to those who love them most. Truth isn’t always the highest ideal’ sometimes it must be sacrificed to stop the spread of pain to those you love.”
“I’ll never understand it—why people find the truth more shocking than lies.”
“My truth is not the same as yours because we don’t experience life in the same way.”
“It’s easier than you’d ever think—existing in plain sight while remaining largely invisible. That’s what I’ve learned from being a maid.”
“Vile and evil are composed of the same letters. One begets the other.”
“People are a mystery that can never be solved.”
“Laughs are just like smiles. People use them to express an array of confounding emotions.”
“We’re all entitled to a bad day now and again, I heard Gran say in my head. But when they are all bad days, with no pleasant ones, then it’s time to reconsider things.”
“Cheryl may be my boss, but she’s definitely not my superior. There is a difference, you know. You can’t judge a person by the job they do or by their station in life; you must judge a person by their actions.”
“I’ve been called many a thing in my quarter century, and what I’ve learned is that the common expression about sticks and stones often hurt far less than words.”
“No one is too high or too low for common courtesy.”
“I am your maid. I know so much about you. But when it comes down to it: what is that you know about me?”
“Gran used to say, Never mind what others think; it’s what you think that matters. And I agree. One must live by their own moral code, not follow like a sheep blindly.”
“The longer you live, the more you learn. People are a mystery that can never be solved. Life has a way of sorting itself out. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
“As for order, it is my express wish to live as ordered a life as possible. But the world is filled with random chaos that often devils my attempts at arrangement.”
“We’re all entitled to a bad day now and again, I heard Gran say in my head. But when they are all bad days, with no pleasant ones, then it’s time to reconsider things.”
“Monday, floors and chores. Tuesday, deep cleaning to give meaning. Wednesday, bath and kitchen. Thursday, dust we must. Friday, wash-and-dry day. Saturday, wild card. Sunday, shop and chop.”
“Never leave a mess to be discovered by a guest.”
“It’s funny the way memories bubble up whenever I clean. I do wonder if that’s the same for everyone—for everyone who cleans, that is.”
“I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what it was I’d seen. I’ve learned to doubt myself and my perceptions of the world around me. I do realize I’m different, you know, different from most. What I perceive isn’t what you perceive. Plus, people don’t always listen to me. I’m often afraid I won’t be believed, that my thoughts will be discounted. I’m just a maid, a nobody. And what I saw in that moment, it felt like a dream, but I know now that it was real. Someone with a deep motive killed Mr. Black. And that wasn’t me,” I said. I looked at Rodney then, and he looked at me. There was a look on his face that was entirely new. It was as though, for the very first time, he was seeing me for who I really am.”
“I don’t cut corners, I shine them.”
“Perhaps it’s an occupational hazard: I see dirt where others don’t.”
“In real life, the actions you take can change the results, from sad to happy, from disappointing to satisfactory, from wrong to right.”
“If only it were that easy,” she said. “But time, Miss Molly. Time heals all wounds, as they say.” She was right. As time passes, the wound doesn’t hurt as much as it did at first, and that’s always a surprise—to feel a little bit better and yet to miss the past.”
“You can be so important, so crucial to the fabric of things and yet be entirely overlooked.”
“Justice is like truth – it, too, is subjective. So many of those who deserve to be punished never receive their just deserts, and in the meantime, good people, decent people, are charged with the wrong crimes. It’s a flawed system – justice – a dirty, messy, imperfect system. But if the good people accept personal responsibility for exacting justice, would we not have a better chance of cleaning the entire world, of holding the liars, the cheaters, the users, and the abusers to account?”
“I don’t believe that some people are more important than other people. We’re all very important in our own way.”
“That’s the trouble with pain. It’s as contagious as a disease. It spreads from the person who first endured it to those who love them most. Truth isn’t always the highest ideal; sometimes it must be sacrificed to stop the spread of pain to those you love. Even children know this intuitively.”
“Today at work, I found a guest very dead in his bed. Mr. Black. The Mr. Black. Other than that, my work day was as normal as ever.”
Book excerpts: The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose
Chapter 1 – The Maid
I am well aware that my name is ridiculous. It was not ridiculous before I took this job four years ago. I’m a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, and my name is Molly. Molly Maid. A joke. Before I took the job, Molly was just a name, given to me by my estranged mother, who left me so long ago that I have no memory of her, just a few photos and the stories Gran has told me. Gran said my mother thought Molly was a cute name for a girl, that it conjured apple cheeks and pigtails, neither of which I have, as it turns out. I’ve got simple, dark hair that I maintain in a sharp, neat bob. I part my hair in the middle—the exact middle. I comb it flat and straight. I like things simple and neat.
I have pointed cheekbones and pale skin that people sometimes marvel at, and I don’t know why. I’m as white as the sheets that I take off and put on, take off and put on, all day long in the twenty-plus rooms that I make up for the esteemed guests at the Regency Grand, a five-star boutique hotel that prides itself on “sophisticated elegance and proper decorum for the modern age.”
Never in my life did I think I’d hold such a lofty position in a grand hotel. I know others think differently, that a maid is a lowly nobody. I know we’re all supposed to aspire to become doctors and lawyers and rich real-estate tycoons. But not me. I’m so thankful for my job that I pinch myself every day. I really do. Especially now, without Gran. Without her, home isn’t home. It’s as though all the color has been drained from the apartment we shared. But the moment I enter the Regency Grand, the world turns Technicolor bright.
As I place a hand on the shining brass railing and walk up the scarlet steps that lead to the hotel’s majestic portico, I’m Dorothy entering Oz. I push through the gleaming revolving doors and I see my true self reflected in the glass—my dark hair and pale complexion are omnipresent, but a blush returns to my cheeks, my raison d’être restored once more.
Once I’m through the doors, I often pause to take in the grandeur of the lobby. It never tarnishes. It never grows drab or dusty. It never dulls or fades. It is blessedly the same each and every day. There’s the reception and concierge to the left, with its midnight-obsidian counter and smart-looking receptionists in black and white, like penguins. And there’s the ample lobby itself, laid out in a horseshoe, with its fine Italian marble floors that radiate pristine white, drawing the eye up, up to the second-floor terrace. There are the ornate Art Deco features of the terrace and the grand staircase that brings you there, balustrades glowing and opulent, serpents twisting up to golden knobs held static in brass jaws. Guests will often stand at the rails, hands resting on a glowing post, as they survey the glorious scene below—porters marching crisscross, dragging suitcases behind them, guests lounging in sumptuous armchairs or couples tucked into emerald loveseats, their secrets absorbed into the deep, plush velvet.
But perhaps my favorite part of the lobby is the olfactory sensation, that first redolent breath as I take in the scent of the hotel itself at the start of every shift—the mélange of ladies’ fine perfumes, the dark musk of the leather armchairs, the tangy zing of lemon polish that’s used twice daily on the gleaming marble floors. It is the very scent of animus. It is the fragrance of life itself.
Every day, when I arrive to work at the Regency Grand, I feel alive again, part of the fabric of things, the splendor and the color. I am part of the design, a bright, unique square, integral to the tapestry.
Gran used to say, “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And she’s right. Every day of work is a joy to me. I was born to do this job. I love cleaning, I love my maid’s trolley, and I love my uniform.
There’s nothing quite like a perfectly stocked maid’s trolley early in the morning. It is, in my humble opinion, a cornucopia of bounty and beauty. The crisp little packages of delicately wrapped soaps that smell of orange blossom, the tiny Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo bottles, the squat tissue boxes, the toilet-paper rolls wrapped in hygienic film, the bleached white towels in three sizes—bath, hand, and washcloth—and the stacks of doilies for the tea-and-coffee service tray. And last but not least, the cleaning kit, which includes a feather duster, lemon furniture polish, lightly scented antiseptic garbage bags, as well as an impressive array of spray bottles of solvents and disinfectants, all lined up and ready to combat any stain, be it coffee rings, vomit—or even blood. A well-stocked housekeeping trolley is a portable sanitation miracle; it is a clean machine on wheels. And as I said, it is beautiful.
And my uniform. If I had to choose between my uniform and my trolley, I don’t think I could. My uniform is my freedom. It is the ultimate invisibility cloak. At the Regency Grand, it’s dry cleaned daily in the hotel laundry, which is located in the dank bowels of the hotel down the hall from our housekeeping change rooms. Every day before I arrive at work, my uniform is hooked on my locker door. It comes wrapped in clingy plastic, with a little Post-it note that has my name scrawled on it in black marker. What a joy it is to see it there in the morning, my second skin—clean, disinfected, newly pressed, smelling like a mixture of fresh paper, an indoor pool, and nothingness. A new beginning. It’s as though the day before and the many days before that have all been erased.
When I don my maid uniform—not the frumpy Downton Abbey style or even the Playboy-bunny cliché, but the blinding-white starched dress shirt and the slim-fit black pencil skirt (made from stretchy fabric for easy bending)—I am whole. Once I’m dressed for my workday, I feel more confident, like I know just what to say and do—at least, most of the time. And once I take off my uniform at the end of the day, I feel naked, unprotected, undone.
The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it’s as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I’m always playing for the first time. I make etiquette mistakes with alarming regularity, offend when I mean to compliment, misread body language, say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It’s only because of my gran that I know a smile doesn’t necessarily mean someone is happy. Sometimes, people smile when they’re laughing at you. Or they’ll thank you when they really want to slap you across the face. Gran used to say my reading of behaviors was improving—every day in every way, my dear—but now, without her, I struggle. Before, when I rushed home after work, I’d throw open the door to our apartment and ask her questions I’d saved up over the day. “I’m home! Gran, does ketchup really work on brass, or should I stick to salt and vinegar? Is it true that some people drink tea with cream? Gran, why did they call me Rumba at work today?”
But now, when the door to home opens, there’s no “Oh, Molly dear, I can explain” or “Let me make you a proper cuppa and I’ll answer all of that.” Now our cozy two-bedroom feels hollow and lifeless and empty, like a cave. Or a coffin. Or a grave.
I think it’s because I have difficulty interpreting expressions that I’m the last person anyone invites to a party, even though I really like parties. Apparently, I make awkward conversation, and if you believe the whispers, I have no friends my age. To be fair, this is one hundred percent accurate. I have no friends my age, few friends of any age, for that matter.
But at work, when I’m wearing my uniform, I blend in. I become part of the hotel’s décor, like the black-and-white-striped wallpaper that adorns many a hallway and room. In my uniform, as long as I keep my mouth shut, I can be anyone. You could see me in a police lineup and fail to pick me out even though you walked by me ten times in one day.
Recently, I turned twenty-five, “a quarter of a century” my gran would proclaim to me now if she could say anything to me. Which she can’t, because she is dead.
….
Note: Above are quotes and excerpts from the book “The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose”. If you find it interesting and useful, don’t forget to buy paper books to support the Author and Publisher!
| The above content has been collected from various sources on the internet. Click the Share button to recommend the book to your friends! |
BookQuote.Net Sincerely Introduced!
