Grace Hitchcock writes with a touch of humor in her novels that engages the readers from the very first page. In writing The Finding of Miss Fairfield, she has given her characters what seem to be insurmountable obstacles to finding happiness.
Sophia Fairfield finds herself pushed to the wall in that her father has given her away to be married to a man who is old enough to be her father. In her desperation, she takes a position as a Harvey Girl in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She leaves without telling her family or friends where she is. Before she left her home, she had become acquainted with the stepson of the man she was supposed to marry. They developed feelings for each other and it hurt them both when she left with no word of warning. Her father was adamant that she marry his business partner, and she was just as adamant that she not marry him.
The book is full of bad guys, ne'er-do-wells, vindictive women, and some generally sleazy people, all of which add up to a light read without having to overthink the plot. The setting of the novel is well defined and easy to imagine. Grace has done her research into the Harvey Houses and the Harvey Girls who worked in them. Harvey Girls were exemplary waitresses who worked hard and were rewarded with a princely sum of $17.50 per month plus room, board, and tips. The work was exacting and needed to be done as efficiently as possible. There was no wiggle room for error.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book for a lazy afternoon read. Four Stars.
Valmont House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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