The Harvey Girls

By Juliette Fay

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1668095068
• ISBN13: 9781668095065
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Unforgettable women and fascinating story

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted. I loved this! It was as good as I hoped it would be and had so many of my favorite criteria: historical fiction (no wars), female friendships, a bit of romance, based on a true but little-known US institution, and well-researched. The criteria alone isn’t enough to make a book great, it’s the writing and the characters, the plot and the action. I loved the two main characters, as well as so many of the others. And the villain was sufficiently worthy of the resolution (no spoilers). I found this to be extremely well-written. I couldn’t put it down and was sad when I finished it. Mostly taking place in 1926, two young women from vastly different backgrounds “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.” Who could resist this plot? And it reads even better than it sounds. I’m a fan of Juliette Fay and have read two of her other historical novels, "The Tumbling Turner Sisters" and "City of Flickering Light"" so when I saw this I knew it would be great – and I was not disappointed. I plan to seek out her other novels and I highly recommend these!