“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.”
– Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train and The Exiles
“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 highlighting the struggles of women trying to make their way in an unforgiving world.”
– Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
“The Harvey Girls is Juliette Fay at her very best: a gorgeously written, impeccably researched novel filled with 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 resilience.”
– Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
“Fay is a magician with her pen, revealing a startling time in America when waitressing at a railway stop could change a woman’s world—while also gifting the reader with a braided history of the dangers of the Grand Canyon, the horror of KKK, the suppression of Native American culture, and, always, the power of women’s friendship. I loved this page-turning, warm, and wild adventure into the world of hospitality and chaos during America’s railroading past.”
– Randy Susan Meyers, international bestseller of The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone
“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!”
– Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Queens of London
“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.”
Greer Macallister, bestselling author of The Thirteenth Husband and The Arctic Fury
“I am a big fan of Juliette Fay’s historical fiction and am thrilled that she has a new book coming out this year. Before reading an early copy of The Harvey Girls, I’d never heard of this iconic workforce and loved learning about the culture and history, all while being compelled by the personal stories of protagonists Charlotte and Billie. I also love how this novel links to Fay’s two earlier novels, The Tumbling Turner Sisters and City of Flickering Light, set in the same time period.”
– Kathy Crowley, Owner, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA
“Juliette Fay puts a shine on a little known aspect of Women’s History – the groundbreaking Harvey Girl waitresses. This novel is a fascinating look at the restaurants and staffs that made travel comfortable in western America. Well researched and populated with multi-dimensional characters that demonstrate the fortitude and fearlessness of these young women, THE HARVEY GIRLS commemorates a unique time and place in the USA. I loved these characters. This novel deserves a Michelin Star!”
– Pamela Klinger Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN
“Fay’s (The Half of It) new novel transports readers to the U.S. Plains States in 1926, as Charlotte Crowninshield, on the run from her abusive husband, finds an unexpected escape in a new job. In the late 1800s, entrepreneur Fred Harvey partnered with the Atcheson, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad to supply and manage restaurants along the remote train routes. To staff the restaurants, he hired single women (soon called “Harvey Girls”) between the ages of 18 and 30, who wore matching uniforms and lived in dormitories under strict conduct codes. While training as a Harvey Girl in Topeka, KS, Charlotte is assigned to room with Billie MacTavish, who has taken the job to help support her large family and lied about her age to join. They immediately dislike each other, even as they share homesickness and a fear of being found out. When they’re assigned to work at a luxury hotel at the Grand Canyon, their challenges mount, as Billie fends off older suitors and Charlotte discovers an unsettling aspect of the national park’s history. VERDICT Fay’s enjoyable yet convoluted 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.”
– Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW