The Maid
By Nita Prose
Have you noticed that within the past several years readers have been treated to a newish sort of novel sub-genre: the quirky character. Among these, good examples are A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and recently Nita Prose’s The Maid. While the plots and levels of quirkiness differ, they share this feature: all are character driven to the point where the plot is nearly irrelevant. Each of the mentioned novels have been wildly popular because the central character fascinates and endears themselves to readers. And this is especially true of The Maid. While her co-workers may find her odd, it’s this very oddness that attracts and keeps readers reading.
The Maid is ostensibly about the mystery surrounding the death of a rich, generally disliked man, Mr. Black. Molly Gray, a chambermaid in a fashionable hotel, discovers Mr. Black dead in his bed and in short order finds herself the prime suspect in his death, to the point where the police arrest and book her for murder and assorted other crimes. Sorting out who actually killed the offensive Mr. Black comprises the plot of the novel. But who killed him proves neither here or there, and the whole mystery becomes pretty apparent early on. What keeps readers, and you as a potential reader, turning pages is Molly and all of her various oddities regarding punctiliousness, cleanliness, a job well done, and the like, right down to a rather shocking, considering her character, fact about her known only to her and never revealed to anyone else.
Because of Molly, and the delightful way Prose has Molly tell her story, The Maid has been very popular and a major pick of reading groups. If you are among the few who have not yet read it, do yourself a favor; pick up a copy and brighten your day. After you finish it, perhaps you’d think about the hardworking chambermaid who tidies your hotel room. You might be encouraged to leave her a generous tip, and maybe even attach that tip to the cover of this book, and share the delight of it with her. w/c
Writer / Critic 