Ken R. (kenrose69) reviewed on 8/9/2012 + 30 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

The Gilded Age of America led into the Progressive Era; it was a time of great wealth for those who had made fortunes during the Industrial Revolution. The Progressive Era was also a time of social activism that exposed the plight of factory workers, women's suffrage and the treatment of orphans. All of these factors are at work in "Maid to Match" by Deeanne Gist, a novel that takes place on the Biltmore Estate of George Washington Vanderbilt in 1898.

This is a thoroughly researched novel. The author visited Biltmore and has portrayed the hierarchy of the servant class very well. Although slightly different from the servant class of Europe, "Downton Abbey' fans will recognize characters similar to Daisy, Mr. Bates, Mr. Carson and others. There is even a scoundrel that resembles Thomas! The story about how the orphans were treated reminds one of the poor children in "Oliver Twist" and history shows that orphanages of this era were often times little more than work houses. Gist has a way of writing a story that keeps one turning pages to see how it's all going to work out; even when the reader thinks they have it figured out, she throws in a surprise twist that one didn't see coming.

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http://www.examiner.com/article/review-maid-to-match-by-deeanne-gist

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