"Whatever the situation, the place where you find yourself is simply a new location from which to begin again."
-advice from Tanya E. Williams' character Ruby/'Cookie', assistant to the pastry chef.
Welcome
to the Hamilton is the most heartwarming novel by Tanya E. Williams to date. I especially appreciated the unusual perspective of a young woman aspiring to be a maid in a
fine establishment. It’s an idea I can
hardly fathom, even still, but the endeavor was quite the calisthenic for my
mind! Certainly a fresh outlook. Yes, Clara was trying to get the job out of
desperation, but Williams embraced the spirit of the 1920s era, the charm of
‘independence’ in earning her own money, of being part of the grandeur of such
a magnificent establishment. Hardworking Clara was
quite flawed in how she condemned many of those around her (both judgmental and
jealous), but she continually caught herself at it. By the end of the novel she
was vastly improved—and even more tolerant than I would be (once some of her initial
uncharitable assumptions had indeed proven to be true). Williams’ intrinsically
kind nature shines through in this novel, an unexpected treasure.
No comments:
Post a Comment