Hello, young Padawan
Whether you’re a reader or not, whether you live in the USA, France, England, or anywhere else in Europe, or even the world, you’ve heard of this book, Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid.
This highly divisive thriller has received both positive and negative reviews, and since more than half of my friends and family have read it, I also wanted to form my own opinion so I could share my thoughts with you. So here we go, and as usual, no spoilers, lol.
Source: bookscooter.com
The housemaid
We meet Millie, a 27-year-old woman recently released from prison, who has been newly hired as a housekeeper by an American family in the wealthy New York suburb of Long Island.
The family consists of a businessman, Andrew Winchester, his wife, Nina, and their daughter, Cecelia, from Nina’s previous relationship. There’s also Enzo, the slightly odd Italian gardener, who speaks very little, at least not English, and isn’t very welcoming despite his rather attractive, muscular good looks, and gives slightly odd looks.
The house is huge, reminiscent of celebrity homes, but her maid’s bedroom is as small as a closet. This doesn’t bother her, on the contrary, because until now, she had to live and sleep in her old car, for lack of anything better. She’s afraid her family will find out she’s getting out of prison, so she does everything she can to be a model employee and puts as much money aside from her monthly paycheck as possible, just in case.
Her petite maid’s room is a bit intriguing, however, since the window doesn’t open and the door only closes from the outside. She tries not to become paranoid, and tells herself she’s even lucky to have landed this good, well-paid job despite her “passive” situation.
When she starts working, she witnesses a few slightly disturbing scenes, and little by little, the dream turns sour, giving way to numerous situations that are initially bizarre, then quickly become disturbing…
The author has successfully created a mood conducive to a thriller. First of all, we develop a fondness for the protagonist, who is restarting her life with a troubled past, a second chance that should have been much more peaceful than what she’s about to face. The suspense and main plot are well-managed, as are the surprises and twists.
Aside from the somewhat easy writing style, it must be said that the story truly keeps you on the edge of your seat, the characters are engaging, and the plot is well-crafted. So, yes, this isn’t a murder mystery where the novelist has spent six months researching a coroner’s trick that will reveal a key piece of information. Yes, it’s not a “technical” novel, but I had a very good time reading this little story. I was with the character from beginning to end—or rather, the characters, but I won’t say any more so as not to give too much away—and that’s the main thing.
Additionally, I don’t fully understand these elitist critics who dismiss successful books, labeling them “railway novels” or “beach novels.” This summer, I’m going to read the entire “Cleaning Women” series by Freida McFadden, and I’m also going to reread some Racine. One doesn’t preclude the other, and even so, is it better to numb yourself in front of screens or read “beach novels”?
So, long live the beach novel, no matter what the idiots say, and long live reading, whatever it may be, because it activates the same mechanisms in the brain. And then, after reading those beach novels, some readers will one day move on to the classics, and for the others, they will still have had a good time. So, congratulations and long live all readers and writers.
XO 📚
