Martha-by-the-Day

by Julie M. Lippmann

Excerpt from Martha-by-the-Day

An instant, and she was back again in her old place upon the curbstone. Something like the firm iron grip of a steam-derrick had fastened on her person, hoisted her neatly up, and set her as precisely down, exactly where she had started from.

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208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

Reviews

[Lanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Claire Lang had been standing in the drenching wet at the street-crossing for fully ten minutes. The badgering crowd had been shouldering her one way, pushing her the other..." Suddenly Claire finds herself out in the street and then, just as suddenly ..."she was back again in her old place on the curbstone."

Claire was rescued by Martha Slawson. Martha is a "...woman of masculine proportions, towering, deep-chested, large-limbed, but with a face which belied all these..."

Martha has an interesting philosophy: "I don't believe in lyin' awake, thinkin' about the future, when a body can put in good licks o' sleep, restin' from the past. It's against my principles. I'm by the day. I work by the day, an' I live by the day."

The book is about Martha and how she manages to care for the people around her; her husband, children, mother-in-law, the other tenants in her apartment building, and especially her new young friend, Claire.

My favorite line in the book? Martha says to her husband: "I wisht you'd be good to yourself an' have a shave. Them prickles o' beard reminds me o' the insides o' Mrs. Sherman's big music box. I wonder what tune you'd play if I run your chin in."

[Alana Cash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 200-page "romance" novel, but it's really more about Martha, a cleaning lady who maneuvers the romance between her boarder, Clair, and one of her employers. Martha is a bit of a philosophizer and humorously gives forth on the human conscience, spousal abuse, regret and more. She's a large woman with a strong character who experiences a couple of family disasters in this short book which she faces head on.

The book is made more interesting by the description of New York City social strata in 1912.

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a peculiar but curiously interesting tale. The narrator on Librivox, czandra, is excellent.

[Roxane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, yet such a delightful change of pace. The character and voice of Martha won my heart.