[Poll Book Tally] Serving Up Love: A Harvey House Brides Collection by Tracie Peterson et al 3 stars

[Karin]

This is a collection of four novellas by four authors, each of which features a different strong woman who works as a Harvey Girl. I don't remember hearing about these women, but they were real (not these characters) and if you are interested in learning more about them, a quick google can get you articles (just skip the ones about the musical of that name if you want historical information). Obviously Novellas aren't as fully fleshed out as novels and you know within a chapter of two who the two lovebirds are. Each one has both POVs and is set in a different year in a different location. The last one is set in the Grand Canyon, thus someone shelved it that way.

If you like Christian romance, these are fairly well written for short form fiction.

[Theresa]

Karin wrote: "This is a collection of four novellas by four authors, each of which features a different strong woman who works as a Harvey Girl. I don't remember hearing about these women, but they were real (no..."

There's a Judy Garland movie that most know -- called of course The Harvey Girls, and it is a good movie. The portrayal of the entire Harvey Girl experience in the movie was quite accurate as the Harvey Family, whose patriarch created the Harvey Girls as part of the food concession empire he built, were advisors on the film. There are several musuems with exhibits and such on Fred Harvey and the Harvey Girls, a documentary or two, and an absolutely fabulous page turner of a book: Appetite for America: How Visionary Businessman Fred Harvey Built a Railroad Hospitality Empire That Civilized the Wild West, which I now carry whenever I visit the soutwest, and find myself dipping into.

I cannot recommend that book enough. While quarantining, it will carry you away to a world filled with cowboys, indians, railroad barons, and Harvey Girls.

[Karin]

Theresa wrote: "Karin wrote: "This is a collection of four novellas by four authors, each of which features a different strong woman who works as a Harvey Girl. I don't remember hearing about these women, but they..."

I'll have to look for that. I'm not a big old movie buff, but it sounds like something I might like. I have also added that book to my want to read shelf --thanks!