Carnegie's Maid - Discussion Questions

 

           1.           Carnegie’s Maid opens with Clara Kelly’s experience immigrating to America from Ireland in the 1860s. Do any aspects of Clara’s immigration surprise you, such as the ship voyage or the arrival inspection?
 
2.      If you were in Clara’s shoes, how would you feel going through the immigration process? Does Clara’s experience mirror that of you or someone in your own family?
 
3.      How does Clara’s identity as an Irish Catholic immigrant affect her in America? If immigrating today, what similar or different challenges would Clara face?
 
4.      How does Clara get the job as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie?
 
5.      Every day Clara wakes up she is reminded that she is living a life that does not belong to her, but why can’t she afford to tell anyone the truth?
6.      Compare and contrast Andrew and Clara. How are they similar? How are they different? Who do you relate to more?
 
7.      Commitment and duty to her family in Ireland influence Clara tremendously. How does this sense of duty motivate her decisions and actions? If you were in Clara’s shoes, what would drive you forward?
 
8.      Andrew and Clara’s master and servant relationship changes during the course of the book. How does this evolution happen? What do you think it was that drew them together? Do you think their relationship could have lasted longer under different circumstances?
 
9.      If the story was set in today’s world, how would Andrew and Clara’s stories change? Would Clara still face the same challenges?
 
10.  Andrew Carnegie is a well-known industrialist, who was the richest man in the world in his day and the founder of modern philanthropy. What was your understanding of him before you read this novel? Did you know about his philanthropy and role in the formation of the modern library system? If you had the fortune of Carnegie, what cause would you devote yourself to?
 
11.  What do you think of the book ending? Do you wish to know a little more what happened after Clara departed Carnegie’s home?
 
12.  While the world of Carnegie’s Maid is grounded in facts, Clara Kelly herself is a fictional character, although her immigrant experience and her lady’s maid role are founded upon historical research. Would the story be different for you if Clara was entirely non-fiction?