Lisa Traugott Review of The Harvey Girl: Fool's Treasure

The Harvey Girls were real historical figures who changed the West. Can you tell us a little about them? Did you discover any surprising or little-known facts while researching them?

Back when the main form of travel was by train, Fred Harvey came along and created the first food service for train passengers. They were called Harvey Houses, and were right along the train tracks, offering first-class dining during the train’s 20-minute stop. The Harvey Girls were the waitresses. The job paid well, which was rare for the time, and one of the only respectable jobs for women. It was surprising to learn that as the Harvey Houses expanded across the United States, the Harvey Girls helped to settle the wild, wild, West, bringing culture into rough towns, as men started to marry them and they stayed out West.

You’ve written a lot of middle-school stories. This one is young adult (ages 14-18). What are some of the differences you found writing for an older crowd?

Actually, when I started the Harvey Girl series, I didn’t have YA in mind, but the main character is 18, which made me market it as YA. Many of my readers are adults. So, I really didn’t make a conscious decision; it came out of the story and the characters. Due to the time period, I wanted it to lean toward a cozy mystery, so a clean mystery. I also wanted humor and characters that were on an adventure but show how different it was for women in the late 1800s as my female characters forge new paths. All of those characteristics worked for YA. The differences for writing for middle grade would be the characters’ relationships. The Harvey Girl has an innocent love story as a subplot, so even though it’s quite innocent, I wouldn’t include that in a middle grade story. Overall, however, I allow the storytelling to guide what category the book falls into. After all, that only has to be decided at the end of writing, when I’m ready to publish.

Your heroine Willa Abbot starts off as a New York socialite and winds up working as a Harvey Girl on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway. What drew you to this setting, and what do you love most about writing in 1890s America?

One weekend, I was visiting my dad, and we watched an old Judy Garland movie, titled The Harvey Girls. It’s an old black & white movie filmed in 1946, where Garland famously sings On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe. I’d never heard of the Harvey Girls and after watching the movie, I Googled it and found out the Harvey Girls were real. I loved their history and wanted to write about such pioneering women. I liked how they changed the idea of what kind of jobs respectable women could hold, and it seemed like a Harvey Girl would make a very spunky and adventurous heroine to write about.

The story blends mystery, romance, and adventure (Spanish treasure maps, Pinkerton agents, con men!). Which part of the story was the most fun for you to write?

I am a fan of banter, so it was fun to find moments between the characters for that kind of humor. It came with the romance storyline, for sure, but I also used the main character’s sidekick, Dori, to add some fun snark, where it could also deliver some truths to the main character. The con men storyline also offered a chance to instill some fun when they get their just desserts. If I can make myself laugh, it’s always a good day writing. Any emotion, really. I’m also pleased when I get through those fun moments and give the characters a touching moment, when you can see that they really care about each other.

Mystery lovers are all about the clever twists. Without giving spoilers, what’s one twist readers can look forward to in Fool’s Treasure?

Well, I’d hate to spoil the story, but the main character Willa has become a Harvey Girl to travel and find her missing father. However, she can’t just go in search of him, as her job gets in the way and that does impact the story, twisting her in different directions than the ones she wants to pursue. Being a Harvey Girl also impacts the ending, but I won’t spoil that. I will say, that in my cozy mystery series Fit Girls, which I write under pen name Ann Audree, I felt at the end of the first book that the “who done it” was too obvious, so I added an accomplice at the very end that completely shocked the main character, leading to a thrilling ending. It actually made story sense, so it didn’t pop up out of nowhere. I heard from some fans that they didn’t guess the bad guy, but still loved the ending. Other readers did guess the ending and were happily surprised that I added one more twist. So, I would say that twists are important and multiple twists are even better!

Your novel is the start of The Harvey Girl Mysteries. Can you give us a hint about what’s next for Willa?

Thanks for asking! In book two, which I’m writing now, Harvey Girl: Imposter’s Game, Willa, Dori & Finn are now working for Fred Harvey and going to any Harvey House along the railway line that has an odd problem, and needs a gentle touch to solve. They are headed to Raton, New Mexico because a chef is missing! Of course, that’s only the start of a much bigger problem. Not sure you’d be interested, but I created a little teaser trailer for book two. It will be serialized on Substack before the end of the year. Here’s a link, if you’d like to see the trailer:https://youtu.be/9UroA1Z2Yp0

Willa is brave enough to leave her privileged life behind and head into the unknown. How are you most like Willa, and how are you different from her?

I feel like every character I write has a little of me, but ultimately they aren’t like me at all, and I’d say the same for Willa. She’s braver, but she’s also more impulsive. Luckily, I’ve never stumbled across a murder, so maybe I haven’t been properly tested.