Diary of a Waitress

February 16, 2015
A suitable fit for American Girl series graduates, this diary-style historical novel follows the adventures of independent-minded 16-year-old Katherine “Kitty” Evans, who sets off on her own in 1926. It comes as a blow to Kitty when her parents announce that they don’t have the funds to send her to college to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Instead of following her father’s wishes for her to sell shoes, Kitty applies for and obtains a position as a “Harvey Girl,” waitressing in one of the famous Harvey House restaurants situated in railroad towns across the West. The work is much more rigorous than Kitty imagined, and the rules of conduct for Harvey Girls is very strict. Still, Kitty finds time to make friends and absorb local culture while stationed in Kansas and New Mexico, never losing sight of her goal to be a writer. Kitty’s diary entries express her growing confidence, her journalist’s eye for detail, and her love of fun, and b&w period photographs bring additional ambiance to Meyer’s (Beauty’s Daughter) colorful portrait of a working girl. Ages 10–up.

February 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-It is 1926, and Kitty Evans is looking forward to finishing high school and going to college to become a journalist. Unfortunately, her father informs her that there isn't enough money to educate both her and her brother and that she will have to get a job. With her dreams shattered, Kitty answers a newspaper ad for a Harvey Girl. After six weeks of training, she'll be transferred to one of many Harvey restaurants located along train lines in the western United States. Little does Kitty know that the rules and expectations of a Harvey Girl are very strict. She meets some new friends including Cordelia, a debutante from Philadelphia who wears short flapper dresses and bright red lipstick, and Emmy, another girl who hopes to make money to send back to her family. Cordelia encourages the girls to try new things, Emmy reminds them of the rules, and Kitty documents it all. The narrative is told through a series of diary entries in which Kitty notes her challenges-from the job interview and telling her parents about life-changing decision to making friends and meeting all kinds of characters. Kitty records interactions with everyone from railroaders to politicians to hobos. She also has many admirers and is asked to "go for walks" and to "save a dance" at local gatherings. Meyer includes primary-source photographs throughout to illustrate the Harvey buildings and train stations, as well as local people. Kitty encounters many travelers from around the world, hearing German, Spanish, and some local slang as she travels from Kansas to New Mexico. Readers will feel connected to Kitty and her group of girlfriends and hope for their success. VERDICT A fast and interesting read about a part of history of which many readers may be unaware.-Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2015
Although more than a year too young for the position, almost-17-year-old Kitty takes a job as a Harvey Girl, one of the well-trained waitresses that staffed a national restaurant chain serving rail passengers from the late-19th to mid-20th centuries.Frustrated that her father no longer has the money to send her to college, budding journalist Kitty applies on a whim, defying family expectations, to become a Harvey Girl. She's chosen along with outgoing flapper Cordelia, and after a month of rigorous training, they're sent to work at the Harvey House in Belen, New Mexico. Kitty records her experiences in her diary, sometimes in too-extensive detail. In New Mexico, she slowly develops a romantic relationship with a railroad worker, Gus, and gets to know the Latino culture of the area. As her writing skills improve, she begins to sell articles-included in the text-to the local newspaper. Kitty does a good job of describing the personalities of her co-workers, and because she is so descriptive, the era-the late 1920s-is also neatly depicted. This effort is most likely to appeal to readers who have enjoyed but outgrown the Dear America and American Girl series, but other readers may find the tale lacks sufficient tension to sustain interest through the extended narrative. A smattering of period photographs add flavor. A slowly paced and occasionally even tedious depiction of a small slice of American railroad history. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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July 1, 2015
In 1926, sixteen-year-old Kitty finds her college dreams dashed after financial troubles. She impulsively gets a job as a Harvey Girl, a waitress in restaurants along the railroad, which takes Kitty on an adventure far from home, proving useful fodder for her budding career in journalism. Meyer's historical drama is well crafted if dull at times. An author's note is appended. Bib.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)