The Maidservant in Cabin Number One takes Chrysteen Braun’s story about a series of cabins near Lake Arrowhead, California, and the people who own and inhabit them back to the beginning. This book is the prequel to The Guest Book Trilogy and is set in the early 1900s.
The Maidservant in Cabin Number One is the story of a woman named Ruth Ann Landry. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Ruth Ann and her family move west to Seattle where her father obtains a job at a railway company. An abusive alcoholic, her father is killed in an accident and her mother’s job as a servant at a mansion is the only thing that keeps them afloat. When Ruth Anne, or Ruthie, is ten years old, she is hired at the mansion as a maidservant. As the years go by and Ruthie reaches puberty, the master of the house decides to have his way with her, and from there, the story takes readers on the adventure of a lifetime.
I truly enjoyed The Maidservant in Cabin Number One, dare I say maybe even more so than the trilogy itself. I became very attached to Ruthie and loved every minute of the life the Braun created for her. It is truly uplifting to follow the life of a young woman who is in a predicament and then watch her fight to create a better life for herself. The story carries themes of hardship, family, love, perseverance, and strength.
As in Braun’s previous novels, the dialogue conveys the demeanor of each character extremely well so that readers feel as if they are in the same room as the characters. From the one-track mind of Mr. Fletcher to the kind gestures of Jack Maynard to the larger-than-life personality of actress Vivian Hayes, each character helps to build Ruthie’s story in a way that is so natural. The gorgeous setting at Lake Arrowhead speaks for itself and introduces readers to the set of cabins that Jack built. These cabins stand the test of time and The Guest Trilogy takes the reader past Ruthie’s story and into the hands of Sam and then Annie. I love that this book can be read as a standalone novel or as part of the series, although I recommend reading the whole series as it is simply magnificent.
If you are looking for a story that won’t let you put it down, this is the book for you. The Maidservant in Cabin Number One is beautifully written from cover to cover and I anxiously await Chrysteen Braun’s next book.
