Story of a strong girl

Mabel, a young girl of fifteen, is doing very well in school and is having a great time. Her teacher would like to consult with her parents because she thinks that Mabel should take the exam so that she can go on to secondary education. Mabel likes this idea because she doesn't like to become a live-in maid after school, just like her niece. Unfortunately, the letter will never be written because Mabel, completely against her will, has to drop out of school to contribute to the family income after her father's accident.

Her eldest brother also quits his intended place as an apprentice with the carpenter and goes to work in the market so that he immediately earns money and does not cost money. So, there is no other option for Mabel than to become a live-in maid, that way she doesn't cost any money at home, and she earns a small salary with which she can contribute at home. The only bright spot for Mabel is that she becomes a maid in the same house where her niece works and therefore has a familiar face around her. As she imagined, she doesn't like the job, but she does make the best of it.

Not too pleasant things happen in the house where Mabel works and because she doesn’t mince words and she certainly does not let herself be walked over it is getting back on her. Unfortunately, she has to pay for this, and it does not make life easier for her nor her family. Fortunately, help comes from an unexpected source and Mabel manages to get everything back on track, but unfortunately it is not a 'and they lived happily ever after'. No, regrettably there is still some setback, do they know how to overcome that?

Diney knows very well how to describe what life was like in a working-class family during that time, but also how all the staff in a wealthy household worked and got treated. I really enjoyed the book.

Characters 8| Atmosphere 8 | Writing style 8 | Plot 8| Intrigue 8| Logic 8| Enjoyment 8 | Score 8.00 = 4 stars