Dazzled by Books

"The Housemaid's Daughter" by Barbara Mutch is a beautifully written tale about a young black girl named Ada. She grew up in the service of Irish immigrants in South Africa. Ada is the daughter of the housekeeper for the Harrington's. Cathleen Harrington takes a liking to Ada. Cathleen teaches Ada to read, write, math, and to play the piano.

Ada ends up running away from the household even though she is treated very well. Ada ends up teaching music under a different name to other blacks and mixed raced people. Cathleen wants to track down Ada but her husband will not let her search for Ada.

This book takes the reader through Ada's journey from growing up and running away to being a teacher of music. I though this story was really good and very interesting. The story is told from Ada's point of view on the world but Cathleen definitely plays a huge part of the story.

Mutch is a very talented writer. She has a wonderful way with words. She writes so beautifully. I think she does a great job with this story. I think it is definitely a wonderful story and worth reading. It covers major issues like prejudices and the segregation of people. On top of it all I think the cover is fantastic.