In the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Ettie Brogan dragged herself from the ruins to kneel beside her dying mother. Heartbroken, she assures her that she will take care of herself and be a good girl, and Ettie, alone in a world that overnight has become a chaotic, fearful place, set out to do just that. As a kitchen maid in the home of wealthy Sean O'Hara she soon endeared herself to O'Hara's cook, Bridget O'Connell. Bridget had just said goodbye to Sarah, a perfect employee until a Wells Fargo driver had his way with her, and Ettie appeared at just the right moment. Ettie begins a wonderful new life in the O'Hara household, and soon falls under the spell of Jimmy, O'Hara's cheeky coachman. These three servants form an enduring bond of love and friendship, but as Ettie blossoms into a beautiful young woman, naive and innocent, she learns to her cost that even those in high places, such as friends of the President, cannot always be trusted. Bridget, in an effort to preserve their way of life, takes things into her own hands and can only sit by and watch as her plans go terribly awry. And Ettie learns that even for the rich, life is not always perfect; she sees the mistress of the house deal with tragedy by resorting to the comfort found in little brown vials; Katie, O'Hara's beloved eldest daughter, is disowned because she falls in love with a man of unsuitable heritage; and two sons are expelled from a prestigious Boston school for lewd behavior. Then the household is rocked to its foundations by the arrival of O'Hara's sister, Agatha, an embittered spinster and sworn foe of Bridget O'Connell. Theresa, Katie’s sister, welcomes Agatha as an ally and learns from her aunt’s twisted views of the world. A tragedy briefly unites this household until dark secrets are revealed and once again tear it apart, and a stronger, wiser Ettie is forced to make a life-changing decision.

When Jimmy Collins left America with his wife and baby, he returned to his native England seeking a better life for his family. His wife, Ettie, who was born in San Francisco and survived the 1906 earthquake, had no idea what fate had in store for her. She knew only that she had to escape from a hopeless love affair that had almost ruined her marriage. At least, she thought, in London the secret of her daughter’s birth would never be revealed. As an innocent little maid in the O’Hara household, Ettie had faced hardship and learned to be self-sufficient. Set down in the strange new world of London, England, there were new challenges to overcome. Her young husband survived the First World War in the navy, but was felled by the scourge of Spanish influenza that swept the world. Ettie was left to raise her daughter, Bridie, alone. Fleeing from an avaricious father-in-law, she found a position as a maid in the prestigious Castleton Hotel. Over the years, Ettie proved her worth and rose to the position of Housekeeper, enjoying a harmonious working relationship with the owner, Sir Albert Morrison. Content in her new life, Ettie’s world is suddenly turned upside-down by the arrival of Sean O’Hara and his wife. O’Hara, her ex-employee and one-time lover, has many business connections in London and has purchased the Castleton Hotel as his headquarters. Once again, Ettie’s comfortable existence is threatened, as Bridie is drawn into the life of wealth enjoyed by the O’Hara family. When Katherine O’Hara invites Bridie to accompany her back to San Francisco, Ettie is fearful that after 17 years, her past will catch up with her. Will her daughter learn the truth about her parentage?

Excerpt from Lyle Family: The Ancestry and Posterity of Matthew, John, Daniel and Samuel Lyle, Pioneer Settlers in Virginia The aim of this book is to preserve to posterity facts of interest per taining to the Lyle family. That the book has errors is more than probable, since much of the information received in correspondence was variable in dates and in the spelling of proper names. For such errors as appear, the explanation lies in my telling the tale as told to me. It has taken years to gather what the book contains. But a few years of delay would have made almost impossible of discovery many of the facts that are presented. In successful effort, in obliging pos. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Patricia Volk’s delicious memoir lets us into her big, crazy, loving, cheerful, infuriating and wonderful family, where you’re never just hungry–your starving to death, and you’re never just full–you’re stuffed. Volk’s family fed New York City for one hundred years, from 1888 when her great-grandfather introduced pastrami to America until 1988, when her father closed his garment center restaurant. All along, food was pretty much at the center of their lives. But as seductively as Volk evokes the food, Stuffed is at heart a paean to her quirky, vibrant relatives: her grandmother with the “best legs in Atlantic City”; her grandfather, who invented the wrecking ball; her larger-than-life father, who sculpted snow thrones when other dads were struggling with snowmen. Writing with great freshness and humor, Patricia Volk will leave you hungering to sit down to dinner with her robust family–both for the spectacle and for the food.