“The Maid and the Socialite” is a non-fiction book by Lynda Drews. Per the author, originally this book was going to be about Dr. John R. Minahan, who was a celebrated Green Bay, Wisconsin doctor. He had a flourishing business and good family connections. However, as Ms. Drews dug into historical records, she found that Dr. Minahan had a dark side. He was sued by a maid and also his second wife for physical violence. How could such a celebrated doctor have managed to erase those trials? Dr. Minahan didn’t - but over time the information has been buried - and Ms. Drews has brought it back to light. I found this book very well researched - and the inclusion of photos helped. This wasn’t an enjoyable book, but any book regarding someone being lied to and, essentially, slandered by someone in power is never easy to read. This book mainly takes place in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when times were very different and women - especially married women - had few rights, even over their own money.

The maids name was Mary she came from a very respectable family and even though she was one of the only siblings who was illiterate she was still looked up to buy all of them. She became the maid for Mr. and Mrs. Menahan she was a kind lady and he was a celebrated surgeon he did surgeries that no one else in Green Bay or the surrounding areas were doing at that time when Mrs. Menahan would leave to go to different parts of the state she acted reluctant to leave Mary home alone with her husband but after the first time she left for a week Mary seemed content it’s so the doctors good wife thought nothing of it when Melry said she was to take new employment and would be leaving her home but the doctor insisted Mary stay this would be the weekend that Dr. Menahan raped Mary. She had the Lord by others about the doctor but couldn’t bring herself to believe such an affluent man would do such a dagger dating things that she only been raped by the doctor that would’ve been bad enough then she was forced to have an abortion and told she had syphilis which at the time people would automatically think she was a woman of loose morals not even stop to think it was against her will. Years later Dr. Menahan would marry again tamale a smart intelligent girl from a dairy loved and respected family she married the doctor thinking he was handsome charismatic and also nice soon after the wedding he told her she had syphilis and it must’ve come from previous lovers even though Molly knew she had never been with any other when her first two pregnancies were miscarriages the doctor told her it was because of her syphilis that caused the babies not to go to full-term and when they did finally have healthy children they would be vulnerable to their inseam daddies need to treat those with syphilis and he thought they to add syphilis. This is one crazy crazy man in this book is all about the women who stood up to him despite his name his families reputation and the own standing in Green Bay. Anyone who loves historical True Crime will definitely not be able to put this one down Mary was a strong girl and despite being illiterate and in the servant class sister adopted her self and would not let anyone walk over her she proved to be intelligent turn on the Notes to her she would have many of these qualities in common with Molly Monaghan the doctors second wife and another one of his victims this was such a good book and one I highly recommend I receive this book from NetGalley and The book whisperer but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Today's headlines have been rampant with the wealth and power some men use to manipulate and abuse women, The Maid and The Socialite, by Lynda Drews, lets us know this is nothing new. This is the true story of Dr. J.R. Minahan's rapes of a maid, Mary, and his mental abuse of his second wife, Mollie. Medicine's misinformation concerning women's health, syphilis, and melancholy had a crucial impact on the lives of these two women in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Dr. Minahan's wealth and reputation as a surgeon hid a closet narcissistic abuser. When taken to court by these women, Dr. Minahan's reputation was scarcely tarnished.

In the last 1800s and early 1900s, women who sought justice had to overcome many obstacles. It is sad that women today face many of the same obstacles. I was able to read this book on #NetGalley.

This is such a strange and powerful story written about events from around the beginning of the 20th century in Green Bay. The things this so-called doctor Minahan did and got away with are just awful. But Mary and Minnie were finally pushed too far. A well-researched read.

Two women found themselves victims of a horrible doctor who wanted to treat them for syphillis even though he could not definitively say that they had the disease.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I wish I'd read the Author's Note first since it explained why she wrote the book (she was studying the history of an old home that she purchased). The story of Dr. Minahan and the abuses he meted out on at least two women was very interesting, but I found it more interesting how determined Mary was to fight back against him. As an illiterate domestic she had a lot of things stacked against her (particularly that all of the men she turned to for help were friendly with each other). She actually won her first lawsuit against him only to have the verdict overturned. She went on to sue him two more times before she ultimately gave up. To later read how horrible this man was to his educated and determined wife was even more amazing. This was a man who's name appeared on many large buildings in the Green Bay area and his local reputation was top notch. I had hopes that the story would end better than it did, but with non-fiction you have to take the truth for what it is. I will recommend this book to friends and my local book club.

A difficult (due to the topic, not the writing style) but powerful read. Truly shows how power can cover up so many sins. I applaud the author for the research needed to create this book.

Sadly this type of behavior was not confined to Green Bay, however the documentation has been lost to time in other locations, so it is great that the author was able to dig up so much research for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for and ARC of this book. #sponsored

Such a wonderful thriller! Some parts were predictable, but I was mostly surprised. The characters were well developed. I really enjoyed this one!

The Maid and The Socialite by Lynda Drew tells the story of Mary the maid, Mollie the socialite and Dr John Minahan of Greek Bay Wisconsin. OMG!! What a story!! I can’t believe this really happened!! In a way, we have come along way since 1900 but in some ways things have not changed for some women. I couldn’t put this book down. It gets you hooked right from the start. I highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book for an honest review.

An Exception Read from Two Remarkable Women

THE maid and the Socialite is an excellent written book by Lynda Drews. This book is very professionally written, and the events take place in Green Bay Wisconsin from the late 1800’s to 1954. the book documents how women were treated by men back then and finally how they revolted against the men who suppressed them and started the feminist movement.

Dr. John R. Minahan.  is a noteworthy, celebrated surgeon and he is very respected in his community. Dr. Minahan’s wealth is enormous, and he has built a college stadium, a science hall, and six-story office building. being reviled for the first time all is not what it seems as there is a dark side to Minahan both his home and his family life.

Mary is a strong girl and despite being illiterate and working as a servant she is a strong woman who would not let anyone walk over her and Mary proved also to be highly intelligent. Mary got a job as a servant girl working for the Minahan’s and in the first two weeks all went well until Minahan’s wife went away. Dr Minahan one evening took advantage of Mary and forced himself upon her. Mary was shocked and could not bring herself to believe such an affluent marred man would commit such a crime.

When Mary finds out she is pregnant the following month she goes to Dr Minahan’s surgery to confront him only to find he had no problem aborting their child which gets rid of the evidence whilst looking after no 1. Minahan forces Mary to have an abortion which he performed by saying he must check how the baby is. After the abortion Mary goes back with excessive bleeding and pain but after the examination Minahan drops a bombshell and tells Mary she has syphilis. This horrified Mary due to the times as people would automatically think she was a woman of loose morals.

Years later Dr. Minahan marries for the second time to a very smart intelligent girl from a very loved and respected family. Before Mollie married, she thought Minahan was handsome, witty, and charismatic and Mary believes this would not change. Right from the start as they embarked on a six-month honeymoon thing started to go drastically wrong when Mollie informs, Minahan that she is pregnant, and he is defiantly not happy and tells Mollie it must be somebody else's child.

Mollies is horrified at the changes her husband undergoes and her first two pregnancies are miscarriages and Minahan tells Mollie it was because she has syphilis and that caused her babies to not to go to full-term. Mollie knew she had never been with any other Man and cannot believe how cruel Minahan can be but finally she gives birth to two healthy children. Minahan informs Mollie that both the boys would be vulnerable to Syphilis so he would need to treat them both.

Minahan has a pattern to silence both women as, he claimed that they both had that shameful and dreaded disease syphilis and believes that they are Meak mild women who will submit. This book is all about the women who stood up to him despite his name his family's reputation and their own standing in Green Bay. The author Lynda Drews has captured the story's and woven both beautifully together. Molly Monaghan and the doctors second wife Mollie would have many qualities in common with each other. This is an excellent book which I highly recommend Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It is both devastating and empowering to read stories of how women were oppressed in earlier time periods. We have come so far but still have so very far to go.