For July’s Slow Readers’ Book Club, we discussed Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid. Phew — what a discussion.

As a collective we couldn’t decide what to make of it. Did we keep turning the pages out of intrigue or bemusement?

The writing in The Housemaid is choc-full of clichés, lingering looks, and yes, an actual “I let go of a breath I didn’t know I was holding” – but somehow McFadden keeps us hooked? Like a cheesy thriller you put on to switch your brain off after a long day of work – not a single brain cell needed – and yet we couldn’t put it down.

““I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they’ve discovered what’s upstairs, there’s no turning back.”

Note: this discussion of The Housemaid contains spoilers! If you have not read the book please don’t spoil it for yourself!

Let’s back up a minute and give a little summary of the plot. Millie is a recently released ex-con, who has just spent 10 years of her life in prison and is living in her Nissan when she gets the job as a live-in maid for the Winchesters.

Enter: Nina.

Nina Winchester is your archetypical PTA mom-bitch. Always impeccably dressed with a sharp bob and a white Lexus to boot. Nina makes Millie’s life hell. Making a mess just so she has to clean it up. Giving contradicting instructions and displaying erratic behaviour near-constantly.

Millie is self-conscious of her beauty (sigh) around Nina, as she doesn’t want her to feel threatened for the affections of her handsome husband (who also just-so-happens to be a millionaire). Spoiler alert: Nina was absolutely right to feel threatened by Millie, who practically salivates over Andrew at any given opportunity and doesn’t hesitate to jump into bed with him once Nina is away.

The entire plot ofThe Housemaid spans three months. Within that time – the seemingly perfect marriage of the Winchesters breaks down, Millie steps in and offers to help Nina with her bags when she is leaving the family home!! And it turns out that Andrew is a psychotic narcissist who enjoys abusing women by locking them in the attic and forcing them to perform acts of self-harm. Unlucky for him, Millie has more about her than meets the eye.

How many red flags does one person need to ignore before willingly walking into an attic that only locks from the outside. Was Millie’s living situation ever dire enough to allow herself to become a prisoner – again?

“As I shut the door, I notice marks in the wood. Long thin lines running down the length of the door at about the level of my shoulder. I run my fingers over the indentations. They almost seem like… Scratches. Like somebody was scraping at the door.”

I’ll remind you, dear reader, that this entire plot occurs over three months. That means that Millie was looking at the scratches on the inside of her door for 12 weeks without putting two and two together.

We know that Andy was in the attic for at least one week. If we retrace our steps, we know that Millie was in the attic for at least two days. That gives us 10.5 weeks (give or take) for the breakdown of a marriage, for the attraction between Millie and Andrew to grow into a full-blown affair, for Andrew to untangle his narcissistic hold over Nina enough to let her leave with the child he has raised, and for Millie to step into Nina’s shoes.

Was Millie and unwitting victim or intentional home-wrecker? After 10 years in prison does Millie pick up any semblance of a survival instinct? Or is this all part of one, larger, more disturbing pattern of self-destructive behaviour?

“He’s attracted to her because I’m turning her into the victim. The same way I was the victim […] all those years ago.”

For Millie, there’s something self-destructive in her refusal to acknowledge the danger she is in. She ignores the door that only locks from the outside. The scratches in the door itself. Enzo literally telling her she’s in danger. For a book that has the tagline: from behind closed doors, she sees everything – she’s clearly got blinkers in her vision.

As we learn, killing Andrew isn’t Millie’s first murder. In fact, Millie adorns a vigilante-esque attitude to killing men that abuse women. But this isn’t quite as ‘woo girl-power’ as that.

Millie’s cycle of rushing head-first into danger isn’t as brave, it’s tragic. It’s the horrific situation of a woman that doesn’t feel like she has any options – while her other options are screaming at her to run. Millie isn’t the martyr that she’s making herself out to be. Her auto-pilot is set to self-annihilation, and she’s lost control of the wheel.

In the final chapter of the novel, after Millie has survived her traumatic stay with the Winchesters and apparently gotten away with murder – she goes for another interview as a housemaid (because that worked so well last time).

Millie notices the bruises on her potential employers neck, her anxious eyes, and her plea:

“Can you help me, Millie?”

“Yes,” I say. “I believe I can.”

What do you think of Millie’s fate? Was there any other outcome that could have saved her? Do you think Millie kills for self-preservation, virtue, or maybe even… fun? I’d love do hear your thoughts.

Our next book club will discuss Jay Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 – a dystopian novel that explores censorship and the necessity of independent thought. In our AI-driven world, this one is going to be an exciting discussion. Here are just some of the comments on our Dubai book club from our lovely Instagram community:

“I’m genuinely glad the introvert in me didn’t take over and cancel last minute … I freakin’ loved it” (@thiscitythatbook)

“Slow reader here! … I’d love to join!” – (@erikavsbooks)

Here’s more on Fahrenheit 451:

In a future where firemen don’t put out fires – they start them – one man begins to question the world he’s always accepted. Fahrenheit 451 is a haunting, fast-paced exploration of censorship, conformity, and the quiet power of curiosity. Ray Bradbury’s visionary classic invites readers to imagine a society where critical thought is dangerous and books are forbidden, but where even the smallest spark can ignite a revolution of the mind...