I read this story in Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives, an anthology edited by Sarah Weinman. In the introduction to this story, Sarah Weinman says...
"A Nice Place to Stay," first published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in 1970, is among Tyre's best and most anthologized works, and thus an excellent reintroduction to this unjustly neglected author.
This is the story of a woman who has always been the one to keep house and cook for others in the family. Initially she lives with her parents after her brothers get married and move out. When her father dies, her brothers get a small place for her and their mother to stay, and give them just enough money to get by on. She knows that her brothers will not be so good to her when her mother dies. And she does have to fend for herself at that point.
She finds jobs as a carer for the sick or elderly, but only temporary, low paid work, since she has no training. The money she gets hardly keeps her alive. Things keep going from bad to worse. She turns to stealing, but only small things, old clothing that she can get a few pennies for. Just enough to buy new shoes when hers are no longer wearable. When one of the women she cares for, Mrs. Crowe, gives her a silver box for trinkets, Mrs. Crowe's relatives claim that she stole it. So she is arrested. And finally she finds in prison a place to stay, to have food and a bed. And even then, her new-found comfort is thwarted.
This dark and chilling story shows the effects of severe poverty and how it can affect people, even those with the best intentions.
A few years ago, I read another story by Nedra Tyre, "Recipe for a Happy Marriage." It was collected in Murder on the Menu, edited by Carol-Lynn Rössel Waugh, Martin H. Greenberg, and Isaac Asimov. I discussed the story here.
Also see my earlier post on some stories from Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives.
12 comments:
Love the cover on Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives! You're right about the effects of poverty on human behavior.
Stories from that era so often concern people doing domestic work. And how seldom that is the case today. We use cleaning companies to care for our houses. And the petty theft that occurs with these poorly paid jobs is often a plot point.
This does sound chilling, Tracy. It's really true that poverty can drive people to real desperation, and following characters down that path can be unsettling. I'm glad you thought this story was well-written.
George, it is an attractive cover. When I look back on my childhood, I realize that we had much less money (and things) than even others in my neighborhood. Yet not even close to the type of poverty that this woman experienced and could not escape.
Patti, that is an interesting point. I wonder why, as there are plenty of people out there doing that kind of work.
Margot, I want to follow up on this author. I have no idea how easy or difficult it is to find her novels but I haven't run into any.
I read this...probably in the 1976 ELLERY QUEEN'S ANTHOLOGY issue (Davis Publications would publish these semiannually, and they drew heavily on EQMM stories but not exclusively).
You might have to go to specialist, eventual convention or online venders for any of her novels...WorldCat turns up holdings of books with her stories within, but none of her at least handful of novels.
I think Patti nailed it...relatively few people are steady domestic workers any longer, so much as part of roving cleaning crews that presumably send various people out at various times.
See also Barbara Ehrenreich's NICKEL AND DIMED...
Todd, NICKEL AND DIMED was one reason why I think such work would be good fodder for fiction.
I do wish I could find one or two of her novels and more of her short stories. I will make the effort anyway. I can find some of the Ellery Queen magazines or anthologies, I think. Over time.
It certainly could make for good fiction...and I think some has resulted...but I think Patti was noting why we don't see fiction about long-term personally employed cleaning staff, with a long relation between the staff and employer, any longer.
I know I have read some cleaning crew fiction, but can't yet pull any obvious examples. Will mull!
Interesting anthology. I don't need it, but if I ever cross paths, you just know I'll buy it!
Col, it has a great story and the stories I have read so far are good.
Sorry, Col, it has a great cover and...
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