Read the book "Her Master Key - A Hotel Housekeeper's Stories from INN-DIA" by Shruti Johri. The book revolves around the various incidents that Shruti had experienced while working as a housekeeper at a leading five-star hotel in India. The book entertains you a lot while also educating about the various facets of people working at a hotel. Enroute, it covers many facets of life also.
The book has eight stories that is either about a single event or a group of similar experiences around a topic. The first story "Wasted Testimony" is about a philandering incident a window cleaner witnesses. "Tender Bartender" is a story about a rich lonely wife who is a sculptor and how she befriends a bartender who she later takes as a model for her sculptures. The story well articulates the mixed feelings the bartender undergoes and how a small encounter between two individuals can lead to far reaching consequences that is even good for the society at large. "The Carnal Getaway" is about the monstrous ways in which some men sometimes quench their carnal desires. Many of the philandering happens with the knowledge and sometimes even in presence of their wives.
"Diplo-Mazey" is about a set of interesting experiences that happen when a set of foreign delegates stay at the hotel. "Face of a Mob" is about the various prejudices we have about people and how the very same people will sometimes give a helping hand. The story also narrates the various mishaps that occur when a hotel worker does not know to speak English. "Did Eye Lie" is a scary but somewhat hilarious event that occurs when a guest complains about the hypnotizing eyes of a piece of art on the walls. "Lost and Found" is an heart warming account of how a fully pregnant Shruti sets out to search for the lost CDs of one of her guests and how several well meaning souls help her find it from a place far away from the hotel. "The Checkout" is about some personal incidents in the life of Shruti and how she finally quits her job at the hotel.
The last Chapter is an imagined interview that Shruti faces in the year 2023. It is very hilarious and is a nice way of putting across many other things that Shruti wants to share about her life and career.
From reading the book it is well evident that Shruti was a duty conscious and dedicated housekeeper. The narration style is simple but with lot of interesting details. The book published by Rupa Publishers book has 172 pages and costs Rs.176 in Amazon India. Go for it!
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