Chambermaid

by Saira Rao

Book Overview

The devil holds a gavel in this wickedly entertaining debut novel about a young attorney's eventful year clerking for a federal judge. Sheila Raj is a recent graduate of a top-ten law school with dreams of working for the ACLU but law school did not prepare her for the power-hungry sociopath, Judge Helga Friedman. While her beleaguered colleagues begin quitting their jobs, Sheila is assigned to a high-profile death penalty case and suddenly realizes...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802143725
• ISBN13: 9780802143723
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Witty Beach Read

Chaimbermaid is a fictional account of a judicial clerk, Shelia Raj, and her experience at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals here in Philadelphia. A lot of the action takes place in Philadelphia restaurants, including such gems as Rouge, The Continental, Jones, Las Vegas Lounge and Ralph's. It's interesting to see the perspective of these restaurants from a character who is not a Philadelphia native. And Shelia's objectivity is refreshing. For example, Shelia, who hails from New York, is annoyed by the velvet rope elitism practiced at Rouge and is not a fan of The Continental's "Oriental Ginger Noodle Salad." Yet, she's grounded enough to appreciate the simple comforts of the mac-and-cheese and deviled eggs at Jones. The book has received a lot of attention due to its so-called scandalous, fly-on-the-wall perspective of what happens inside the chambers of a federal appeals court judge. This aspect of the book certainly is a draw, especially to us lawyer types, and does carry its share of the book's humor. But Rao's stories did not diminish my respect and reverence for the court. In the end, all judges are human beings. But Rao, in fact, demonstrates that it takes an exceptional kind of human being to be the effective judge that Judge Friedman is in Chambermaid. In addition, there's a lot more to Chambermaid than the gossipy goings-on behind chamber doors. For example, one of the key plot threads involves a high-profile death penalty case Shelia has been assigned. Death penalty jurisprudence can be complicated stuff (I know; I represented a death row inmate back in the day). But Rao not only manages to make death penalty jurisprudence approachable, she also makes it engaging. Yet, Chambermaid is still an escape. Rao's style is light, witty and entertaining. And her book is chock full of politics, love and other tumultuous happenings in the life of a young lawyer struggling for direction and identity. Chaimbermaid is the perfect beach read for anyone interested in a young professional's perspective on law, Center City or the Philadelphia dining scene.

Praise for Chambermaid

Chambermaid was the perfect summer vacation read. Saira Rao's witty portrayal of life inside one wacky, fictional judge's chambers was the right balance of wit, (relatively) light-hearted plot, well-developed characters, and some important commentary on the mysterious ways of the federal courts. Critics who harp on the protagonist's catty side or how the novel depicts a not altogether true look at the judiciary have totally missed the point: Rao wasn't channeling Woodward and Bernstein here in a legal-journalistic expose of the federal courts. Rather, this is a terrific first work of fiction by a talented young writer and lawyer who saw fit to have some fun at the expense of our legal system. I am looking forward to whatever her pen (her sword?) sees fit to attack next.

The Office meets Law & Order

Chambermaid is a creative caricature of many first professional jobs: weirdo co-workers, ego-maniacal bosses and on-the-job experiences that are nothing like the job description one applied for. As a bonus, the reader is treated to the narrator's experience as a young Indian woman in search of love while balancing her neuroses as a competitive recent law school grad. Read this book for what it is, a work of FICTION that draws on the real-life experiences of the author. As for whether Chambermaid accurately reflects clerking for a Federal Judge, I say, "Who cares, it's a novel!"

Clever, Witty, Fun Read

Like many of the reviewers here, I also enjoyed reading Chambermaid. Rao has a real eye for the absurdities of the legal system, and a sharp wit that elicits many laughs. The portrait of the hermetically sealed world of a judge's chambers is dead on, and there is even some non-legal-world fun to be had here, for example, a playful Thanksgiving family meal. I recommend buying and reading this book, and look forward to more books from Rao in the future!

A great vacation book

If your looking for a great book to take on your summer vacation, this is it! It was very funny and I found myself laughing out loud while reading it. I'm not a lawyer but I enjoyed the book for what it is - a fictional story about clerking for a judge.