The Housekeeper's Secret: A Memoir by Sandra Schnakenburg
For fans of stranger than truth stories, Sandy Schnakenburg is uncovering rattling and unprecedented revelations in this powerful memoir of love, secrets, and survival.
When Lee Metoyer is hired to be the new housekeeper, she has no idea that she’s about to become the anchor to a family in an abusive patriarch's home, setting a mystery in motion that will take decades to uncover. At the age of seventy-two, Lee falls ill and on her deathbed asks Sandy to write her story. The only problem is, Sandy doesn’t know the story.
Embarking on a quest to honor Lee’s final wishes, Sandy takes an emotional and thrilling journey, unveiling shocking truths not only about her beloved housekeeper but also her own upbringing. As she digs further, she learns that Lee came to her family’s sprawling estate in Barrington, IL, harboring a secret past. For decades, she’s been in hiding. But Lee is not the only one with secrets; Sandy’s quest forces her to grapple with her own family history as well, and to finally confront the effects of the psychological abuse she suffered as a child.
Both a chilling and exciting personal tale of love and survival, The Housekeeper’s Secret is a gripping saga that illuminates the resilience of the human spirit.
Published by She Writes Press, The Housekeeper’s Secret has been honored with several awards, including:
• Gold Award, Non-Fiction Book Awards
• Best Memoir of 2024, Firebird Book Awards
• Finalist for the 2025 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award
• Finalist for the 2025 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award and Grand Prize
"Sandy Schnakenburg is a memoirist of skill, warmth, and compassion and The Housekeeper's Secret is as much a page-turner as it is a deep dive into relationships, loyalty, and the secrets we keep from those we love the most. Schnakenburg is a brave, new voice." —Cameron Dezen Hammon, author of This Is My Body: A Memoir of Religious and Romantic Obsession
“This is a tale of women surviving and supporting each other that will amaze and inspire you. Beautifully told with unflinching detail and honesty." —Catherine Vance, author of The Mountains Under Her Feet
“Schnakenburg delivers a frequently engrossing and often surprising glimpse into a troubled life… it’s an absorbing mystery with a satisfying conclusion.”—Kirkus Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandy Schnakenburg is a writer, mother, and truth-seeker with a background in finance, writing, community advocacy, and personal transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Arizona State University and pursued graduate studies in business at the University of Southern California. When she’s not writing, Sandy can be found spending time with her family, hiking mountain trails, skiing fresh powder, or flowing through yoga. She and her husband, Karl, are nature lovers who split their time between Texas and Park City, Utah. Sandy has spent over a decade bringing The Housekeeper’s Secret to life—driven by a promise and a mission to amplify voices too often overlooked. She is passionate about truth-telling, legacy, and empowering women whose stories deserve to be heard.
Readers can connect with Sandy on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Goodreads. To learn more, visit SandraSchnakenburg.com