I was intrigued by the story of the weavers that was part of The Weaver’s Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd. I thank TLC Book Tours for sending me a copy at no charge for my honest review.
About The Weaver’s Daughter:
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 10, 2018)
Kate’s loyalties bind her to the past. Henry’s loyalties compel him to strive for a better future. In a landscape torn between tradition and vision, can two souls find the strength to overcome their preconceptions?
Loyalty has been at the heart of the Dearborne family for as long as Kate can remember, but a war is brewing in their small village, one that has the power to rip families asunder — including her own. As misguided actions are brought to light, she learns how deep her father’s pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed.
Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war hoping to find a refuge from his haunting memories. Determined to bury the past, he embraces his grandfather’s goals to modernize his family’s wool mill, regardless of the grumblings from the local weavers. When tragedy strikes shortly after his arrival, Henry must sort out the truth from suspicion if he is to protect his family’s livelihood and legacy.
Henry has been warned about the Dearborne family. Kate, too, has been advised to stay far away from the Stocktons, but chance meetings continue to bring her to Henry’s side, blurring the jagged lines between loyalty, justice, and truth. Kate ultimately finds herself with the powerful decision that will forever affect her village’s future. As unlikely adversaries, Henry and Kate must come together to find a way to create peace for their families, and their village, and their souls – even if it means risking their hearts in the process.
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About the Author:
Sarah E. Ladd received the 2011 Genesis Award in historical romance for The Heiress of Winterwood. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has more than ten years of marketing experience. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing family and spunky Golden Retriever.
Connect with Sarah
My Opinion:
Historical fiction is my preferred choice of reading but I really enjoy it when the story also involves some of the challenges the people of the time faced. I seem to lately be finding myself reading books about labor struggles. Books I’ve noticed seem to come out in droves about one issue or another.
In The Weaver’s Daughter the issues are between the old way of weaving life and the new mechanized ways coming in. Of course we know how that battle was waged and who won. In this story Kate is the titular daughter and her father is bound and determined that the old ways are best and he will.not.change no matter what. Her brother knows that change is inevitable and he moves to the big mill in town owned by the Stocktons. His father disowns him but Kate still keeps in contact.
The owner of the mill, old Mr. Stockton is shocked one day when his grandson comes home from war – all thought he was dead. He comes home from the war a changed man but knows he is to take over the operation of the mill and marry the girl he left behind. The problem is, he isn’t finding her as interesting. He finds himself drawn to Kate – who belongs to a family his has sworn to hate.
I found the setting of the book to be interesting as it was at the cusp of the industrial revolution which was a very trying time in history. It was also a very ugly time in regards to worker’s rights. Wages were low, conditions were poor and children worked along side of their parents.
I enjoyed the setting of the book and the plot. I had some confusion over some of the mill terminology that was just thrown out there and I had to spend some time on the google. My ignorance notwithstanding I found the story interesting. The romance aspect is pretty standard but enjoyable. We have a man from the upper classes falling for a woman of a lesser class. He starts out set in his ways but finds out that she has a lot to teach him. It’s well written and entertaining.
Rating:
4
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The Giveaway:
One lucky US reader will win a copy of The Weaver’s Daughter. Just enter as many ways as you would like on the Gleam widget below. Full rules are on the widget. Good luck everyone.
