The Weaver's Daughter

February 26, 2018
This unwieldy historical novel from Ladd (The Heiress of Winterwood) personalizes the struggles of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. Kate Dearborn is the daughter of a proud and stubborn weaver, Silas Dearborn, who wants to maintain his way of life at any cost. Henry Stockton is the grandson of William Stockton, owner of Stockton Mill, despised by weavers because his modernized mills produce wool that rivals their own. As Stockton Mill begins to affect the profits of the traditional weavers, mysterious machine failures begin to pop up. While Kate and Henry are initially distrustful of each other, they soon learn to see the situation from each other’s point of view. Their relationship is complicated by William Stockton’s hope that Henry will marry Frederica Pennington, Kate’s former best friend. Deception and mayhem abound as the tension between the mill owners and weavers spirals out of control. Arthur Pennington, Frederica’s father, was once Silas’s partner but is now helping Stockton, and Kate’s brother, Charles, decides to join forces with the Stocktons. These defections weigh heavily on Silas, and Kate, too, is soon forced to choose between her father and Henry. While the plotting is predictable and characters tend to appear at rather fortuitous moments, Ladd inserts enough action to keep things entertaining until the end. Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such Literary Management

March 15, 2018

When Nicholas Stockton returned from the Napoleonic Wars, he did not expect to be thrust into running the family's textile mill after the untimely death of his grandfather. As he learns the business and makes plans to modernize the mill as his grandfather had wished, he realizes management has not done well by the employees. Kate Dearborne's family have been weavers for generations. Her father, a feared yet successful businessman, will not embrace the idea of change, nor will he entertain any of his children working or falling in love with the competition, the Stocktons. Yet as Kate and Nicholas encounter each other at various functions, they discover that the lies they have been told about their respective families are groundless. Ladd (A Stranger at Fellsworth) updates the Romeo and Juliet story and transplants it to 1812 Yorkshire, England. Her contrasting portraits of the industrialist Stocktons vs. the artisan Dearbornes highlights the issues that arose with the Industrial Revolution. VERDICT A strong choice for fans of historical fiction, especially lovers of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. It will also appeal to admirers of Kristy Cambron and Tracie Peterson.

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