The Daring Ladies of Lowell
A Novel
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4.3 • 39 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
“Alice is cast in the mold of a character created by an earlier Alcott, the passionate and spunky Jo March. A refreshingly old-fashioned heroine, she makes THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL appealing”
--The New York Times Book Review
“Offers up a compelling slice of both feminist and Industrial Age history”--Christian Science Monitor
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE DRESSMAKER comes a moving historical novel about a bold young woman drawn to the looms of Lowell, Massachusetts--and to the one man with whom she has no business falling in love.
Eager to escape life on her family’s farm, Alice Barrow moves to Lowell in 1832 and throws herself into the hard work demanded of “the mill girls.” In spite of the long hours, she discovers a vibrant new life and a true friend—a saucy, strong-willed girl name Lovey Cornell.
But conditions at the factory become increasingly dangerous, and Alice finds the courage to represent the workers and their grievances. Although mill owner, Hiram Fiske, pays no heed, Alice attracts the attention of his eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske. Their mutual attraction is intense, tempting Alice to dream of a different future for herself.
This dream is shattered when Lovey is found strangled to death. A sensational trial follows, bringing all the unrest that’s brewing to the surface. Alice finds herself torn between her commitment to the girls in the mill and her blossoming relationship with Samuel. Based on the actual murder of a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833, THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL brilliantly captures a transitional moment in America’s history while also exploring the complex nature of love, loyalty, and the enduring power of friendship.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Alcott's second novel, following The Dressmaker, focuses on the mill girls of Lowell, Mass., unlikely workhorses who powered the country's early textile industry. It's 1832 and Alice Barrow has fled her family's New Hampshire farm seeking money and freedom. Though the dormitories are Spartan and the hours long (13 per day), the job gives her access to the mill's literary magazine, The Lowell Offering; speakers at the Lyceum, including President Andrew Jackson; and Saturday afternoons in town. Alice quickly befriends Lovey Cornell, who at 23 is the mill's chatty and sassy elder stateswoman. However, she also experiences the downsides of working in the mill, including polluted air and dangerous machinery. By speaking up in front of Jackson during the president's visit, Alice draws mill owner Hiram Fiske's ire, but also catches the eye of his son, Samuel. Soon afterward, Lovey is found hanged in an apparent suicide and the tension between workers and management begins to boil over, threatening Alice's prospects for a relationship with Samuel. Alcott draws on a real-life trial to lend authenticity to her romantic story. For readers looking to expand their knowledge of feminist history, the book will illuminate and satisfy.
Customer Reviews
The daring ladies of Lowell
Yay ! Another good author to read. Good story, interesting characters, bad guys to hate. What else can you ask for?
Wow!
Loved this book. I couldn't stop reading it. Interesting history, characters that make you wish you knew them.
I'm heading out to get The Dressmaker today. I can't wait to read it.
The Dairying Ladies of Lowell
I would like to have seen more actual history, been pulled more into the actual living there, in Lowell, in the boarding houses, on the streets and in the shops. And more about the immigrants too.