Publication
New York : Doubleday, 2013.
Collection
Call number
Fiction A
Physical description
287 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:�??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 MonitorFrom 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… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member hollysing
Alice Barrow leaves home to become a mill girl so that she can send money home to her father and never have to work on a farm again. Quickly she learns this decision will have challenging implications for her life when:
• A ten-year-old bobbin girl cries herself to sleep.
• Alice has no time to
• Thirteen hour days leave her as crushed as a bug underfoot.
• Alice has to pay a fee to be trotted out on display when President Jackson visits.
• A young girl coughs up a cotton ball—a bodily response to the lint pollution in the mill air.
Alice is befriended by an older mill girl, Lovey. They become close, sharing stories that Alice finds her books and Lovey through her imagination. After Hiram Fiske, the owner, asks Alice to be an emissary of sorts between the girls and the owner, she develops a relationship with his eldest son, Samuel, which seems a harbinger of better things to come. Then Lovey is found dead and a trial ensues.
Kate Alcott gives us intricate detail about how a cotton mill works. The textile mill era in the early nineteenth century, a dismal part of the American Industrial Revolution, is brilliantly exposed in a story that grips the reader. The character of Covey, bold, spicy, and spirited, is finely drawn. Disaster looms on every page of the well-drawn plot. More character development is seen than in Alcott’s first novel, The Dressmaker. Brimming with themes of love, loss, courage and betrayal, The Daring Ladies of Lovell, will astound and capture the heart of the reader. Highly recommended.
The Amazon Vine Program graciously provided an advance readers copy for my unbiased review.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
• A ten-year-old bobbin girl cries herself to sleep.
• Alice has no time to
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wash when 4:30 am wakeup bell sounds.• Thirteen hour days leave her as crushed as a bug underfoot.
• Alice has to pay a fee to be trotted out on display when President Jackson visits.
• A young girl coughs up a cotton ball—a bodily response to the lint pollution in the mill air.
Alice is befriended by an older mill girl, Lovey. They become close, sharing stories that Alice finds her books and Lovey through her imagination. After Hiram Fiske, the owner, asks Alice to be an emissary of sorts between the girls and the owner, she develops a relationship with his eldest son, Samuel, which seems a harbinger of better things to come. Then Lovey is found dead and a trial ensues.
Kate Alcott gives us intricate detail about how a cotton mill works. The textile mill era in the early nineteenth century, a dismal part of the American Industrial Revolution, is brilliantly exposed in a story that grips the reader. The character of Covey, bold, spicy, and spirited, is finely drawn. Disaster looms on every page of the well-drawn plot. More character development is seen than in Alcott’s first novel, The Dressmaker. Brimming with themes of love, loss, courage and betrayal, The Daring Ladies of Lovell, will astound and capture the heart of the reader. Highly recommended.
The Amazon Vine Program graciously provided an advance readers copy for my unbiased review.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
When I think of the Industrial Revolution, I tend to think of England, the Luddites, and the pictures of peppered moths from science textbooks illustrating evolution at work. (You remember those moth pictures, right? The ones where peppered moths were typically white speckled with black before the
Alice Barrow is newly arrived in Lowell, eager to find work as a mill girl, to forever escape her father's farm and become independent. She finds a room in a boarding house with several other mill girls who quickly become her closest friends, especially the cheerful and occasionally reckless Lovey. As she settles into her work at the looms, she sees firsthand the dangers that abound in the mill: dangerous machinery, unavoidable inhalation of cotton fibers, and appallingly long work hours that make workers careless out of fatigue to name just a few. Alice quickly becomes a voice in defense of the mill girls and the problems with their working conditions, even as she worries about Lovey's sudden secretiveness and tries to stop herself from being drawn to Samuel Fiske, the mill owner's son. When she returns from a futile dinner at the Fiske's Boston home where she was meant to be an emissary between the mill workers and the Fiskes but where her ideas were roundly dismissed or ignored, it is to find Lovey missing. And the following morning, there is the horrifying discovery of Lovey's hanged body. First ruled a suicide because she was pregnant, her death is later considered a homicide and the ensuing trial accusing a magnetic itinerant preacher of her murder becomes both a referendum on the character of the mill girls and a way in which the Fiske family hopes to turn prevalent political opinion on the mills to their side.
Based on an actual crime committed against a mill girl, the story highlights the need for reform and the fact that to the owner-class the dollar is mightier than the well-being and health of the workers. The novel really only skimmed the surface of these issues though, uncertain if it wanted to be about the labor movement and opportunity cost of mill work, if it wanted to be about the death of Lovey and the questions of morality and right that it raised, or if it wanted to be a forbidden romance between Alice and Samuel. In the end, it touched on all three things but didn't really delve very deeply into any of them. The trial portion of the story and the hidden reason for its outcome are probably the most engaging parts of the novel. The characters, aside from Alice, Lovey, and Samuel, are hard to tell apart even if they are initially described as being very different, blending together as one amorphous character after the initial introduction. The novel's resolution is just a shade too easy and unrealistic to be completely satisfying and seems unlikely given all that went before it. Even so, this was a generally interesting tale, raising some worthy points about the history of industrialization in this country.
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industrial revolution but became almost entirely black so they blended in with the soot covered leaves.) I rarely think of the mills and factories in this country but occasionally it does creep into my consciousness. There's Ford's assembly line and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, both of which date to the early 1900s but even before that there were factories and mills operating in the US. They were both great economic opportunities and potentially dangerous and deadly for the workers employed there. Kate Alcott's latest novel, The Daring Ladies of Lowell, offers up the story of one such fictional mill and the opposing political ideas about mills and mill workers that swirled around even as early as the 1830s. Alice Barrow is newly arrived in Lowell, eager to find work as a mill girl, to forever escape her father's farm and become independent. She finds a room in a boarding house with several other mill girls who quickly become her closest friends, especially the cheerful and occasionally reckless Lovey. As she settles into her work at the looms, she sees firsthand the dangers that abound in the mill: dangerous machinery, unavoidable inhalation of cotton fibers, and appallingly long work hours that make workers careless out of fatigue to name just a few. Alice quickly becomes a voice in defense of the mill girls and the problems with their working conditions, even as she worries about Lovey's sudden secretiveness and tries to stop herself from being drawn to Samuel Fiske, the mill owner's son. When she returns from a futile dinner at the Fiske's Boston home where she was meant to be an emissary between the mill workers and the Fiskes but where her ideas were roundly dismissed or ignored, it is to find Lovey missing. And the following morning, there is the horrifying discovery of Lovey's hanged body. First ruled a suicide because she was pregnant, her death is later considered a homicide and the ensuing trial accusing a magnetic itinerant preacher of her murder becomes both a referendum on the character of the mill girls and a way in which the Fiske family hopes to turn prevalent political opinion on the mills to their side.
Based on an actual crime committed against a mill girl, the story highlights the need for reform and the fact that to the owner-class the dollar is mightier than the well-being and health of the workers. The novel really only skimmed the surface of these issues though, uncertain if it wanted to be about the labor movement and opportunity cost of mill work, if it wanted to be about the death of Lovey and the questions of morality and right that it raised, or if it wanted to be a forbidden romance between Alice and Samuel. In the end, it touched on all three things but didn't really delve very deeply into any of them. The trial portion of the story and the hidden reason for its outcome are probably the most engaging parts of the novel. The characters, aside from Alice, Lovey, and Samuel, are hard to tell apart even if they are initially described as being very different, blending together as one amorphous character after the initial introduction. The novel's resolution is just a shade too easy and unrealistic to be completely satisfying and seems unlikely given all that went before it. Even so, this was a generally interesting tale, raising some worthy points about the history of industrialization in this country.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I had high hopes for The Daring Ladies of Lowell. I love historical fiction that centers around women's rights, especially when it surrounds the working class. When I saw that this book was about mill girls I really, really wanted it to blow me away. I know a little bit about the working condition
Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on March 16, 2014.
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of cotton mills so I was hoping to get even more of an education about the experience in addition to reading a story about the girls themselves. What I got was a mediocre history lesson wrapped up in a somewhat cliche, and definitely predictable, romance.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on March 16, 2014.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
A nicely done piece of historical fiction that is set in Lowell, Massachusetts at the height of its prominence of being a model mill town in the early days of American commerce. These large textile mills had laborers that were chiefly young single women between 16 and 25. This is the story of
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several of these women as they fight to be heard while suffering long hours, little pay and bad and dangerous working conditions. The book contains romance, murder and social and domestic protest. But it is much more than that as there is a murder mystery and the tried and true plot line of poor young girl and rich young man falling into a forbidden love. It also is very easy to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
This was such a great book, it’s not only the story of the ladies that worked at the Lowell Mills but also a murder mystery, fabulously written by the author and fantastically narrated by Cassandra Campbell.
This was a fascinating look at the working conditions of the cotton mills of Lowell, how
Cassandra Campbell’s narration of this one is just superb; it may be my favorite of all Cassandra’s narrations to date. Everyone had a clear voice and you always knew who was talking, her narration of Hiram was perfection! All of her characters and accents were so perfect I absolutely loved this narration, and I have been a fan of Cassandra’s for awhile now but I think this is my favorite and I was very surprised it didn’t win an earphones award and won’t be surprised to see it as audie nominee for best female narration next year!
This book was a great story and I will read anything Kate Alcott writes I really enjoyed her book The Dressmaker too! If you like historical fictions with a good story give this one a try.
5 Stars
This was a fascinating look at the working conditions of the cotton mills of Lowell, how
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sick these girls got because the windows were closed and their lungs would fill up with so much cotton they would cough up balls of cotton. How awful is that? Also the machinery isn’t in the greatest condition and accidents happen more often than they should. All of the ladies are well written and each has their own voice. Alice is the main character, but the other ladies are great too and poor Lovey, she had so much going for her but her murder and the trial that followed brought about small changes in the mill that were good for the workers, not as much change as they should have had but as one worker said it’s uphill from where we were before. Of course, the owners of the mill are pretty much bad guys not wanting to change anything that would affect their bottom line and Hiram Fisk is a huge jerk. He has two sons one that truly wants to help the ladies and one that is just pretty much a waste. (Can you guess which one is involved in the love story?) There is a chaste love story that doesn’t overwhelm the book and actually had me hoping things would work out for the two of them.Cassandra Campbell’s narration of this one is just superb; it may be my favorite of all Cassandra’s narrations to date. Everyone had a clear voice and you always knew who was talking, her narration of Hiram was perfection! All of her characters and accents were so perfect I absolutely loved this narration, and I have been a fan of Cassandra’s for awhile now but I think this is my favorite and I was very surprised it didn’t win an earphones award and won’t be surprised to see it as audie nominee for best female narration next year!
This book was a great story and I will read anything Kate Alcott writes I really enjoyed her book The Dressmaker too! If you like historical fictions with a good story give this one a try.
5 Stars
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LibraryThing member Azacia
Alice Barrow is determined to be self-sufficient. A year after her mother's death, she leaves the family farm to travel to the Lowell factory to be a Lowell Mill Girl - a classy, hard working city girl who makes her own wages and is independent. Once at the factory she is thrown into a world full
Alice is truthful, brave, and remains dignified in the face of controversy. It is at one of these moments, when questioned by the Vice President on the dangerous working conditions of the mill, that she first catches the eye of Samuel Fiske. The eldest son of the Fiske family and heir to the family fortune, Samuel is intelligent, handsome, and lives in a drastically different world than the mill girls. His father rules industry with an iron first where money and family loyalty trumps all. In an era where whispers of reform drift on the breeze and civil unrest is growing, a romance between a Fiske heir and a mill girl blooms amiss the chaos.
Upon starting at the mill, Alice is quickly befriended by Lovey, a more seasoned and slightly out spoken mill girl. Lovey is full of adventure, spirit, and kindness. She is first to aid the other girls at the mill when danger strikes. However, when the danger turns towards Lovey, she is not so lucky. As news of her death rocks the already unstable mill world, Alice and Samuel quickly find themselves at odds when each must protect their own. Alice seeks justice for the life of her friend and safety for the women she works with, and Samuel is pressured to support his family.
What follows is a heart stopping trial, where love, life, and justice are on the line.
Kate Alcott has a talent for writing characters with depth and conviction. The characters in this novel have honorable strengths and realistic struggles.
Cassandra Campbel does a beautiful job narrating the novel. Her voice is soothing and brings the reader on a journey back in time to the 1800s where the story takes place. She gives Alice a voice and a persona that is fits her written description beautifully. Campbel has a talent for seamlessly switching between characters making the novel easy to listen to. Her voice adds strength to the passions of the mill workers searching for justice and reflects sorrow at the tragedies they face. Campbel's narration is a strong addition to a beautifully written novel.
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of difficult work, hazardous conditions, and a wonderful group of women whose friendship is the key to making it through the day. Although the hours are long, the rules are strict, and the women come from a variety of backgrounds, they have one important thing in common ... they all need the job. Alice is truthful, brave, and remains dignified in the face of controversy. It is at one of these moments, when questioned by the Vice President on the dangerous working conditions of the mill, that she first catches the eye of Samuel Fiske. The eldest son of the Fiske family and heir to the family fortune, Samuel is intelligent, handsome, and lives in a drastically different world than the mill girls. His father rules industry with an iron first where money and family loyalty trumps all. In an era where whispers of reform drift on the breeze and civil unrest is growing, a romance between a Fiske heir and a mill girl blooms amiss the chaos.
Upon starting at the mill, Alice is quickly befriended by Lovey, a more seasoned and slightly out spoken mill girl. Lovey is full of adventure, spirit, and kindness. She is first to aid the other girls at the mill when danger strikes. However, when the danger turns towards Lovey, she is not so lucky. As news of her death rocks the already unstable mill world, Alice and Samuel quickly find themselves at odds when each must protect their own. Alice seeks justice for the life of her friend and safety for the women she works with, and Samuel is pressured to support his family.
What follows is a heart stopping trial, where love, life, and justice are on the line.
Kate Alcott has a talent for writing characters with depth and conviction. The characters in this novel have honorable strengths and realistic struggles.
Cassandra Campbel does a beautiful job narrating the novel. Her voice is soothing and brings the reader on a journey back in time to the 1800s where the story takes place. She gives Alice a voice and a persona that is fits her written description beautifully. Campbel has a talent for seamlessly switching between characters making the novel easy to listen to. Her voice adds strength to the passions of the mill workers searching for justice and reflects sorrow at the tragedies they face. Campbel's narration is a strong addition to a beautifully written novel.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
Many are the books regarding the Mill Girls. This one is based on a historic event, a murder due to pregnancy. The girls work at the Boott Mill and lives in a dorm-boardinghouse. They and the male workers (nimble fingers vs brute strength)are exposed to cultural events and church in their free time
Alice is a leader amongst the workers and Lovey is a irrepressible sprite, always able to conjure up some laughter in the weary crew. But Lovey is a risk taker and when Alice is brought to the home of the Fiskes, the mill owners, as a show pony to present grievances that will not be remedied, Lovey's luck disappears. One of the mill owner's sons, Samuel, is a bit more compassionate than the rest of the 1% and sees Alice's intelligence and strength as assets rather than as a threat.
In real life, I wander frequently through nearby Lowell, and the voices of the girls and the crash of the machinery still echo in the brick canyons.
This is not a scholarly work. It's a good summer read.
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and horrendous working conditions, including the inhaling of cotton threads and the subsequent coughing up of bloody cotton balls. The reasons for coming from the country to the mills are primarily the chance to earn $3/week and the escape for the isolation and drudgery of family farms. Despite their long painful days, the girls congratulate themselves for their independence and the lack of cows, pigs, and horses in their urban lives. Alice is a leader amongst the workers and Lovey is a irrepressible sprite, always able to conjure up some laughter in the weary crew. But Lovey is a risk taker and when Alice is brought to the home of the Fiskes, the mill owners, as a show pony to present grievances that will not be remedied, Lovey's luck disappears. One of the mill owner's sons, Samuel, is a bit more compassionate than the rest of the 1% and sees Alice's intelligence and strength as assets rather than as a threat.
In real life, I wander frequently through nearby Lowell, and the voices of the girls and the crash of the machinery still echo in the brick canyons.
This is not a scholarly work. It's a good summer read.
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LibraryThing member spincerely
Good idea for a story, but seemed to just scrape the surface. Would have loved to know more about the characters. And really, just what was Lovey up to?
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
While Alice is the main character for all intents and purposes, it is Lovey who steals the spotlight. She exists mostly in the background as her murder occurs fairly shortly into the novel, but she remains the spark that fuels Alice’s transformation. She has a zest for life that is irresistible,
That a dead girl is more exciting than the main character is a damning statement, albeit a true one. There is a meekness to Alice that one could easily construe as weakness, even though Alice is anything but weak. She is quiet though and tends to fade away next to the stronger characters in the story. Even though she makes the tough decisions and stands her ground according to her beliefs, she never really does banish a reader’s feeling that she is a follower rather than a leader. Given everything that occurs, it may be an unfair assessment, but it exists nonetheless.
Even the descriptions of the mills, the towns of Lowell and Boston, and the countryside fail to inspire or shine with any sort of vibrancy. They are adequate in that readers can create the necessary mental images to understand the context of the narrative, but there is nothing in the writing that makes a reader want to stop and savor a passage or linger over imagery.
The Daring Ladies of Lowell is charming in its own way. Its depiction of life as a mill girl is, by all accounts, fairly accurate. Alice has a wonderful strength of character that mostly overshadows her propensity for passivity, while Lovey is a character that just sparkles no matter if she is in a scene or not. Ms. Alcott does a fine job capturing the changing attitudes of the factory workers and the factory owners as competition enters the landscape and creates greater conflict between profitability and worker safety. In the end though, The Daring Ladies of Lowell is really nothing more than a coming-of-age romance disguised as historical fiction. Its educational elements are secondary to Alice’s growing activism and her brewing relationship with Samuel. As such, it makes the entire novel a pleasant diversion but ultimately rather forgettable.
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one not contained to a page but one that infects readers with her zeal. Her murder does nothing to diminish that special something either. Without her, the story would be dull indeed.That a dead girl is more exciting than the main character is a damning statement, albeit a true one. There is a meekness to Alice that one could easily construe as weakness, even though Alice is anything but weak. She is quiet though and tends to fade away next to the stronger characters in the story. Even though she makes the tough decisions and stands her ground according to her beliefs, she never really does banish a reader’s feeling that she is a follower rather than a leader. Given everything that occurs, it may be an unfair assessment, but it exists nonetheless.
Even the descriptions of the mills, the towns of Lowell and Boston, and the countryside fail to inspire or shine with any sort of vibrancy. They are adequate in that readers can create the necessary mental images to understand the context of the narrative, but there is nothing in the writing that makes a reader want to stop and savor a passage or linger over imagery.
The Daring Ladies of Lowell is charming in its own way. Its depiction of life as a mill girl is, by all accounts, fairly accurate. Alice has a wonderful strength of character that mostly overshadows her propensity for passivity, while Lovey is a character that just sparkles no matter if she is in a scene or not. Ms. Alcott does a fine job capturing the changing attitudes of the factory workers and the factory owners as competition enters the landscape and creates greater conflict between profitability and worker safety. In the end though, The Daring Ladies of Lowell is really nothing more than a coming-of-age romance disguised as historical fiction. Its educational elements are secondary to Alice’s growing activism and her brewing relationship with Samuel. As such, it makes the entire novel a pleasant diversion but ultimately rather forgettable.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I chose to read The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott for a Reading Through Time Challenge. The theme was Labor, Unions and the Working Class. Set in the mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts this is the story of Alice Barrow, who comes to work at the mill in 1832. She is escaping a life of farm
Alice is chosen as a spokesperson for workers rights but finds herself falling in love with the bosses son, Samuel. The death of her best friend adds further conflict as Samuel’s family suppresses evidence that would help to prove her friend was murdered.
This love story blends class differences with industrial history and small town politics into an interesting story. The trial that dominates much of the book was based on a real-life trial on the death of a mill-girl, and this adds a great deal of authenticity to the story. Personally I could have done without the romance which I found superficial and would have preferred more about the struggle for justice and better working conditions that these young women were starting to be involved in.
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drudgery but conditions at the mill are not much better. The mill workers put in long hours under dangerous conditions with low pay and the book does touch on the beginning of workers struggles for a better workplace.Alice is chosen as a spokesperson for workers rights but finds herself falling in love with the bosses son, Samuel. The death of her best friend adds further conflict as Samuel’s family suppresses evidence that would help to prove her friend was murdered.
This love story blends class differences with industrial history and small town politics into an interesting story. The trial that dominates much of the book was based on a real-life trial on the death of a mill-girl, and this adds a great deal of authenticity to the story. Personally I could have done without the romance which I found superficial and would have preferred more about the struggle for justice and better working conditions that these young women were starting to be involved in.
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LibraryThing member Dorritt
You might be fooled by the title into thinking this is an expose of exploitive textile mills of the early 1800s and the feisty female textile workers who dared to advocate for improved working conditions.
You might be fooled by the text on the back cover into thinking this is an atmospheric
In fact, this novel is neither of these. In truth, it’s little more than an ordinary sort of “will they or won't they” romance dolled up to look like a lot more than it is.
Yes, some of the factual information about life in the mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts is interesting. And the murder, for a few chapters, appears to promise some suspense. But the author’s anachronistic use of 21st century idioms/dialog quickly robs the novel of its authentic atmosphere, and the mystery is soon revealed to be entirely unmysterious and merely a bit tawdry. This leaves only the romance between feisty textile worker Alice Barrow and wealthy, aloof mill owner Samuel Fiske to keep things interesting – which isn't promising either, since both characters are straight from the “Romance Author’s Guide to Protagonist Archetypes,” their personalities cartoonish and unconvincing. Add to these flaws an ending that’s improbably convoluted and embarrassingly contrived, and I’m afraid there just isn’t anything here worth the investment of time required to read it. Sorry!
You might be fooled by the text on the back cover into thinking this is an atmospheric
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historical mystery centered around the scandalous death of an innocent girl who may have been hiding a “dark secret.” In fact, this novel is neither of these. In truth, it’s little more than an ordinary sort of “will they or won't they” romance dolled up to look like a lot more than it is.
Yes, some of the factual information about life in the mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts is interesting. And the murder, for a few chapters, appears to promise some suspense. But the author’s anachronistic use of 21st century idioms/dialog quickly robs the novel of its authentic atmosphere, and the mystery is soon revealed to be entirely unmysterious and merely a bit tawdry. This leaves only the romance between feisty textile worker Alice Barrow and wealthy, aloof mill owner Samuel Fiske to keep things interesting – which isn't promising either, since both characters are straight from the “Romance Author’s Guide to Protagonist Archetypes,” their personalities cartoonish and unconvincing. Add to these flaws an ending that’s improbably convoluted and embarrassingly contrived, and I’m afraid there just isn’t anything here worth the investment of time required to read it. Sorry!
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LibraryThing member Karen.Helfrick
Kate Alcott books do not always end "the right way", but they do offer hope of love and happiness, and sometimes that's all a reader could look for.
LibraryThing member gpangel
The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott is a Doubleday/ Random House publication set for release in February 2014. I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Alice Barrow wished to become an independent woman. She leaves her family's farm
Lovey was a nonconformist, funny, daring, and an all around great friend to have. The girls, especially Alice speak out against the terrible conditions in the factory. This gets Alice noticed by the Fiske family, owners of the mill. Samuel Fiske in particular takes a liking to Alice when she shows him the true nature of his family.
But a terrible tragedy occurs that brings down the reputation of Alice's friend and puts a barrier between her and Samuel and their budding romance.
This book is multi-layered. There are elements of a strong friendship, a strong willed Alice who gained much from her experience with the ladies of Lowell. There are the historical aspects that call attention to the treatment of workers, especially women and the attitudes of the upper classes that certainly felt these women were nothing more than slaves and balked at making the work conditions more humane. The attitudes of men toward any woman that got pregnant without benefit of marriage was also horrifying. The rules regarding women who were allowed to work in the mill and many other historical details kept me in enraged at the treatment these women endured.
This was also a courtroom drama when a man is accused of murder and Alice must testify.
There is also a romance between Samuel and Alice. This romance goes against the Fiske family's standards, but it's Alice's standards that are much higher.
This novel was inspiring and thought provoking. It took a lot of spine for Alice to make a stand against injustice. She made sacrifices for her co-workers and for her good friend Lovey. I wonder if there are many people today who would put their jobs and relationships on the line the way Alice did.
Over this one gets an A+
Alice Barrow wished to become an independent woman. She leaves her family's farm
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against the wishes of her father , in 1832 and begins work in the textile industry. Being a "mill girl" proves much more difficult than Alice had anticipated. However, she does make friends with the other girls, especially a girl names Lovey. Lovey was a nonconformist, funny, daring, and an all around great friend to have. The girls, especially Alice speak out against the terrible conditions in the factory. This gets Alice noticed by the Fiske family, owners of the mill. Samuel Fiske in particular takes a liking to Alice when she shows him the true nature of his family.
But a terrible tragedy occurs that brings down the reputation of Alice's friend and puts a barrier between her and Samuel and their budding romance.
This book is multi-layered. There are elements of a strong friendship, a strong willed Alice who gained much from her experience with the ladies of Lowell. There are the historical aspects that call attention to the treatment of workers, especially women and the attitudes of the upper classes that certainly felt these women were nothing more than slaves and balked at making the work conditions more humane. The attitudes of men toward any woman that got pregnant without benefit of marriage was also horrifying. The rules regarding women who were allowed to work in the mill and many other historical details kept me in enraged at the treatment these women endured.
This was also a courtroom drama when a man is accused of murder and Alice must testify.
There is also a romance between Samuel and Alice. This romance goes against the Fiske family's standards, but it's Alice's standards that are much higher.
This novel was inspiring and thought provoking. It took a lot of spine for Alice to make a stand against injustice. She made sacrifices for her co-workers and for her good friend Lovey. I wonder if there are many people today who would put their jobs and relationships on the line the way Alice did.
Over this one gets an A+
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LibraryThing member Carolee888
The Daring Ladies of Lowell: A Novel by Kate Alcott was an even better historical fiction story than I had hoped for! The moment that I saw "Lowell" in the title of this book, I knew that I had to read it. A few years ago, I made a visit to Lowell, Massachusetts and went on a tour of a mill and saw
Alice Barrow comes to Lowell to work at the mill in 1832. She says because she wants to help her father to get out of debt and to never work on the farm again. Her secret reason was to escape her unbearable father. Slowly she got to know the other girls and became friends with Lovey (Sarah Cornell). Alice learned to get up at 4:30 in the morning, throw on her clothes and eat breakfast at 4:35. She learned about the air in the factory that had cotton fibers floating in it and eventually made their way to hard working girl’s lungs. Some coughed up balls and later died. The average day of work was thirteen hours long. I have worked that long and know what it can do your mind and body by the third day. It is hard to comprehend how that they did and operate many looms at once. The only way that you can understand it is that many of them had no choice.
Alice learned about the scary and sometimes tragic accidents with the machines. The mill ladies were encouraged to attend lectures and to express themselves through poetry and stories. She loved the camaraderie of the workers in her boardinghouse and of course the lending library.
Alice was full of spunk and determination and that attracted the eldest son of the owner, Samuel Fiske. Unlike his father, he could understand the hazards of the mill work and feel the injustice of the system for the women.
This book is well researched and brought back memories to me of the dormitories and the mills. I feel that the author stepped back into history and let us get a true picture of mill life. The main character was fictional but the murder trial was a historical fact. There was a women named Sarah Cornell and this book also tells the story of her death and controversial trial that rocked the community in Lowell.
I very highly recommend to book to all lovers of historical fiction and people who want to learn American history.
I received this book from Amazon Vine but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.
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the many dormitories where the women lived. I have always wanted to know more about the women.Alice Barrow comes to Lowell to work at the mill in 1832. She says because she wants to help her father to get out of debt and to never work on the farm again. Her secret reason was to escape her unbearable father. Slowly she got to know the other girls and became friends with Lovey (Sarah Cornell). Alice learned to get up at 4:30 in the morning, throw on her clothes and eat breakfast at 4:35. She learned about the air in the factory that had cotton fibers floating in it and eventually made their way to hard working girl’s lungs. Some coughed up balls and later died. The average day of work was thirteen hours long. I have worked that long and know what it can do your mind and body by the third day. It is hard to comprehend how that they did and operate many looms at once. The only way that you can understand it is that many of them had no choice.
Alice learned about the scary and sometimes tragic accidents with the machines. The mill ladies were encouraged to attend lectures and to express themselves through poetry and stories. She loved the camaraderie of the workers in her boardinghouse and of course the lending library.
Alice was full of spunk and determination and that attracted the eldest son of the owner, Samuel Fiske. Unlike his father, he could understand the hazards of the mill work and feel the injustice of the system for the women.
This book is well researched and brought back memories to me of the dormitories and the mills. I feel that the author stepped back into history and let us get a true picture of mill life. The main character was fictional but the murder trial was a historical fact. There was a women named Sarah Cornell and this book also tells the story of her death and controversial trial that rocked the community in Lowell.
I very highly recommend to book to all lovers of historical fiction and people who want to learn American history.
I received this book from Amazon Vine but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review.
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LibraryThing member CJ82487
This was another BOM for my book club and it was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I did. It was definitely one of those book club picks that I'm glad was chosen.
The pacing was steady, not quick or slow, and because the story was based on true events, I was
There were some really sad moments that made me tear up a little bit towards the end. I loved the relationship the women formed working together at the mill. They became each other's family and looked out for one another. It was sweet and endearing and I loved reading about their day-to-day interactions.
There was a sort of disconnect though. I feel like a chunk of the story was removed to keep the story flowing and that part I would have liked. Alice's relationship goes from being the outsider and the new girl to one of the most trusted mill girls overnight, or so it seems. Really, time passed and the relationships grew, but I would have personally liked to have a little more detail of it. It felt like one day Alice was new and the next she was the leader and that kind of things doesn't happen as quickly as it felt like it did.
The other part that really ruined it for me was the predictable love. I saw it coming a mile away and part of me really wanted to be wrong. The first time Alice and Samuel meet I could tell that was going to be the central focus of the story from that point on and sure enough, that's what happened. It was cute and romantic, but just wasn't what I was wanting to read at the time. I wanted to have more about the mill girls and their relationships instead of Alice and Samuel's.
I loved the characters though. Lovey broke my heart on so many levels, Hiram Fiske made me so angry with his arrogance, and I wanted to sit and lunch with Samuel's grandmother.
It all felt real and that's what I loved. I was in the mill with the girls breathing in cotton fibers. I joined them on a daily basis fighting sickness and exhaustion to earn a wage and make their own way in life. I heard their laughter at night and the piano playing to keep them entertained and I felt their grief when they lost one of their own and no one seemed to care. For me, this is how historical fiction should be. It's still a story being told with real events woven through seamlessly.
I look forward to reading more of Alcott's work.
The pacing was steady, not quick or slow, and because the story was based on true events, I was
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intrigued. Even though Lovey's death was a part of the synopsis for the novel, it caught me off guard. The way it was described in just the right amount of detail and just out of nowhere. I think my jaw just dropped to the floor and I had to pick it up to keep on reading.There were some really sad moments that made me tear up a little bit towards the end. I loved the relationship the women formed working together at the mill. They became each other's family and looked out for one another. It was sweet and endearing and I loved reading about their day-to-day interactions.
There was a sort of disconnect though. I feel like a chunk of the story was removed to keep the story flowing and that part I would have liked. Alice's relationship goes from being the outsider and the new girl to one of the most trusted mill girls overnight, or so it seems. Really, time passed and the relationships grew, but I would have personally liked to have a little more detail of it. It felt like one day Alice was new and the next she was the leader and that kind of things doesn't happen as quickly as it felt like it did.
The other part that really ruined it for me was the predictable love. I saw it coming a mile away and part of me really wanted to be wrong. The first time Alice and Samuel meet I could tell that was going to be the central focus of the story from that point on and sure enough, that's what happened. It was cute and romantic, but just wasn't what I was wanting to read at the time. I wanted to have more about the mill girls and their relationships instead of Alice and Samuel's.
I loved the characters though. Lovey broke my heart on so many levels, Hiram Fiske made me so angry with his arrogance, and I wanted to sit and lunch with Samuel's grandmother.
It all felt real and that's what I loved. I was in the mill with the girls breathing in cotton fibers. I joined them on a daily basis fighting sickness and exhaustion to earn a wage and make their own way in life. I heard their laughter at night and the piano playing to keep them entertained and I felt their grief when they lost one of their own and no one seemed to care. For me, this is how historical fiction should be. It's still a story being told with real events woven through seamlessly.
I look forward to reading more of Alcott's work.
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LibraryThing member bell7
When Alice arrives in Lowell in 1832, she's left her family's farm behind and dreams of making a new life for herself in the mills. When she arrives at the dormitory, Lovey and the other girls take her under their wing and she soon starts to see the harsh conditions, long hours, and dangerous work
There were aspects of this that were well done and interesting explorations in power struggles between mill owners, religious leaders, and the workers themselves but I kept wanting more somehow. Alice was a likable enough character, but I never quite "got" how she and Lovey became friends. The author tells more than shows, so I often reacted with a "But why?" when I was told a character felt a certain way, for example. Details about mill work were inserted somewhat awkwardly in conversation at times, as if the author wanted the readers to know a certain list of things but then get on with the story she wanted to tell. I was interested knowing that this was based on a true story - an actual murder trial that occurred in a mill town - and would have liked to have more information in the author's note at the back, which gave very little additional information and no bibliography.
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they do on the looms. Meanwhile, the owner, Hiram Fiske, is most worried about the bottom line. His son Samuel, however, sees the value in making changes and may have a bit of an interest in Alice herself. Then one of the mill girls is murdered, and the careful balance of power at the factory may shift dramatically.There were aspects of this that were well done and interesting explorations in power struggles between mill owners, religious leaders, and the workers themselves but I kept wanting more somehow. Alice was a likable enough character, but I never quite "got" how she and Lovey became friends. The author tells more than shows, so I often reacted with a "But why?" when I was told a character felt a certain way, for example. Details about mill work were inserted somewhat awkwardly in conversation at times, as if the author wanted the readers to know a certain list of things but then get on with the story she wanted to tell. I was interested knowing that this was based on a true story - an actual murder trial that occurred in a mill town - and would have liked to have more information in the author's note at the back, which gave very little additional information and no bibliography.
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LibraryThing member CarrieWuj
Ugh. Stilted and trite with only the setting and the "bones" of history to make it vaguely interesting. I almost bailed on this after 2 sections, but then it morphed into a murder-mystery and I got hooked again, only to be disappointed by the end. It is 1823 or thereabouts, in Lowell, MA and plucky
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heroine Alice Barrow has just shown up in town to become a mill girl. This is the historic framework the author has chosen for a typical, no-surprises story. Alice has left the farm behind with her jaw set and her head high to start a new life and make money for herself and determine her own future. At her boarding house, she quickly befriends Lovey, Jane, Tilda, Mary O. and others who have the same plans. It's like the author did some cursory research as an outline and then colored it in with typical romance shades. The conditions are terrible, and this is illustrated with little anecdotes of their work days, like the time Delia got her hair caught in the machine, or how Tilda ended up with "Mill lung" the cotton fibers essentially suffocating her. But Alice is a plucky heroine, so she stands up to the factory owner, Hiram Fisk and thereby catches the eye of his handsome son, Samuel who suddenly develops a conscience and a bent for social justice. But they are not destined to be together because their lives are too different! But headstrong Granny dispenses unconventional wisdom to Samuel to follow his heart. Meanwhile, as I said a murder mystery enters the picture. Somehow the Methodists are tied up in this -- another historical tidbit that doesn't present well when fictionalized. It's the Second Great Awakening, but is reduced to tent revivals with a sinister air that cause suspicion among the New England WASPS. You can guess the ending without even having to read. The rest is incidental anyway. Skip! Show Less
LibraryThing member GennaC
An enlivening story about a passionate and spirited young woman's experience as an 1830's textile mill worker and a bit of a rabble-rouser. The novel centers on a devastating and suspenseful murder trial, an unlikely but heartening romance, and the powerful friendships that exist between women.
Awards
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2015)
Language
Original publication date
2013
ISBN
9780385536493