The Weaver’s Daughter

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 (Apr.)