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The Daring Ladies of Lowell
From the best-selling author of The Dressmaker comes the warm-hearted and enthralling saga of a bold young woman caught between two worlds-the vibrant camaraderie of factory life and the opulence that a budding romance with the mill owner's son affords-as the murder of her best friend sends shock waves throughout the town.
Determined to forge her own destiny, Alice Barrow joins the legions of spirited young women better known as the Mill Girls. From dawn until dusk, these ladies work the looms, but the thrill of independence, change in their pockets, and friendships formed along the way mostly make the backbreaking labor worthwhile. In fact, Hiram Fiske, the steely-eyed titan of industry, has banked on that. But the working conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous and after one too many accidents, Alice finds herself unexpectedly acting as an emissary to address the factory workers' mounting list of grievances.
After traveling to the Fiske family's Beacon Hill mansion, Alice enters a world she's never even dared to dream about: exquisite silk gowns, sumptuous dinners, grand sitting parlors, and uniformed maids operating with an invisible efficiency. Of course, there's also a chilliness in the air as Alice presents her case. But with her wide, intelligent eyes and rosy-hued cheeks, Alice manages to capture the attention of Hiram's eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske.
Their chemistry is undeniable, soon progressing from mutual respect and shy flirtation into an unforgettable romance. But when Alice's best friend, Lovey, is found strangled in a field, Alice and Samuel are torn between loyalty to "their kind" and a chance for true love.
Determined to forge her own destiny, Alice Barrow joins the legions of spirited young women better known as the Mill Girls. From dawn until dusk, these ladies work the looms, but the thrill of independence, change in their pockets, and friendships formed along the way mostly make the backbreaking labor worthwhile. In fact, Hiram Fiske, the steely-eyed titan of industry, has banked on that. But the working conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous and after one too many accidents, Alice finds herself unexpectedly acting as an emissary to address the factory workers' mounting list of grievances.
After traveling to the Fiske family's Beacon Hill mansion, Alice enters a world she's never even dared to dream about: exquisite silk gowns, sumptuous dinners, grand sitting parlors, and uniformed maids operating with an invisible efficiency. Of course, there's also a chilliness in the air as Alice presents her case. But with her wide, intelligent eyes and rosy-hued cheeks, Alice manages to capture the attention of Hiram's eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske.
Their chemistry is undeniable, soon progressing from mutual respect and shy flirtation into an unforgettable romance. But when Alice's best friend, Lovey, is found strangled in a field, Alice and Samuel are torn between loyalty to "their kind" and a chance for true love.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
280 people are currently reading
7512 people want to read
About the author
Kate Alcott
16 books479 followersKate Alcott is the pseudonym for journalist Patricia O’Brien, who has written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. As Kate Alcott, she is the author of The Dressmaker (a New York Times bestseller), The Daring Ladies of Lowell, and A Touch of Stardust. She lives in Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,218 reviews
April 2, 2014
I don't like reviewing books poorly--it makes me a feel a little guilty, since anyone writing and publishing a book is a huge accomplishment. And since I only rate and review books I actually finish, they aren't a whole lot of one-stars in my collection. If I make it all the way through, it has to be at least okay, right?
This book just really didn't do it for me. I was looking forward to it, too, because the synopsis seemed right up my alley--a murder of a "loose" mill girl rocks the small, 1800s-factory town, leaving her friend and coworker left to put together the pieces.
It's hard to describe what rubbed me the wrong way about this book. Basically, I felt like I was watching a weird hybrid Lifetime movie, but for middle schoolers. The romance was heavy-handed, and definitely lacking any subtlety, yet it didn't really feel like an adult romance--it kind of felt like it was written for young girls who'd eat this kind of thing up. (Perhaps I'm the wrong audience for this?) I found the main character a bit insufferable for her perfection, and the other characters--with the exception maybe of Lovey--weren't really fleshed out enough to stand on their own.
The book gets an A-plus for the setting, but it really was a struggle to get through. Unfortunately, I really can't recommend this one!
This book just really didn't do it for me. I was looking forward to it, too, because the synopsis seemed right up my alley--a murder of a "loose" mill girl rocks the small, 1800s-factory town, leaving her friend and coworker left to put together the pieces.
It's hard to describe what rubbed me the wrong way about this book. Basically, I felt like I was watching a weird hybrid Lifetime movie, but for middle schoolers. The romance was heavy-handed, and definitely lacking any subtlety, yet it didn't really feel like an adult romance--it kind of felt like it was written for young girls who'd eat this kind of thing up. (Perhaps I'm the wrong audience for this?) I found the main character a bit insufferable for her perfection, and the other characters--with the exception maybe of Lovey--weren't really fleshed out enough to stand on their own.
The book gets an A-plus for the setting, but it really was a struggle to get through. Unfortunately, I really can't recommend this one!
March 8, 2024
What I most love about good historical fiction is not knowing how much of a story is based on real life events. My second Alcott book, I once again found myself wanting to google all kinds of events and people.
I’m glad I didn’t because the author graciously reveals what was real and what wasn’t after the book ends.
I’m happy to reveal that this was an excellent glimpse into the early days of our country’s industrial revolution. And it will come as no shock that our forbears were more concerned with keeping their pockets lined than addressing the plight of the workers in their employ.
Some things never change...
(Reviewed 8/26/19)
I’m glad I didn’t because the author graciously reveals what was real and what wasn’t after the book ends.
I’m happy to reveal that this was an excellent glimpse into the early days of our country’s industrial revolution. And it will come as no shock that our forbears were more concerned with keeping their pockets lined than addressing the plight of the workers in their employ.
Some things never change...
(Reviewed 8/26/19)
October 9, 2017
This storyline sounded so interesting as it promised to examine the working conditions of female employees in a Boston area cotton mill and the real life historical account of the murder of one of those women. However, the author then decides to concentrate on a "other side of the tracks romance" between one of the mill workers and the heir to the cotton mill business. I hate that type of masquerade!
December 29, 2013
My love for historical fiction focused on the labor movement began with Denise Giardina’s Storming Heaven. Since reading that novel (almost twenty-five years ago now!), my bookstore radar has led me to other novels treating similar themes. The newest such novel I’ve encountered is Kate Alcott’s The Daring Ladies of Lowell, and it’s a lovely addition to the genre.
You may or may not be familiar with the Lowell textile mills. As a quilter with a love of reproduction textiles (fabrics based on swatches from different historical periods), I know about the Lowell girls and the textiles they produced. Henry Cabot Lowell was a U.S. “entrepreneur” who visited British textile mills, memorized their layouts and the construction of their machinery, then returned to the U.S. with a head full of trade secrets and went into business for himself. The first U.S. textile mill was built in 1823 and more followed quickly, with most of them located alongside New England rivers that provided the power that ran machinery.
Early on, these Mills began hiring female employees. They became an important source of employment for young women who wanted to leave the demands of farm life and who dreamed of a more independence than had heretofore been possible. Still, the opportunities the mills provided came at a price—the labor was demanding, with thirteen-hour work days, dangerous equipment, and pay that was half what the men working for the mills earned. Mill girls lived in dormitories and had their behavior closely monitored by employers who worried about the public reputations of “their” girls. Any perceived “loose” behavior was grounds for immediate firing.
The Daring Ladies of Lowell is set in such a mill and one of its main plot lines focuses on the murder of a mill girl that’s incompletely documented press reports from the time. Alcott has used the historical information available, filling out the story with her own imagination. This is a work of fiction, but it reads true.
Two other key plot lines focus on the burgeoning labor movement and a problematic romance between a son of the mill owner and one of the mill girls. These different themes are interwoven effectively. Much to my relief, this novel never degenerated into romance, which I feared it might. Not that I have anything against romance—but I do object to the way it often operates in deus ex machina fashion to deliver individual women from the injustices of their time, while glossing over the lives of the many other women in similar straits, who don’t catch the eye of the wealthy landowner or the earl or the industrial baron or whomever.
This novel makes for engaging reading as we share the lives of these young women and watch their autonomy and courage increase as they’re granted the opportunity to be self-supporting. It’s worth reading both for historical context and narrative. It won’t teach you as much as a larger non-fiction work on the same topic and, despite the author’s best efforts, may minimize some of the challenges the mill girls faced, but it brings the era to life in a way that will move you to further reading, both fiction and non-fiction.
You may or may not be familiar with the Lowell textile mills. As a quilter with a love of reproduction textiles (fabrics based on swatches from different historical periods), I know about the Lowell girls and the textiles they produced. Henry Cabot Lowell was a U.S. “entrepreneur” who visited British textile mills, memorized their layouts and the construction of their machinery, then returned to the U.S. with a head full of trade secrets and went into business for himself. The first U.S. textile mill was built in 1823 and more followed quickly, with most of them located alongside New England rivers that provided the power that ran machinery.
Early on, these Mills began hiring female employees. They became an important source of employment for young women who wanted to leave the demands of farm life and who dreamed of a more independence than had heretofore been possible. Still, the opportunities the mills provided came at a price—the labor was demanding, with thirteen-hour work days, dangerous equipment, and pay that was half what the men working for the mills earned. Mill girls lived in dormitories and had their behavior closely monitored by employers who worried about the public reputations of “their” girls. Any perceived “loose” behavior was grounds for immediate firing.
The Daring Ladies of Lowell is set in such a mill and one of its main plot lines focuses on the murder of a mill girl that’s incompletely documented press reports from the time. Alcott has used the historical information available, filling out the story with her own imagination. This is a work of fiction, but it reads true.
Two other key plot lines focus on the burgeoning labor movement and a problematic romance between a son of the mill owner and one of the mill girls. These different themes are interwoven effectively. Much to my relief, this novel never degenerated into romance, which I feared it might. Not that I have anything against romance—but I do object to the way it often operates in deus ex machina fashion to deliver individual women from the injustices of their time, while glossing over the lives of the many other women in similar straits, who don’t catch the eye of the wealthy landowner or the earl or the industrial baron or whomever.
This novel makes for engaging reading as we share the lives of these young women and watch their autonomy and courage increase as they’re granted the opportunity to be self-supporting. It’s worth reading both for historical context and narrative. It won’t teach you as much as a larger non-fiction work on the same topic and, despite the author’s best efforts, may minimize some of the challenges the mill girls faced, but it brings the era to life in a way that will move you to further reading, both fiction and non-fiction.
November 20, 2017
This is a story of courageous young women, who worked in the cotton mills of Lowell, MA, in the mid-nineteenth century. They left their houses, each because of different circumstances, but they all had one common goal to be independent.
It is a story of friendship, loyalty, independence and dreams. A story about women, who had to keep quiet at some injustice in order to keep their jobs, but were not afraid to “stand up for what they believed was true.”
There are historical aspects of poor workers’ treatment and inhuman working conditions. The girls breathed the cotton fibers, which were in the air and were getting to their lungs.
The storyline is based on a true fact of a murder that did happen to a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833. In general, this is not a storyline I would reach for, but the historical aspects compelled me to read this story and I am glad I did. It is well-written, with an aspect of romance, which went against the social classes. The strong friendship between the girls and the loyalty made this story very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking.
@Facebook: Best Historical Fiction
It is a story of friendship, loyalty, independence and dreams. A story about women, who had to keep quiet at some injustice in order to keep their jobs, but were not afraid to “stand up for what they believed was true.”
There are historical aspects of poor workers’ treatment and inhuman working conditions. The girls breathed the cotton fibers, which were in the air and were getting to their lungs.
The storyline is based on a true fact of a murder that did happen to a mill girl and the subsequent trial in 1833. In general, this is not a storyline I would reach for, but the historical aspects compelled me to read this story and I am glad I did. It is well-written, with an aspect of romance, which went against the social classes. The strong friendship between the girls and the loyalty made this story very interesting, inspiring and thought provoking.
@Facebook: Best Historical Fiction
March 23, 2015
I won this free book through Goodreads-first-reads. The author made this story so alive with the dialogue between the mill girls and all the characters in the story. Friends are forever; thats what the author brought out. I felt I was in their presence. The girls that worked in the mill had to fight for reform,health and safety too. This book is movie material. I love the story.
October 11, 2016
Podia ser tão melhor... fiquei desiludida.
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Quando li que era baseado em acontecimentos reais e em pessoas que aconteceram mesmo, pensava que a protagonista do livro (Alice Barrow) seria então a tal figura que existiu. A verdade é que não, a personagem que não é ficionada é a Lovey, outra personagem que aparece bastante no livro mas não é a figura principal. Ora fiquei um pouco confusa com isto, porque assim a Lovey é que devia ter sido a protagonista porque chega a uma parte em que o livro é só sobre ela e a nota da autora é totalmente dedicada a ela. A autora preferiu contar a historia da Sarah Conell (figura em que se baseou para escrever a Lovey) mas do ponto de vista de outra pessoa, neste caso do da Alice. Na verdade para mim o livro tem duas protagonistas, a Alice e a Lovey que é uma personagem ausente mas que acaba por ter todo o destaque a partir da metade do livro.
http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp...
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(...)
Quando li que era baseado em acontecimentos reais e em pessoas que aconteceram mesmo, pensava que a protagonista do livro (Alice Barrow) seria então a tal figura que existiu. A verdade é que não, a personagem que não é ficionada é a Lovey, outra personagem que aparece bastante no livro mas não é a figura principal. Ora fiquei um pouco confusa com isto, porque assim a Lovey é que devia ter sido a protagonista porque chega a uma parte em que o livro é só sobre ela e a nota da autora é totalmente dedicada a ela. A autora preferiu contar a historia da Sarah Conell (figura em que se baseou para escrever a Lovey) mas do ponto de vista de outra pessoa, neste caso do da Alice. Na verdade para mim o livro tem duas protagonistas, a Alice e a Lovey que é uma personagem ausente mas que acaba por ter todo o destaque a partir da metade do livro.
http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp...
April 24, 2014
I enjoyed Alcott's first novel, "The Dressmaker," about the Titanic, although parts were exaggerated or unbelievable. Her second story, "The Daring Ladies of Lowell," is set in 1832-1833 in Lowell, Massachusetts, and features young, hopeful, naive Alice Barrow. Alice joins many other women in their 20's and 30's who labor in the cotton mills, desiring freedom from overbearing families and tedious farm chores. She appreciates the independence and income she receives, along with friendships and educational opportunities; but she quickly recognizes the health hazards, long days, and other challenges of factory work. In a totally unrealistic turn of events, Alice meets and falls in love with Samuel Fiske, the son of the factory owner; when her co-worker Lovey is murdered, their relationship is put to the test. I found Alice's interactions with Samuel and his family, and that of the various Fiskes with each other, poorly written; the Fiskes were not well-developed as characters and could have been a novel in and of themselves. I was also annoyed at Alcott's lack of research. She makes too many sloppy mistakes that raise red flags and are easily identified online. For instance, Alice has a worn copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry that belonged to her mother; but Browning's first volume of verse wasn't published until 1838, and "Sonnets From the Portuguese" (which is quoted several times) didn't appear until 1845. Also, the waltz was first exhibited in the U.S. in 1834, so the romantic scene where Alice and Samuel dance to a piano version is totally incorrect. Overall, I felt the book was trite and superficial and didn't live up to its immense potential.
February 5, 2014
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 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+
Alice Barrow wished to become an independent woman. She leaves her family's farm 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+
March 31, 2014
I was really hoping for more with this book. I enjoyed the beginning, and looked forward to getting to know the characters better throughout the book, but by the late middle, I was bored. Some of the descriptions of life in the 1830's were very well done, but I also wished that the HISTORICAL part of "historical fiction" was emphasized more, in terms of the characters in the book (the author admits that most of them were made up!)...quite a few scenarios seemed far fetched in this book t0 say the least, I really don't believe many of the situations would've actually occurred during that time period. The writing style ending up disappointing me as well, too many platitudes that seemed unrealistic - I don't think people really speak or think in platitudes. The end was unclear and unsatisfactory as well. I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book. I am glad I read it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
January 22, 2017
Do ponto de vista histórico, o livro está bastante bem conseguido. Depois de ler a nota final da autora percebi melhor o porquê. Além de todo o contexto histórico bem desenvolvido, Kate Alcoot teve o cuidado de usar testemunhos reais no que concerne a determinado pormenor.
A meu ver, a obra falha quando a autora secundariza a figura principal. Lovey, verídica, grande defensora dos direitos dos trabalhadores, é atirada para segundo plano. Atabalhoadamente, a autora dá ênfase à sua história através de uma personagem fictícia, Alice. E, no fim do livro, dá louvores a Lovey. Parece confuso? Pois... Errou, a meu ver... Quis misturar factos e uma época histórica riquíssimos com um romance próprio dessa altura e falhou no último pormenor, que é bastante insípido. Não se pode ter tudo...
A meu ver, a obra falha quando a autora secundariza a figura principal. Lovey, verídica, grande defensora dos direitos dos trabalhadores, é atirada para segundo plano. Atabalhoadamente, a autora dá ênfase à sua história através de uma personagem fictícia, Alice. E, no fim do livro, dá louvores a Lovey. Parece confuso? Pois... Errou, a meu ver... Quis misturar factos e uma época histórica riquíssimos com um romance próprio dessa altura e falhou no último pormenor, que é bastante insípido. Não se pode ter tudo...
March 31, 2015
The setting of this book was 1832. Pretty sure tractors and wristwatches were not around at that time. If you're going to attempt historical fiction, do some research.
June 3, 2017
“Children should have some warning, some way of knowing it was dangerous to look out at the world with unguarded pleasure. But who would want to tell them, to deprive them of those few moments of blissful ignorance that would have to last a lifetime?”
One of the reasons that led me to read this book was:
"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" by The New York Times.
Although the main character (Alice) is quite brave and revolutionary like Jo, I find this comparison a bit forced, even out of context.
The other reason was that this history is based on truthful facts, having as main theme the conditions of “the mill girls” - cotton factory workers.
This part was well achieved, the author is able to transport us to a time when deep changes were occurring in the organization of the factory workers, through the creation of strikes with the intention of improving their working conditions.
Overall, it was not an amazing book, but was able to touch some important and nowadays issues such as labour conditions, fair wages to both genders and a righteous working schedule.
September 16, 2016
A história baseada em factos reais está muito boa, o romance achei fraquinho, e sendo ficcionado acho que a autora o poderia ter desenvolvido mais, soube-me a pouco.
March 28, 2017
I decided to read this because I am currently doing a textile conservation internship in one of the old mill buildings in Northern MA. I thought the subject and setting of the book sounded perfect for me and intriguing. I also hoped it would shed a bit of light on what shaped the spaces I now inhabit. Coming from a bestselling author, perhaps my expectations were too high. To echo another reviewer of this book, I hate giving poor reviews, "since anyone writing and publishing a book is a huge accomplishment." That being said, I just can't bring myself to rate this higher.
The writing is at a pretty low reading level and the plot is moved along some very base surface lines of emotion without really exploring the depths of the issues presented. The romance is pretty unbelievable though the thing that made reading it most difficult was the complete lack of character development and the cheesy, stereotypical dialogue. Wow, it was painful at times. I finished it because I really wanted it to get better. Given what sounded like a great plot set-up and environmental backdrop, I think the author really missed a chance to dig into the history of the Lowell mills and the character's lives.
P.S. Did anyone else notice this is basically a watered-down sugary version of Gaskell's great North and South novel?
The writing is at a pretty low reading level and the plot is moved along some very base surface lines of emotion without really exploring the depths of the issues presented. The romance is pretty unbelievable though the thing that made reading it most difficult was the complete lack of character development and the cheesy, stereotypical dialogue. Wow, it was painful at times. I finished it because I really wanted it to get better. Given what sounded like a great plot set-up and environmental backdrop, I think the author really missed a chance to dig into the history of the Lowell mills and the character's lives.
P.S. Did anyone else notice this is basically a watered-down sugary version of Gaskell's great North and South novel?
August 5, 2018
4.5 stars
This author used to write textbooks for the public school system. I read a few reviews before starting this book. Many complained the author did not do research before writing a historical fiction. Others bashed it for being stereotypically romantic.
Because I usually read historical romance, not historical fiction, I found it not stereotypical. There were very few romantic scenes and nothing happened beyond a kiss and one Waltz.
Personally I did not find this book predictable at all. I listened, and the writing along with the narrator made the book very experiential for me. I listened in the moment and did not know how it would end up. For me, the book was very satisfying. It seemed like something that would happen in that time and that setting. It made me think about how workers were treated then versus now and how there are issues like this still, especially in other countries. This was a book that made me think and feel.
It was a clean book but not a Christian or religious book.
This author used to write textbooks for the public school system. I read a few reviews before starting this book. Many complained the author did not do research before writing a historical fiction. Others bashed it for being stereotypically romantic.
Because I usually read historical romance, not historical fiction, I found it not stereotypical. There were very few romantic scenes and nothing happened beyond a kiss and one Waltz.
Personally I did not find this book predictable at all. I listened, and the writing along with the narrator made the book very experiential for me. I listened in the moment and did not know how it would end up. For me, the book was very satisfying. It seemed like something that would happen in that time and that setting. It made me think about how workers were treated then versus now and how there are issues like this still, especially in other countries. This was a book that made me think and feel.
It was a clean book but not a Christian or religious book.
July 12, 2015
The Daring Ladies of Lowell was a great read that brings attention to the working conditions of the mill girls of Lowell. Taking some historical details and making a fictional story featuring characters that the reader comes to care about really makes these horrific conditions more real. Alice moves to Lowell to become a mill girl in an attempt to escape farm life and finds a true friend in Lovey, another mill girl who happens to be a bit wild and unpredictable. This friendship allows Alice to really grow, and she even develops a friendship with her boss's son. When Lovey is murdered, the community becomes divided as the conditions of the workers becomes a cause of debate. Alcott does a great job at showing both sides of the conflict and really makes the reader care about these characters. Overall The Daring Ladies of Lowell proved to be a great read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Received a copy of The Daring Ladies of Lowell through Goodreads.
Received a copy of The Daring Ladies of Lowell through Goodreads.
July 23, 2015
I really loved this book as I grew up in Manchester, NH which also had cotton mills along the Merrimack River. I'm familiar with Lowell, MA and have been in the old mill buildings that are now apartments. But I'm happy to report my book group also loved the book. They felt it was a good mix of history, characters, events and a romance to top it off. We had a lot to talk about.
September 18, 2015
I started this book several months ago and couldn't get into it so I set it aside. I was at the library and saw it in the audio books section so I decided to give it a try that way. Nope, still as dull and on top of that, I didn't like the narrator's style at all for the audio book. So, I'm giving up on this one for good and am afraid I cannot recommend it to anyone.
June 10, 2021
A frase da capa "Alice faz lembrar a apaixonada Jo March d'As Mulherzinhas. É uma heroína exemplar." foi o que me bastou para querer ler este livro.
Sou apaixonada pela personagem Jo March e pelo que ela significa... uma mulher que representa o feminismo, que luta pelos seus ideiais, que pensa de forma diferente e ambiciona mais do que qualquer "senhora de respeito" da época deveria sequer sonhar. É uma mulher fora da caixa, uma lutadora e um exemplo de coragem e força.
A Alice também é um bom exemplo de tudo isto.
Quem espera uma história de amor provavelmente poderá ficar um pouco desiludido (ela existe mas não é o foco principal).
Este livro transporta-nos para uma época em que a indústria têxtil possibilita que jovens mulheres saiam dos meios rurais onde tinham pouco por que ambicionar e a troco de alguns tostões sonhem com uma vida diferente e a sua independência.
A vida nas fábricas não é fácil, os ordenados são baixos, as horas de trabalho intermináveis e as condições de segurança e saúde miseráveis. As pessoas começam a querer mudanças e a pensar em greves mas os patrões abafam estas mudanças recorrendo a ameaças de despedimento e cedendo em muito pouco.
Para complicar ainda mais a situação uma jovem é assassinada e o seu julgamento vai colocar religiosos e proprietários das fábricas de costas voltadas trocando acusações e colocando a reputação da própria vítima em causa e a busca pela justiça passa para segundo plano.
Vamos sentir ainda as desigualdades de status social e o impacto que as mesmas trazem para a vida pessoal da nossa heroína.
É uma história em que sentimos a revolta pelas condições de trabalho miseráveis, pelas desigualdades sociais e a injustiça dos tribunais para com os mais vulneráveis mas em que também sentimos a esperança, a mudança e a modernização do modo de ver as condições laborais.
É portanto o início do percurso que ainda hoje trilhamos, a luta pela igualdade e pelos direitos dos trabalhadores.
Sou apaixonada pela personagem Jo March e pelo que ela significa... uma mulher que representa o feminismo, que luta pelos seus ideiais, que pensa de forma diferente e ambiciona mais do que qualquer "senhora de respeito" da época deveria sequer sonhar. É uma mulher fora da caixa, uma lutadora e um exemplo de coragem e força.
A Alice também é um bom exemplo de tudo isto.
Quem espera uma história de amor provavelmente poderá ficar um pouco desiludido (ela existe mas não é o foco principal).
Este livro transporta-nos para uma época em que a indústria têxtil possibilita que jovens mulheres saiam dos meios rurais onde tinham pouco por que ambicionar e a troco de alguns tostões sonhem com uma vida diferente e a sua independência.
A vida nas fábricas não é fácil, os ordenados são baixos, as horas de trabalho intermináveis e as condições de segurança e saúde miseráveis. As pessoas começam a querer mudanças e a pensar em greves mas os patrões abafam estas mudanças recorrendo a ameaças de despedimento e cedendo em muito pouco.
Para complicar ainda mais a situação uma jovem é assassinada e o seu julgamento vai colocar religiosos e proprietários das fábricas de costas voltadas trocando acusações e colocando a reputação da própria vítima em causa e a busca pela justiça passa para segundo plano.
Vamos sentir ainda as desigualdades de status social e o impacto que as mesmas trazem para a vida pessoal da nossa heroína.
É uma história em que sentimos a revolta pelas condições de trabalho miseráveis, pelas desigualdades sociais e a injustiça dos tribunais para com os mais vulneráveis mas em que também sentimos a esperança, a mudança e a modernização do modo de ver as condições laborais.
É portanto o início do percurso que ainda hoje trilhamos, a luta pela igualdade e pelos direitos dos trabalhadores.
March 18, 2014
Kate Alcott's second historical novel, The Daring Ladies of Lowell is set in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts during the 1830s. Lowell is one of the East Coast towns that were famous for the cloth mills that populated the area and were infamous for their "sweatshop" conditions. Alice Barrow is a farm girl who travels to Lowell to begin work in the mill. Once she has found a dormitory with an extra space, she settles in and begins her career as one of the "mill girls".
There were several things that I enjoyed about this book. First of all, I enjoyed the mix of characters included in the cast of mill girls. Kate Alcott did a good job of including characters whose personalities were as varied as the girls themselves were. Among Alice's friends and dormitory sisters we find the religious, the studious, the goody two shoes, the adventurous, and those that just wanted to have a little fun. Another way that Kate Alcott's portrayal of the mill girls was spot on was in the way that she portrayed the juxtapositions of their lives. Although the living and working conditions are harsh, they are much better than those that most of these girls came from, mostly because for the first time in their lives, they are able to make decisions for themselves, at least on some level. I thought that the way the allure of their lives was contrasted with it's bleak realities was quite well done.
Another aspect of this book that worked for me was in the portrayal of the mill owner, Hiram Fiske. Like so many of the men in his position, Hiram was a mix of characteristics. Although he was getting rich off of the backs of the mill girls, at times he was honestly able to convince himself that he was making their lives better. And just when he was about to convince you that he could do the right thing, his greed would rear its ugly head and he would become a man whose only purpose in life was to make his business more profitable than his competitors, no matter who was hurt in the process.
Another great plus to this book was the fact that the murder and subsequent trial that were interwoven through the story were based on an actual event. I always love when a historical book uses actual events to tell a fictional story. It not only shows that the author did some research on the subject, but for me it makes the story have more impact. In the case of this story, also, the murder and trial were the perfect devices to illustrate the realities of the lives of the characters. Not only were we able to see how the mill girls would eventually band together for their joint benefit, but using the trial to showcase the thinking of the mill owners at that time was wonderful.
What didn't work for me, though, was the romance side of the story. I will be the first to admit that I don't mind a little romance with my history, but in this case, the romance presented just did not ring true. A romance between the mill owner's son and one of the mill girls was just too fanciful for me and took away from the realistic feeling of the rest of the book. I would have found it much less distracting if the romance would have developed between Alice and the town doctor, or someone who lived in Lowell, but wasn't a mill worker. In fact, I would much rather have had more of the story about the mill girls, their lives, and their working conditions. Alternately, I would have been happier if more of the story would have been centered on the mill owners and their justifications for their behavior, or about the murder and trial.
Having read a few other books that were similar in character to this, I found the underlying story was good, but could have gone farther. However, I would still recommend this book for those who are interested in reading about the women and girls who worked in the mills, especially if you like a bit of romance with your history.
Thanks to the Doubleday for making a copy of this book available through Edelweiss in exchange for my review.
There were several things that I enjoyed about this book. First of all, I enjoyed the mix of characters included in the cast of mill girls. Kate Alcott did a good job of including characters whose personalities were as varied as the girls themselves were. Among Alice's friends and dormitory sisters we find the religious, the studious, the goody two shoes, the adventurous, and those that just wanted to have a little fun. Another way that Kate Alcott's portrayal of the mill girls was spot on was in the way that she portrayed the juxtapositions of their lives. Although the living and working conditions are harsh, they are much better than those that most of these girls came from, mostly because for the first time in their lives, they are able to make decisions for themselves, at least on some level. I thought that the way the allure of their lives was contrasted with it's bleak realities was quite well done.
Another aspect of this book that worked for me was in the portrayal of the mill owner, Hiram Fiske. Like so many of the men in his position, Hiram was a mix of characteristics. Although he was getting rich off of the backs of the mill girls, at times he was honestly able to convince himself that he was making their lives better. And just when he was about to convince you that he could do the right thing, his greed would rear its ugly head and he would become a man whose only purpose in life was to make his business more profitable than his competitors, no matter who was hurt in the process.
Another great plus to this book was the fact that the murder and subsequent trial that were interwoven through the story were based on an actual event. I always love when a historical book uses actual events to tell a fictional story. It not only shows that the author did some research on the subject, but for me it makes the story have more impact. In the case of this story, also, the murder and trial were the perfect devices to illustrate the realities of the lives of the characters. Not only were we able to see how the mill girls would eventually band together for their joint benefit, but using the trial to showcase the thinking of the mill owners at that time was wonderful.
What didn't work for me, though, was the romance side of the story. I will be the first to admit that I don't mind a little romance with my history, but in this case, the romance presented just did not ring true. A romance between the mill owner's son and one of the mill girls was just too fanciful for me and took away from the realistic feeling of the rest of the book. I would have found it much less distracting if the romance would have developed between Alice and the town doctor, or someone who lived in Lowell, but wasn't a mill worker. In fact, I would much rather have had more of the story about the mill girls, their lives, and their working conditions. Alternately, I would have been happier if more of the story would have been centered on the mill owners and their justifications for their behavior, or about the murder and trial.
Having read a few other books that were similar in character to this, I found the underlying story was good, but could have gone farther. However, I would still recommend this book for those who are interested in reading about the women and girls who worked in the mills, especially if you like a bit of romance with your history.
Thanks to the Doubleday for making a copy of this book available through Edelweiss in exchange for my review.
December 10, 2013
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 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.
• A ten-year-old bobbin girl cries herself to sleep.
• Alice has no time to 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.
May 24, 2014
The content of this period fascinates me -- I've seen BBC's North and South several times over and it never gets old (bonus! Brandon Coyle is in this movie -- how exciting it was that he went to Downton Abbey as Mr. Bates)
Anyway!!
My main issue with this book was the events seemed contrived and unrealistic. Would a mill girl really have the freedom to be jaunting back and forth between Boston and Lowell like that? And at one point, the mills were portrayed as harsh and akin to slave encampment, but when the trial began, all of sudden Alice didn't need to work any longer. Also, the romance between Alice and another character struck me as silly.
That said, I am glad I read this book and I may check out Alcott's THE DRESSMAKER. Also, I would like to find more novels based on the life of the textile mill employees.
Anyway!!
My main issue with this book was the events seemed contrived and unrealistic. Would a mill girl really have the freedom to be jaunting back and forth between Boston and Lowell like that? And at one point, the mills were portrayed as harsh and akin to slave encampment, but when the trial began, all of sudden Alice didn't need to work any longer. Also, the romance between Alice and another character struck me as silly.
That said, I am glad I read this book and I may check out Alcott's THE DRESSMAKER. Also, I would like to find more novels based on the life of the textile mill employees.
October 7, 2014
I wanted to like this book because I like the period and the setting. I was disappointed. The author notes that she took some license (story is 1832 but the Lowell Offering was not published until some years later). However, there are other historical inaccuracies such as a reference to a farm tractor (without any qualifier), sending out a posse (the word existed at that time, but would it have been used in Massachusetts in 1832?), and mailing a postcard (earliest known postcard was sent, in England, in 1840). If I detected those, how many others were not caught in copy-editing??
November 9, 2014
I won this book in a GOOD READS FIRST READS GIVEAWAY! I thought it was very good at telling some of the history of the Lowell Mills intertwined in a mystery. I want to look into more about these mills and what the women went through.
The mystery was of a sad story but not unlike anything we have heard of before, a very sad situation. I loved all of the characters of the girls that worked there.
All in all if you like historical, mystery, a little romance, and a fight for women's rights, you will like this book.
The mystery was of a sad story but not unlike anything we have heard of before, a very sad situation. I loved all of the characters of the girls that worked there.
All in all if you like historical, mystery, a little romance, and a fight for women's rights, you will like this book.
July 13, 2016
RTC (hopefully)
October 8, 2014
Was a very good historical novel with a touch of off-beat romance in it for good measure. I enjoyed it since some of my ancestors were from this area.
September 12, 2016
Too sappy and predictable for my taste.
July 11, 2017
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
This is another review that I want to keep short, as I don't have very much to say about this book.
I didn't really like it. Granted, I didn't hate it-it was about a subject in history I don't know very much about, and I liked SCENES in the book, but I didn't like the overall execution of this book.
It was written by a former journalist, and it shows. Things just happened in this book without much weight to them. It was more of a collection of events than an actual book, and these books are VERY hard to make engaging, in my opinion.
But like I said, some scenes were good, like the scene where Alice and Daisy work on cameos together.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. Okay, I take that back. I really liked Lovey since I could relate to her, but she gets killed off fairly early in the book. I especially didn't like Alice. She wasn't too perfect, nor was she imperfect...she wasn't really anything. She barely had a personality, and it stuck out majorly compared to the other characters, who were all trying to have some sort of personality.
Going back to the writing style...I flew through this quickly, but it was still boring. Due to the nature of the writing, it was really hard to tell when or where things happened. By the end of the book, apparently a year has passed...but I couldn't tell. There wasn't anything to signify this, no break in the paragraph or new chapter...it literally jumped to a year later in the exact same paragraph.
The action only really picked up during the court case, which I give this book props for since I usually find such things boring.
Also, there's some historical inaccuracies in this book, so be warned.
Overall....eh. Why have all the historical fiction books I've read thus far been so boring?!
This is another review that I want to keep short, as I don't have very much to say about this book.
I didn't really like it. Granted, I didn't hate it-it was about a subject in history I don't know very much about, and I liked SCENES in the book, but I didn't like the overall execution of this book.
It was written by a former journalist, and it shows. Things just happened in this book without much weight to them. It was more of a collection of events than an actual book, and these books are VERY hard to make engaging, in my opinion.
But like I said, some scenes were good, like the scene where Alice and Daisy work on cameos together.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. Okay, I take that back. I really liked Lovey since I could relate to her, but she gets killed off fairly early in the book. I especially didn't like Alice. She wasn't too perfect, nor was she imperfect...she wasn't really anything. She barely had a personality, and it stuck out majorly compared to the other characters, who were all trying to have some sort of personality.
Going back to the writing style...I flew through this quickly, but it was still boring. Due to the nature of the writing, it was really hard to tell when or where things happened. By the end of the book, apparently a year has passed...but I couldn't tell. There wasn't anything to signify this, no break in the paragraph or new chapter...it literally jumped to a year later in the exact same paragraph.
The action only really picked up during the court case, which I give this book props for since I usually find such things boring.
Also, there's some historical inaccuracies in this book, so be warned.
Overall....eh. Why have all the historical fiction books I've read thus far been so boring?!
July 13, 2020
Gostei imenso deste livro. Do inicio ao fim, a força, coragem e determinação da Alice, são deveras inspiradoras, principalmente tendo em conta que a historia se passa numa altura em que as mulheres e as suas opiniões raramente eram tidas em conta. Misturando factos reais com ficticios, o ambiente criado transporta-nos para os acontecimentos, fazendo rir e chorar enquanto lemos. Quanto ao Samuel, aprendemos com ele que nem sempre devemos deixar a nossa familia guiar o nosso destino, e que somos nós que temos o poder de escolher o nosso caminho.
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