Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Series #1) [Paperback]

Tracie Peterson (Author), Judith McCoy Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2003

Book 1 of THE BELLS OF LOWELL. The mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, comes to life with intrigue and drama from the creative writing team of Judith Miller and Tracie Peterson. Young women at the end of the 19th century seek employment from driven men intent on transforming America's textile industry. Daughtersof the Loom features Lilly Armbruster, who is forced to work in the mills as her only means for survival. But Lilly's resentment runs deep against the "lords of the loom"--the men she believes have stolen her father's farm and caused his premature death. Her animosity happens to include Matthew Cheever, her childhood friend and one-time betrothed. Though separated by their opposing views about the future of the mill and the community that surrounds it, the emotions of their hearts still bind them. Will their dreams for the future allow their fragile love to survive?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two veteran novelists team up in this evangelical Christian historical fiction series debut that explores interesting social issues, but eventually falls flat. Nineteenth-century New England is in the throes of change as it morphs from an agricultural economy to textile industry. Caught in the growing pains of her little town of Lowell, Mass., is the comely Lilly Armbruster, who has lost the family farm through the death of her parents and the greed of her older brother. Her devotion to the ambitious Matthew Cheever is dispelled when he seemingly sells out his values to become the prot‚g‚ of a dubious business mentor. Lilly contracts to work in the textile mills with the idea of becoming an "instrument of God" and sabotaging the business that she feels has cost her everything she loves. The story begins promisingly enough with some discerning historical insights about the problems of industrialization for women and ethnic groups (sexual harassment, poor working conditions, prejudicial treatment), but the pacing is slow, the dialogue and actions are often wooden and the abundant sermonizing is a constant distraction. Although there are some surprises in the character development of Lilly and Matthew, other characters are one-dimensional and undergo unbelievable transformations too quickly. The sulky Lilly is also difficult for the reader to like. However, fans of Peterson and Miller will likely appreciate that the authors wrap up enough loose ends to make this work not only as a stand-alone title but also as an introduction to the series.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...palable tension and sympathetic, believable characters, create a winning historical novel. Recommended for most collections." -- Library Journal, Feb. 1, 2003

"The authors have brought this world to life with entertaining dialogue, a little mystery and a struggling romance." -- Romantic Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764226886
• ISBN-13: 978-0764226885
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lilly Sells Out, August 21, 2004

By 

E. Adams "miss_sparrow" (Williamsburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Series #1) (Paperback)

I'm a sucker for a good historical romance, and I'm mildly obsessed with the Lowell mills. Sadly, this book failed to satisfy either of my passions. The writing is clunky and the historical accuracy dubious in places. The religious messages seem awkwardly inserted and more appropriate to modern Christianity than that of the 1820s. And Lilly is an unsympathetic heroine who causes a near-fatal accident--to which she never confesses and doesn't even seem very sorry about--in her misguided attempt to bring down the mills, and then happily abandons all notion of doing anything to improve the lives of the mill girls once she gets married. This book had the potential to make some important points about the consequences of industrialization, but it, like Lilly, gave up that notion in the pursuit of romance. Hooray for internal improvements!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christian Novels, July 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Bells of Lowell, Vols. 1-3: Daughter of the Loom / A Fragile Design / These Tangled Threads (Paperback)

I must admit I have not read a lot of Christian literature, not as much as I would like, so Tracie Peterson's BELLS OF LOWELL were a great introduction to the genre. Each book is beautifully written, and they flow on continously, however, if you were to read them out of sequence, you would not be too terribly behind. I Could NOT put these books down, and in the process of collecting more of this woman's wonderful work. This series is a must buy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars New Series shows potential, February 28, 2003

By 

Bonnie McKinzie (Garden Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daughter of the Loom (Bells of Lowell Series #1) (Paperback)

Lilly is a young woman dedicated to farm life and the serenity of her beloved town and country. However, change has come in the form of huge brick mills replacing the farms. Lilly is sad and she is angry. Already she has lost both her parents, and her scoundrel brother has gambled away their inheritance. Alone and bitter, Lilly is determined to be a one-woman show who ultimately will bring down the mills.

Apparently the whole town is split. The town even lost its name. Rows of boarding houses with up to 8 girls a room now line the streets. Lilly is not one to cave in, but when she realizes that some of the very people who were part of her loving past have now accepted the mills, she is a bit confused: especially about Matthew, a former farm boyfriend turned mill executive.

Lilly feels dejected and ends up one of the mill-girls in an attempt to gain her farm community back.

Although this series shows potential, I found it slow getting started and void of real suspense and my interest waned at times. I would buy book 2 though, just for the simple fact of the author.