The Weaver’s Daughter

The Weaver’s Daughter
Sarah E. Ladd
Thomas Nelson, 2018

All her life Katie Dearborne has been fiercely loyal to her family and the weaving tradition that has been passed down for generations, even when it cost her dearly. Now, with modern milling equipment being utilized with increasing frequency, Katie’s father and many of their weaver friends fear for their livelihood as more and more of their work is done by the efficient machines. One family in particular bears the brunt of their hatred and suspicion in these uncertain times.

Henry Stockton has always known of the divide between the millers and weavers, but he didn’t realize how deep the fissure had become. Returning to his old life after time away at war poses it’s own set of challenges, but the most pressing concern is the escalation of the conflict between the two opposing groups. Thrust into ownership of Stockton Mill when his grandfather is killed by an unknown assailant, Henry has to decide for himself what business practices are fair and beneficial to the community.

Though their families are enemies, Katie and Henry find themselves drawn to each other. Katie struggles to believe that Henry is different than his mean, judgmental grandfather, and Henry wonders if Katie could ever dream of leaving her family behind for a different life. Unlikely allies, they both desire the same thing – justice and unity in their village. But can they trust each other? When Katie has to make a choice that will affect the entire village, will she have the courage to make the right decision?

This post contains affiliate links. Read more about that here. This book was provided to me by TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

The Weaver’s Daughter explores the complexity of family loyalty when it goes against personal conviction. Katie loves her father fiercely, but her heart aches at the misguided actions he takes because of his loyalty to his profession. Henry is in a similar position, driven internally to make fair choices that will benefit his employees and the village at large, but overshadowed by the greed of his grandfather.  Running alongside the topic of loyalty is the question of forgiveness. There are separate but related storylines regarding Katie’s brother and his choices, and Henry’s sister and her choices, serving to highlight the fact that sometimes loyalty looks more like grace than tough love.

From a historical perspective, getting a glimpse into the way the modernization of cloth making changed the way people interacted was interesting. It created a whole new set of issues surrounding manufacturing ethics that this book does a good job of exploring. It’s easy to see from the beginning of the story that what sets Henry apart from his grandfather is that he actually cares about these issues and finding a way to make a profit while treating people well. It’s equally easy to see that what sets Katie apart from her family is a willingness to step away from traditions that no longer serve them well. Meeting in the middle is a big thing in The Weaver’s Daughter, and is something that every family deals with.

I also liked the way Henry and Katie didn’t experience love at first sight, but rather had to get to know each other and learn to trust each other based on their own actions and not those of their families. It’s a long road with misunderstandings and setbacks that makes their journey interesting. Despite some fairly serious topics, The Weaver’s Daughter was still a fairly light read and not at all difficult to get through. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially regency era.