Description: Kate's loyalties bind her to the past. Henry's loyalties compel him to strive for a better future. In a landscape torn between tradition and vision, can two souls find the strength to overcome their preconceptions? Loyalty has been at the heart of the Dearborne family for as long as Kate can remember, but a war is brewing in their small village, one that has the power to rip families asunder --including her own. As misguided actions are brought to light, she learns how deep her father's pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed.
Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war hoping to find a refuge from his haunting memories. Determined to bury the past, he embraces his grandfather's goals to modernize his family's wool mill, regardless of the grumblings from the local weavers. When tragedy strikes shortly after his arrival, Henry must sort out the truth from suspicion if he is to protect his family's livelihood and legacy.
Henry has been warned about the Dearborne family. Kate, too, has been advised to stay far away from the Stocktons, but chance meetings continue to bring her to Henry's side, blurring the jagged lines between loyalty, justice, and truth. Kate ultimately finds herself with the powerful decision that will forever affect her village's future. As unlikely adversaries, Henry and Kate must come together to find a way to create peace for their families, and their village, and their souls - even if it means risking their hearts in the process.
My Thoughts: Probably my favorite Ladd novel so far, The Weaver's Daughter is about the conflict between tradition and innovation, preserving old jobs and creating new ones. It feels like a great topic to discuss, considering the same conflicts are working out in modern society as well. Conflict always arises when there is change, especially when there are good and bad points (and people) on both sides. And no matter how many times this happens, the cycle always seems to progress in the same way, with some people embracing it and others fighting back.
Now, the romance of this story is more of a side note, with these "star-crossed" lovers' relationship often sidelined for the overshadowing issue of their families' ideas of what the future should look like. And I honestly preferred that the focus was on that rather than them. It showed that there were more important things in their lives than whether or not the characters would have a chance to flirt.
On the downside, this meant that once the characters did get together, it felt kind of rushed. Overall, I think that the story takes place over about a month and then the epilogue ties everything up in a little too neat of a bow. However, without that epilogue, I really enjoyed this story and the way that it ended because these characters had managed to find happiness despite the messiness of their situations.
Personally, I would recommend reading this without the epilogue. The story is stronger without it.
I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book through the Fiction Guild.
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