The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott

Well, with The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott I did something a little different. I listened to the audio book of this historical fiction book instead of reading the physical book. This was an excellent book for this purpose because the reader really brought this book to life. She even made the male voices distinctive and believable. 

When I had to wear my eye patch with the shingles, it really messed with my up close tasks like reading so I was glad I downloaded this audio book. Do you ever listen to audio books or do you read a physical book or read on a tablet or ereader?



Set in the 1830s in Lowell and Boston, Massachusetts, The Daring Ladies of Lowell told the story of several of the female textile mill workers and the wealthy mill owner. A murder and death from the poor working conditions in the mills rounded out this story. 

The Christian Science Monitor said that The Daring Ladies of Lowell "Offers  up a compelling slice of both feminist and Industrial Age history."

Book Read:  The Daring Ladies of Lowell
Author:  Kate Alcott

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Oh boy! I did not want this book to end. I loved Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. 

You've probably heard of this book and if you've read it, you know what I mean. If you haven't heard of it or read it, do! The hype is well deserved.

This book was inspired by the real struggles of orphans who did ride on trains from the East coast to the Midwest. The novel is set in both present day with Molly, a troubled teen in Maine and in 1929 onward with the story of Vivian. Vivian's story is my favorite part.


Here are some books and a DVD of the real orphan trains that took orphaned and abandoned children from east to west in the U.S. from 1854 to 1929.

Book Read:  Orphan Train
Author:  Christina Baker Kline

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Okay, I have to say that The Chaperone is the best book I've read in quite awhile. I love Laura Moriarty's books (she also wrote The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, and While I'm Falling), and this one was her best.

The Chaperone is Cora Carlisle, who lives in Wichita, Kansas in the 1920s. She decides to chaperone the teenage Louise Brooks to New York City so she can attend dance school there. This book is historical fiction:  Louise Brooks was a real person who went on to be a silent film star. The photo on the cover of the book is a real photo of Louis Brooks.

But, back to Cora, because the book is titled The Chaperone after all. Cora is married and has two almost grown sons, who will go off to college in the fall, when she decides to take the train across the country one summer. She has her own reasons for wanting to go to New York.

I tell ya, this book is surprising but believable without being over the top. Cora turns out to be a fascinating character who is ahead of her time in small town middle America.

Book Read: The Chaperone

Author:  Laura Moriarty

ISBN:   978-1-59448-701-9