"Hering is at her best describing the burdens of the working poor during a time of social turmoil and change. She provides an accurate portrayal of the clashing needs and desires that drive both the union movement in America's garment and textile industries and the increasingly vocal women's movement in America."
-Clarion Review
"The author brilliantly traces Eleanor's decline from a poor woman of strong character to a spoiled socialite with only one man on her mind... Author Marilyn Hering writes confidently and with authority... This expertly constructed narrative combines many of the elements of great storytelling."
-Blue Ink Review
In 1913, silk mill workers in Paterson, New Jersey, went on strike, demanding an eight-hour workday and better working conditions-reasonable requests that nevertheless led to the arrest of over 1,800 people. Young Eleanor O'Bannon was not arrested, but she was there. Living in the tenements of Paterson, she survived near starvation, poverty, and illness. She survived with the yearnings of love.
Her heart belongs to the charismatic and passionate Dante Ravelli, a union leader supporting the workers at the Silk Strike. But can Eleanor trust him to love her back? Against her better judgment, she decides to marry Charles Lafferty, the wealthy son of a silk baron. Charles is stable, dependable, and safe. So why does she continue to think about the dashing Ravelli?
