Summary

If there’s one thing Eleanor Menger knows, it’s that she will never marry the man her uncle has chosen for her. Even though it means giving up her comfortable life in New York City, somehow she’ll find a way to support herself until she’s free from her uncle’s guardianship. An advertisement for workers at the textile mill in Hidden Falls seems like the answer to Eleanor’s dilemma. No matter how difficult it is to handle a loom, she’ll be safe there, for no one would expect an heiress to be a common laborer. All she needs to do is make sure no one – especially not Brad Harrod – learns her true identity.

Brad Harrod is bored with his life. Though at some point he’ll inherit the family’s railroad, his father is unwilling to give up any control. Add to that the fact that the woman Brad’s loved all his life refused him and you have one unhappy man. To make matters worse, the woman who looks so out of place in the second-class train car refuses to talk to him. How humiliating! Eleanor’s rebuff stings his pride, as does the fact that she considers the newspaper she’s reading more interesting than him. What’s the appeal in that piece of newsprint? To Brad’s astonishment, the brief encounter is the inspiration he needs. Though it means defying his parents, he decides to found Hidden Falls’ first newspaper. And somehow, though she continues to elude him, he’ll find a way to thank Eleanor.

What starts as friendship turns to something deeper. Unfortunately, Eleanor’s uncle has plans of his own, plans that threaten everything Eleanor and Brad hold dear.


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Reviews

Deftly blending a charmingly sweet romance with some fascinating details about the textile industry and newspaper publishing in early-twentieth-century America, Harte creates another winning addition to her Hidden Falls series.

John Charles for Booklist

An entertaining and romantic story, The Golden Thread will keep readers intrigued. ... The background of 1909 is refreshing -- we see people just beginning to come from the farms and work in the mills that were so popular in the East. Secondary characters add to the story with their generosity and friendship. We should all have such unselfish friends!

The Golden Thread is thoroughly enjoyable, well-written, and a feel-good story. Of course, it also has a few villains, but readers will hope they get their comeuppance. If you are in the mood for a sweet romance, you won’t go wrong with The Golden Thread.

Marilyn Heyman for Romance Reviews Today

In The Golden Thread, Harte’s work shines with her ability to make historical detail sing. Hidden Falls is very real, and 1909 is alive in her writing. With her skill for inserting historical detail and events at just the right time, Harte weaves into the story the class distinctions between factory workers and the townspeople. Cleverly crafted, the resolution is a happy one. She scrapes the top of historical issues, such as working conditions, making the factory and its workers come to life.

The relationship between Brad and Eleanor develops at a steady pace, just as the reader would imagine courting to take place in the 1900’s. Their friendship, which turns to love, has the reader cheering for them as they face Brad’s social conscious parents.

The Golden Thread is one of Amanda Harte’s most entertaining works to date.

Arlene Guillen for Colorado Romance Writers

Avalon Books June 2008
ISBN 978-0-8034-9896-9