In 1850, Mellicent "Mellie" Blanchard takes a job at a mill in
Manchester, New Hampshire, to help support her family. In search of
additional earning opportunities, she approaches a daguerreotype shop
owner with the proposal that he hire her to make paper cuttings or
silhouette portraits for those who can't afford an expensive
daguerreotype.When a particularly charming customer--whose broad smile and twinkling eyes catch her off guard--asks to escort her home, the seeds of romance begin to blossom. All the pieces of her new life seem to have fallen perfectly into place, but when her new venture brings her an unexpected opportunity, she is confronted with the truth that all is not as it seems. Will Mellie, who is keeping secrets of her own, find happiness in the new life she has carved out for herself in the busy mill town?
...my thoughts....
Judith Miller's A Perfect Silhouette hooked me from the first page. I enjoy historical fiction, especially when it comes alive with believable characters. When I read this book I could see the shoddy boarding house, hear the looms in the factory and see how lives are changed. The simpler times we long for were built on hard work and determination. Life wasn't all work and the author has woven a wonderful story.
Our heroine, Mellie, was just one of hundreds of workers recruited for the booming textile industry. The promise of steady wages to send home to her struggling family enticed her to leave everything behind and work at the mill. Once she arrived, she learned that her housing was little more than a shared bed and the promise of a long day working in a loud textile mill. Her determination, like that of so many, developed an industry that played an integral role in our country's future. I heartily recommend this book for the story line, the well developed characters and impeccable research.
