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Woven Hearts
The Steadman Mill is the heart of industry in Eaststead, Massachusetts, weaving miles of cloth that is shipped throughout the country and abroad. The Kindred Hearts Orphanage is the pulse of the town's charity efforts...and, most recently, the focus of a wave of change. The Steadman Mill has begun to offer work to Kindred Hearts girls who have grown up poor - without connections and prospects in society. Now the young women are stepping into leadership positions within the mill and the community - and stealing the hearts of the town's most eligible bachelors in the process. Take a journey with four women of Eaststead as they balance their gentle natures with newly discovered strength of character. They have placed their souls in God's hands...now, will they trust Him with their hearts, too?
Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
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About the author
Susan K. Downs
29 books21 followersSUSAN K. DOWNS resides in Canton, Ohio, where her husband serves as a district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene. This mother of five and grandmother of one traded her career as an international adoption program coordinator for one as a writer and editor, but she still loves to visit Russia. . .if only by way of her imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 31, 2019
Ribbon of Gold by Cathy Marie Hake is part of a 4-novella book, called Woven Hearts. Ribbon of Gold is about Isabel Shaw, a young woman who works at Stedman Mills in Massachusetts, weaving thirty-inch wide shirting on industrial sized looms. She had left her family’s farm in New Hampshire to work at the textile mill so she could put money aside for her brother’s education.
Carter Stedman, the mill owner’s son, takes over running the operations, and is angered at the inhumane working conditions there. He goes about righting the wrongs of his father, now deceased, and in the process, becomes enamored with Isabel.
The story is clean, and a comfortable read for any Christian woman. The relationships in the story are interesting. I liked the details Mrs. Hake included in Ribbon of Gold, which gives the reader a good picture of how it was to work in the cotton mills in 1846.
I haven't read the other stories, mostly because after starting them, they just didn't appeal to me. The only one I liked was Cathy M. Hake's.
Carter Stedman, the mill owner’s son, takes over running the operations, and is angered at the inhumane working conditions there. He goes about righting the wrongs of his father, now deceased, and in the process, becomes enamored with Isabel.
The story is clean, and a comfortable read for any Christian woman. The relationships in the story are interesting. I liked the details Mrs. Hake included in Ribbon of Gold, which gives the reader a good picture of how it was to work in the cotton mills in 1846.
I haven't read the other stories, mostly because after starting them, they just didn't appeal to me. The only one I liked was Cathy M. Hake's.
February 22, 2020
4 ladies live in Eastead, MA, three of them work in the weaving mill owned by one of the Steadmans. The fourth is a widow and she runs the Kindred Hearts Orphanage. The book is divided into four stories each about one of these ladies.
August 5, 2019
Loved this set of 4 stories. A new favorite book.
September 11, 2022
Four Great Christian Romances in one book - I enjoyed them all
October 14, 2022
Loved all stories.
February 3, 2017
This 4 novella collection includes 2 of my favorite authors, mother and daughter, Cathy Marie Hake and Kelly Eileen Hake. All stories are connected to the wealthy Steadman family and also Kindred Hearts Orphanage. I like that all the stories connect the characters so it's like one story.
Ribbons of Gold by Cathy Marie Hake. The older girls at the orphanage work at the Steadman Mill. Carter Steadman has just inherited the mill, and conditions for the workers are not what they should be. Isabel helps him see what changes need to be made, and maybe open his heart for more.
Run of the Mill by Susan Downs. Maxwell Steadman is the "Shipping Steadman." After his overseer quits, he needs someone to help him. Kathleen, one of the best weavers at the Mill, has the head for numbers, but should he offer the position to her? Especially since she has introduced him to the orphans at Kindred Hearts, his eyes have been opened to other things.
A Second Glance by Kathleen Paul. Ginger is one of the older girls at Kindred Hearts. Her vision is very poor, but she tenderly tends to the needs of the orphan girls. When she and one of the younger girls have an accident, Dr. Lucas Steadman comes to tend them. His bedside manner leaves much to be desired. But his compassion to help brings him close to all the girls in the orphanage.
The Caretaker by Kelly Eileen Hake. A new caretaker has moved in next door to the orphanage. Tyler Samuels, Mr. Sam to the girls, is concerned that widow Amy Ross is not taking proper care of the girls in the orphanage. He's keeping a close eye on things, and soon the girls are including him in their daily activities. But Amy and Tyler have secrets they need to be honest about.
Ribbons of Gold by Cathy Marie Hake. The older girls at the orphanage work at the Steadman Mill. Carter Steadman has just inherited the mill, and conditions for the workers are not what they should be. Isabel helps him see what changes need to be made, and maybe open his heart for more.
Run of the Mill by Susan Downs. Maxwell Steadman is the "Shipping Steadman." After his overseer quits, he needs someone to help him. Kathleen, one of the best weavers at the Mill, has the head for numbers, but should he offer the position to her? Especially since she has introduced him to the orphans at Kindred Hearts, his eyes have been opened to other things.
A Second Glance by Kathleen Paul. Ginger is one of the older girls at Kindred Hearts. Her vision is very poor, but she tenderly tends to the needs of the orphan girls. When she and one of the younger girls have an accident, Dr. Lucas Steadman comes to tend them. His bedside manner leaves much to be desired. But his compassion to help brings him close to all the girls in the orphanage.
The Caretaker by Kelly Eileen Hake. A new caretaker has moved in next door to the orphanage. Tyler Samuels, Mr. Sam to the girls, is concerned that widow Amy Ross is not taking proper care of the girls in the orphanage. He's keeping a close eye on things, and soon the girls are including him in their daily activities. But Amy and Tyler have secrets they need to be honest about.
June 12, 2010
I love these four stories. So, so, so sweet and beautiful. I have the hardest time deciding which of the four is the best.
July 30, 2012
One of my favorite novella collections. Well worth reading.
December 9, 2025
I enjoyed the stories in this book, the setting, and the characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews