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The Mill Of Lost Dreams
Between 1870 and 1900, twelve million people immigrated to America. Hundreds of thousands of them came to work in the textile mills of Fall River, Massachusetts. The Mill of Lost Dreams is a story of love, friendship and sacrifice that provides an inside view into the world of textile mills and the daily life of seven courageous souls who leave home and risk everything for their shared dream of a better life: Angelina and Guido Wallabee, who have left their family’s failed farm in Italy; eleven-year-old Miranda Alysworth and her fifteen-year-old brother, Francois, who have escaped from indentured service in Canada; twins Phoebe and Charlie Dougherty, the children of Irish immigrant parents, who, though not yet thirteen, are forced to work in Troy Mill to support their family after their father’s untimely death; and eleven-year-old, Anne Kenny, an orphan who’s never known where she came from. All but one take jobs in Troy Mill in Fall River. Over the course of seven decades, there are marriages, births, secrets exposed, friendships tested, and innocence lost. Some succeed in making a new life away from harm but pay a terrible price. Many cannot build the life they dreamed of and the consequences impact and shape the lives of their children―and their children’s children.
408 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 13, 2020
This one is a huge disappointment. I got excited seeing it was a family saga from the mid 1800s to the 1970s. It is a historical fiction about the textile mills and the families that ran it. This should have been a long trilogy. The author invested none of herself in the characters nor the story. One page you are reading and all of a sudden the next is 20 years later without warning. The characters have no depth and honestly you have no feelings for their bad events in their lives. This book read like the outline for the saga.
March 17, 2026
A wonderful work of fiction with the theme centred around the families working in textile mills in Massachusetts. Strong female heroines in this one.
August 28, 2020
I gave this book five stars because the author, Lori Rohda gave me a lot of what I was looking for. I wanted to know what the actual experience of working would be like. I visited a preserved mill and have the machines, what the windows were like, the size of the rooms, where the girls who worked there were housed but I wanted know what it sound like when running, how dangerous it was to work there . Why was I so curious about this?
My great, great grandfather came from Carlise, England with his mother after his father died. The whole family had worked at a cotton factoty there where they made gingham cloth. When the Civil War ended, the factory went out of business because they made the clothe for the house slaves and it was no longer needed. The father of the family died and the mother and son made their way by ship to work in the cotton factories in the North. I need to do more research to find out which mill but I have a short biography of my ancestor to help guide me.
I appreciate the author bringing to life what working conditions were and how prone to fires they were. The author did reasearch to find out what life was like in and out of the mills and how difficult it was to get an education back then.
All of the character through the decades have flaws and that made it very difficult to indentify or like or love the character. One of them stood out to me as a lesson, that was Calvin. His thoughts and actions resulted of mother who treated him like he was special and could do no harm. I do know of people like him in my own life! The book has given great insight in that type of person.
Thank you. Lori Rohda for writing this book.
I received a finished copy of the book from the publishers as a win from the FirstReads Giveaway. My thougshts and feelings in this review are entirely my own.
My great, great grandfather came from Carlise, England with his mother after his father died. The whole family had worked at a cotton factoty there where they made gingham cloth. When the Civil War ended, the factory went out of business because they made the clothe for the house slaves and it was no longer needed. The father of the family died and the mother and son made their way by ship to work in the cotton factories in the North. I need to do more research to find out which mill but I have a short biography of my ancestor to help guide me.
I appreciate the author bringing to life what working conditions were and how prone to fires they were. The author did reasearch to find out what life was like in and out of the mills and how difficult it was to get an education back then.
All of the character through the decades have flaws and that made it very difficult to indentify or like or love the character. One of them stood out to me as a lesson, that was Calvin. His thoughts and actions resulted of mother who treated him like he was special and could do no harm. I do know of people like him in my own life! The book has given great insight in that type of person.
Thank you. Lori Rohda for writing this book.
I received a finished copy of the book from the publishers as a win from the FirstReads Giveaway. My thougshts and feelings in this review are entirely my own.
August 19, 2020
It was hard to figure out how to rate The Mill of Lost Dreams - not because any part of it was that good, but more because so many parts of it were that bad. The final chapter was the only chapter I sort of enjoyed, but the fact that there was sexual violence which served no purpose, the fact that the author’s writing felt like she was 100% disconnected from the characters and the story, despite claims that it was a personal story for her to be telling… It was such a relief to finish the final sentence and close the page.
At no point did I find myself invested in any of the characters. Heck, the final chapter was the POV of someone who wasn’t even mentioned (that I can recall) in the entire rest of the book, and she was somehow the most interesting character of them all. Had it been told in a series of “memories” through her eyes, I might ave actually cared more.
But I didn’t and, as a result, honestly cannot recommend this book. Sweeping generational saga it was not, as it honestly felt like the author lacked the skill or connection to anything that was going on - which, I’m not exactly sure.
And to add insult to injury, she had so many chances to make references to things that were happening (everything from the massive immigration surge toward the West through World War 2, in fact) and the only world-changing event that even got a word in was World War 1, and even that was such a brief mention that you could blink and miss it. It’s hard to believe that 0% of the characters would be effected by such events as the Civil War, Women’s Suffrage, or the Great Depression. Again, the disconnect between the book and literally everything was the only real and profound thing I felt.
It was disappointing, to say the least.
At no point did I find myself invested in any of the characters. Heck, the final chapter was the POV of someone who wasn’t even mentioned (that I can recall) in the entire rest of the book, and she was somehow the most interesting character of them all. Had it been told in a series of “memories” through her eyes, I might ave actually cared more.
But I didn’t and, as a result, honestly cannot recommend this book. Sweeping generational saga it was not, as it honestly felt like the author lacked the skill or connection to anything that was going on - which, I’m not exactly sure.
And to add insult to injury, she had so many chances to make references to things that were happening (everything from the massive immigration surge toward the West through World War 2, in fact) and the only world-changing event that even got a word in was World War 1, and even that was such a brief mention that you could blink and miss it. It’s hard to believe that 0% of the characters would be effected by such events as the Civil War, Women’s Suffrage, or the Great Depression. Again, the disconnect between the book and literally everything was the only real and profound thing I felt.
It was disappointing, to say the least.
June 22, 2020
From the blurb, I knew this book was likely to be one I’d enjoy, but I wasn’t prepared to love it quite as much as I did.
The story takes place over a number of decades, spanning from the 1840s right up to the 1970s, and follows the lives of seven key characters, all of whom have a link to Troy Mill - a cotton mill situated on Fall River in Massachusetts, USA.
Spanning such a vast time period, I had wondered if I’d find the story a little tough to get through. It would have been very easy for the author to either rush through it, bodging it entirely, or instead to drag it out painfully slowly. In actual fact I was really impressed with how perfectly paced the book was and found myself hooked from beginning to end, racing through it relatively quickly, always keen to read on.
It took me no time at all to get used to the author’s writing style and I found the book very easy to read. The characters she created really came alive and each time anyone new was introduced I found myself immediately attached to them and invested in their part of the story. I felt that Rohda was very clever in how she interlinked the characters’ storylines, making every detail and relationship both relevant and touching.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction. It’s one that I feel will stick with me for a long time to come and has quickly become one of my top-reads.
Thank you to She Writes Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed here are my own and are genuine. The Mill Of Lost Dreams will be released on August 11th.
The story takes place over a number of decades, spanning from the 1840s right up to the 1970s, and follows the lives of seven key characters, all of whom have a link to Troy Mill - a cotton mill situated on Fall River in Massachusetts, USA.
Spanning such a vast time period, I had wondered if I’d find the story a little tough to get through. It would have been very easy for the author to either rush through it, bodging it entirely, or instead to drag it out painfully slowly. In actual fact I was really impressed with how perfectly paced the book was and found myself hooked from beginning to end, racing through it relatively quickly, always keen to read on.
It took me no time at all to get used to the author’s writing style and I found the book very easy to read. The characters she created really came alive and each time anyone new was introduced I found myself immediately attached to them and invested in their part of the story. I felt that Rohda was very clever in how she interlinked the characters’ storylines, making every detail and relationship both relevant and touching.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction. It’s one that I feel will stick with me for a long time to come and has quickly become one of my top-reads.
Thank you to She Writes Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed here are my own and are genuine. The Mill Of Lost Dreams will be released on August 11th.
August 13, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. The author obviously did a lot of research about textile mills in New England and she showcased some of the various immigrant groups that populated the area and did the hard work in those mills. It definitely kept my interest, but just when I was getting invested in one set of characters, the writer jumped to a different set of people. Eventually all the threads came together, but I would’ve liked to read more about some of the characters that were just left hanging. The main feeling I had with each of the main characters in this book was a sinking feeling that things were not going to go well. This was often telegraphed by the author, which I found disconcerting. Instead of letting the action tell the story, she wrote things like “Sadly, however, her parents could never have foreseen how quickly and completely all these gifts would be squandered.” It also didn’t help that most of the featured people in this multi-generation story were extremely flawed, sometimes by their life circumstances and sometimes because they just weren’t very nice people.
Thank you to NetGalley and SheWrites Press for an advance reader copy for my evaluation. This review reflects my unbiased opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and SheWrites Press for an advance reader copy for my evaluation. This review reflects my unbiased opinion.
August 18, 2020
The Mill of Lost Dreams by Lori Rohda is a sweeping epic based loosely on the life of the author’s great aunt, and takes place between 1840 and 1970, primarily in Fall River, MA. There’s a huge cast of characters, and obviously a lot of historical context and nuance considering the expanded time frame, yet, surprisingly, it all comes together - and leads to a fairly satisfying - if clumsily written - conclusion.
The story follows a series of families - immigrants from Italy, Canada and Ireland, as well as Anne, a young orphan - all of whom have ties to Troy Mill, and whom are seeking their own version of the American Dream.
Although the storyline was engaging, the characters fully-human and flawed, and the plotting well-paced, the writing style itself felt oddly sterile. Even in moments of great emotional upheaval, there was an almost academic, tell-don’t-show feeling to the prose. I got used to the coolness of the writing, and really did enjoy the book, however.
This review is based on an advance copy read.
The story follows a series of families - immigrants from Italy, Canada and Ireland, as well as Anne, a young orphan - all of whom have ties to Troy Mill, and whom are seeking their own version of the American Dream.
Although the storyline was engaging, the characters fully-human and flawed, and the plotting well-paced, the writing style itself felt oddly sterile. Even in moments of great emotional upheaval, there was an almost academic, tell-don’t-show feeling to the prose. I got used to the coolness of the writing, and really did enjoy the book, however.
This review is based on an advance copy read.
June 12, 2020
I struggled to know how to rate this... there were moments I was bored rigid,and other moments I was completely swept up in the drama .
For me ,it's at its best in the first half of the book,the building of the characters,and the action at the mill.
Maybe my problem was I didn't much care for any of the characters that we followed from the mill (I had such high hopes for Samuel).
At one point I felt it was all a bit too soap opera like and not quite what I was expecting... but that didn't take away from the action and consequences of the fire that was central to the story.
Completely mixed feelings from me.
For me ,it's at its best in the first half of the book,the building of the characters,and the action at the mill.
Maybe my problem was I didn't much care for any of the characters that we followed from the mill (I had such high hopes for Samuel).
At one point I felt it was all a bit too soap opera like and not quite what I was expecting... but that didn't take away from the action and consequences of the fire that was central to the story.
Completely mixed feelings from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 31, 2020Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Family sagas are always fun to read and I found the setting and time periods to be particularly interesting since I've read other books set in the textile mills of Massachusetts. This book appeared to be well-researched and the reader learns much about mill life without it becoming tedious in details. The characters are interesting and I would have liked to get to know them in even more detail. The book skips around--sometimes successfully, and sometimes not as the reader has to go back and think about just where they are now and why. But all in all, it is an enjoyable read
Family sagas are always fun to read and I found the setting and time periods to be particularly interesting since I've read other books set in the textile mills of Massachusetts. This book appeared to be well-researched and the reader learns much about mill life without it becoming tedious in details. The characters are interesting and I would have liked to get to know them in even more detail. The book skips around--sometimes successfully, and sometimes not as the reader has to go back and think about just where they are now and why. But all in all, it is an enjoyable read
September 1, 2020
A family saga and epic story from 1840 to 1970. Initially set at the Troy Mill in Fall River this book both winds you into the characters and their life stories and then.... spins and throws you out into another set of characters and jumps forward five, ten, fifteen years. This makes the book disjointed and leaves you wanting to know what happened in the gaps. I feel, maybe this should have been written as a trilogy? Or at least more than one book. I became attached to each character and then suddenly propelled forwards and it lost me. The ending... the way it was written was a big turn off for me. So overall, a great story, that should have been explored in more depth.
October 26, 2020
This book wasn't what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it. It started out as a historical fiction book about life in the textile mills. From reading the back I was expecting a lot more stories about the lives of these people working the mills. The story then left the factories and continued with other points of views away from the mills. I enjoyed the many different perspectives and how they related to each other. I had problems with almost every character but afterall everybody has problems. I was a bit disappointed with the ending but overall I liked reading it and finished it quickly because I just wanted to know what would happen next.
February 4, 2021
My sister in law gave this book to me because she knows the author and she thought I might like it because I live in the northeast. It was a bit of a slog to read the whole book and I found it difficult to “get into” the characters or even like them. I agree with the other reviewers that this ought to have been a trilogy. the scope of the characters diluted the story because the author tried to cover too much. It was scatter shot rather than bullet shot.
December 13, 2021
I loved the premise of the book and the first third or so. The writing kept me reading, but I was so disappointed with the ending. None of these characters felt like their lives could have existed in real life. Everyone makes terrible mistakes, and is never able to humble themselves enough to apologize. You think a few characters will get a happy ending, but not real. It feels like an incredible waste of time.
July 21, 2020
You will love this story of familys in Falls River. From Italy to america and beyond. Love, sorrow and friendship develop over the years as the characters interact with each other- You will find it hard to put this book down. Great Read!!
November 17, 2020
I thought this book was fast reading and I enjoyed the way the characters' interior lives were so vividly described.
August 19, 2022
Outstanding for for first time author. The characters were developed exceptionally well and a reader can easily relate to their feelings and motivations. Great job and great read.
September 30, 2020
I wanted to love this book. It sounded right up my alley but I didn't like the pacing. There were times in the book that things flowed well but other times, it was hard to follow. This had such a strong beginning and the ending was good, but the middle I struggled with.
December 30, 2020
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews