Fleeing the life of the Shakers, Arabella Newberry finds work in the industrial mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. But the taste of freedom she experiences only increases her longing for true equality for all the mill girls. When her ideas put her at odds with the dashing Taylor Manning, she wonders if she has made a huge mistake. Strife between the Irish laborers and the Industrialists continues to rise, and when several girls go missing, Lowell no longer seems a safe haven. As rumors and conflict invade the industry of the mill, will Arabella's determination to prove her independence endanger more than just her heart?