New York: Harper & Row, (1980). In the mid 19th century, from the farms of New England, young women flocked to the mills, lured by what was at the time the highest wages paid to women - that is, from $1.85-3.00 a week - and seeking independence and opportunity. Despite their long hours in the mills, they still found time to write about their lives and aspirations in The Lowell Offering, their literary magazine. The selections in this book are edited and with an introduction and commentary by Benita Eisler. Illustrated. Selected bibliography. 223 pp. ISBN: 0-060907967.