Glittering parties, business conflicts and sparkling romance in the brand-new era of independence.
Author: Ann-Christin Antell
Finnish original: Puuvillatehtaan kilpailija
Publisher: Gummerus, 2023
Genre: commercial fiction
Number of pages: 340 pp.
Reading material: Finnish original, English sample, English synopsis
Rights sold: Denmark, People’s Press; World French, Marabout; Iceland, Storytel; Sweden, Storytel
It is the roaring 20s in the city of Turku on the western coast of Finland. The country has gained its independence in 1917, fought a devastating civil war in 1918 and is finally settling into more peaceful times after decades of turmoil.
At the cotton mill, the fire-spirited Paula Barker finds herself facing a challenge. Her family has owned the prosperous mill for decades, but now the future seems very uncertain. When it turns out that Rikhard Falke, the young and strong-headed owner of Littoinen baize factory, plans to take over Paula’s legacy, she decides to do anything it takes to save the mill. But it seems history is repeating itself when Paula suddenly notices that opposites sometimes attract each other to an irrisistible extent…
Third generation steps in in the final book of the Cotton Mill trilogy about the Barker family. It is the modern era of jazz and progress, and Jenny’s granddaughter and Martta’s daughter Paula has gained her position as the advertising manager of the mill. Times are changing, but fortunately there seems to be love left for the young ones, too.
The first two books of the Cotton Mill trilogy have been huge successes in Finland, their sales topping 70,000 copies before the end of 2022. Rival to the Cotton Mill will be published in spring 2023 as the much-anticipated final part of the series.
Also available:
Heir to the Cotton Mill (Cotton Mill #2, 2022)
The Shadow of the Cotton Mill (Cotton Mill #1, 2021)
About the author:
Ann-Christin Antell