A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is about Charlotte and Rosie, orphaned by their parents during the industrial revolution. The girls inherited a wool mill from their father and desperately try to continue running it so that the town where they grew up doesn't die. The townspeople have long believed that the mill is cursed, and it seems as though that's true as strange bad luck continues to befall Charlotte and Rosie. One of their workers gets his finger cut off, the mill won't open its doors, and eventually all of their wool stock is ruined. In the nick of time, a stranger shows up and promises to fix everything... for a price. At first he only charges Charlotte her mother's ring. The next time it is the necklace her husband gave her. Finally, he asks for either the mill itself or her newborn baby! Charlotte knows she must break the curse immediately to save her son, the mill, and their town.

I loved this book. It is a take on the story of Rumplestiltskin. After reading the author's notes, I found that the information about millwork and life in a town such as Shearing were based on historical fact. The author used the website SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages for the fairy tale elements in the story. It's a great site for any fairy tale lover!