Katie Robertson is a tale of a girl who takes on factory work as a means of assisting her widowed mother. The novel introduces the reader to a variety of topics of the day in the late 19th century in the USA for young Christian people and the temptations in the wider world: the problems associated with alcohol and the temperance movement, the dignity in work, the freedoms afforded to immigrants. One particular character's temptation and its subsequent impact weaves through the story with ever increasing suspense. A moral book, the inhabitants of Squantown are introduced to advance the story, but also to provide specific behavioral lessons for young people of the age. Katie's story is continued in a second book, Three Years at Glenwood, where Katie attends school in a larger city where she faces greater temptations. (Summary by John Biebel)