The Heart of Toil is a novel written by American author Octave Thanet and first published in 1898. The story is set in the late 19th century in a small town in the Midwest, and follows the lives of several working-class families who are struggling to make ends meet. The main character, Mary, is a young woman who works in a factory and dreams of a better life. She falls in love with a young man named Joe, who also works in the factory, but their relationship...