Mattie and the Machine

In 1868, a New England factory girl sets out to invent a machine that will automate the paper-bag-manufacturing process where she works, while placing her and her fellow female workers on equal pay terms with their male counterparts.

Fifteen-year-old Mattie is a mechanic in Columbia Paper's all-female bag division. With paper bag sales booming after the Civil War, her boss expands the division by hiring men from his old Army regiment, including the mechanic Frank.

Sparks instantly fly between Mattie and Frank, and their budding romance has her walking on airuntil she discovers Frank's pay is higher than hers. In fact, all the men receive thirty percent more than their female counterparts. The boss's rationale? Men are inherently better with machines.

Determined to prove him wrong, Mattie proposes a bet: If she can build a machine that fully automates their paper-bag-making process, the women will receive equal pay. If she fails, she'll...