Rossner followed "Attachments" with "Emmeline" (Simon & Schuster, 1980). Her only novel with a noncontemporary setting, the book was based on the life of a historical Maine woman, Emmeline Mosher, who at 14 is sent from her home to take a job in a textile mill in order to support her impoverished family. The book received predominately favorable notices, although Rossner was "humiliated" by a scathing review by Julian Moynahan in "The New York Times", and believed that it hurt the book's commercial prospects (conversely, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, also in the "Times", gave the book high praise, stating that "inspires a renewed respect for the complexities of skillful story-telling.") "Emmeline" was adapted as an opera, composed by Tobias Picker with libretto by poet J.D. McClatchy. It premiered in 1996 at the Santa Fe Opera, and has been produced several times by other companies, including the New York City Opera in 1998. A recording of the original Santa Fe production was released in 1996 and a performance was aired on PBS as part of its series of "Great Performances" in 1997.