A gripping family saga set in nineteenth-century Lancashire! Perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Anna Jacobs, Libby Ashworth and Kate Morton.
About the Book
Can family ties withstand the pressures of a changing world?
Lancashire, 1808
As the Industrial Revolution gains momentum, England is changing at a dizzying pace — and for two Lancashire families joined by marriage, the effects are destined to echo down the generations.
Lancaster solicitor Ephraim Atkinson leads a life of quiet contentment with his wife Mary, but when his profession brings him into conflict with heartless mill owner Saul Bradshaw, he finds himself facing a crisis of conscience.
For rebel son Francis, married to Mary’s sister Ann Bateman, life is finally becoming easier after years of struggle. With the success of Francis’s carpentry business and the arrival of baby Joseph, their happiness is complete. But Francis is hiding a secret that could tear his wife’s world to pieces…
Meanwhile, Jane Atkinson, stifled by her predictable existence with eldest brother John, dreads the prospect of a childless old age. But as Jane’s bitterness grows, her vindictive actions threaten to divide the Batemans and the Atkinsons for ever…
And there are sleepless nights ahead for the Batemans when the two younger daughters — headstrong Eleanor and naive, bookish Margaret – seem determined to destroy their futures through their foolish life choices.
As the two families’ fates become ever more entwined, can things remain amicable between them? Or, as long-held grudges are fuelled, could their peaceful lives be on the brink of collapse?
And when fate deals a tragic blow, will any of their lives ever be the same again?
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