And with temptation in the way, will the girls find love - or infatuation - leads them astray?Then an unexpected but familiar face arrives in town, and the family's future is threatened. For Bessie and Jennet, a difficult choice must be made - love or family .
The rise of the mills is about to change everything . . . If you love Catherine Cookson and Val Wood, you will love this brand new series set in the mill town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ______________________ 'Brimming with drama, heartbreak, love, friendship and the powerful bonds of family' Lancashire Post 'Engrossing tale of hardship, struggles, love and family' Kitty Neale 'Vividly drawn characters . . . gritty and heartfelt . . . a must-read' Evie Grace ______________________ Lancashire, 1826 When Jennet and Titus Eastwood are forced to move from their idyllic cottage into the centre of Blackburn to find work in the cotton mills, their lives are changed in ways they could never have imagined and their new home on Paradise Lane is anything but . . . Then Titus is arrested and sent to prison for attending a Reform meeting. Jennet is left to fend for herself and things go from bad to worse as she finds herself pregnant and alone - with another man's child . . . _________________________ **Pre-order the brand new novel in this heart-warming and uplifiting saga series, A FAMILY SECRET**
THE SECOND NOVEL IN THE INSPIRATIONAL MILL TOWN LASSES SERIES. Perfect for fans of Val Wood and Catherine Cookson. ______________________ Lancashire, 1832 Maids Hannah and Mary find themselves with no jobs and no home when their employer, Henry Sudell, loses all his money and disappears in the middle of the night. They have no choice but to return to Blackburn where Hannah is lucky to be taken in by her sister Jennet and brother-in-law, Titus, but Mary must seek lodgings in the infamous Star beer house. Mary tries to get her job back as a weaver, but the influx of workers from the countryside and no support for the working class means that jobs are scarce. With no other choice she remains at the beer house, forced to risk her reputation and even her life. In the middle of a cholera outbreak and political upheaval, can Mary ever find a way to recover all she's lost? ______________________ Praise for Libby Ashworth 'An engrossing tale of hardship, struggles, love and family' Kitty Neale 'Vividly drawn characters . . . gritty and heartfelt' Evie Grace 'Brimming with drama, heartbreak, love, friendship and the powerful bonds of family' Lancashire Post ______________________ **Pre-order the brand new heart-warming and uplifting novel in this saga series, A FAMILY SECRET**
After her husband, Jack Fisher, is sent to Australia as a convict, Hannah and her children are sent to the workhouse. Hannah hears nothing from Jack, believing he'll never come home, so when widower Ellis Duxbury asks her to marry him, Hannah reluctantly agrees. But the union is not a happy one. Her new husband treats her with contempt and does little to provide for his step children. Hannah feels like a servant in her own home. Eventually Hannah's husband does return and manages to track her down. But there is more trouble ahead when Hannah is arrested, accused of bigamy and threatened with deportation herself.
An ever-popular setting of 19th-century industrialisation and looming cotton mills in Northern England, featuring a thrilling combination of Lancaster gaol and the Australian penal colonies. Compelling and dramatic saga based on actual letters from a convict to his wife, with plenty of local detailing.
Ireland, 1948 The potato famine has left the Cavanagh family destitute. Kitty and Peter manage to secure tickets for America - seeking hope in an unknown land. But still fortune will not favour them. On a terrifying crossing of the Irish Sea, Peter vanishes, and with him their tickets. Now, Kitty and her young family are stranded in Liverpool - with not a penny to their name. Facing prejudice and distrust, they move to Blackburn, where the welcome is no warmer, but Kitty at least can gather rags and scraps to exchange for a coin or two. She refuses to give up hope - on finding Peter, on getting to America. But Kitty knows they are just one bad day away from the evils of the workhouse . . .
Agnes Cavanaugh has watched her mother,Kitty struggle to put food on the table ever since they crossed the sea from Ireland. So when she sees an opportunity to help earn some money by selling cheese at the local market she begins to work with the local farm to maximise on sales. Much to her mother, Kitty's, disappointment, Agnes is immediately drawn to the farmer's son, Jonas. And Jonas can't help but be enchanted by Agnes. But their love faces many challenges, Agnes has been promised to another and Jonas cannot marry a Roman Catholic. Will Agnes risk everything she's done for her family in her quest for happiness?