A gritty, historical saga from the TOP 50 bestselling author of The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl, AnneMarie BrearWill she save her family or follow her heart?

Wakefield 1870

On the banks of the River Calder, Meg Taylor struggles to care for her younger siblings and sick mother whilst her father is away working as a boatman on the canals. The slums where they live are rife with disease, and Meg longs for a different life, away from the grinding poverty, but she'll never leave her family.

But with the canals slowly dying as trade moves to the railways, and with Meg’s father stubbornly holding onto the past, Meg fears her family’s future is going to get even bleaker. If only there was a way she could save them….

Christian Henderson is tired of the greed of his wealthy family. He sees the poverty around him and wishes he could do more to help the proud working-class people he meets. People like Meg Taylor, whose courage he so admires.

From the moment he meets Meg, Christian is captivated – Meg might be poor, but she is proud and spirited!

Meg’s dreams of being with a man like Christian are fantasy. How can a lass from the waterfront be with a wealthy man such as he?

And worse, if she follows her heart to be with him, what will happen to the family she loves?

A sweeping emotional saga revolving around courage and hope. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Rita Bradshaw.

Praise for AnneMarie Brear:

'AnneMarie Brear writes gritty, compelling sagas that grip from the first page' Fenella J Miller

'Poignant, powerful and searingly emotional, AnneMarie Brear stands shoulder to shoulder with the finest works by some of the genre’s greatest writers such as Catherine Cookson, Audrey Howard and Rosamunde Pilcher'

'Mesmerising from beginning to end' Lizzie Lane

'Absolutely loved this book. I was sad it ended but glad there are more. Couldn't put the book down' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'Loved Meg as a character and the growing love between her and Christian was so warming' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'I couldn't put my Kindle down.... AnneMarie never disappoints me reading her novels. Each one has great characters and a fatastic storyline' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

Read by: Claire Storey