A beloved classic by the Sunday Times, multi-million copy bestselling author

Charity Stratton is just fifteen when her world shatters. After losing her parents in a terrible fire, she's separated from her beloved siblings and forced into servitude.

Her life as a boarding school kitchen maid is backbreaking and lonely. And her brief moments of joy with a dashing student end in heartbreak when she becomes pregnant.

But Charity's spirit refuses to be broken. Escaping to London, she finds a city teeming with both opportunity and peril. Will Charity's resilience be enough to overcome the odds, reunite her family and build a better life for them all?

_________________

Praise for Lesley Pearse:

'I couldn't put this book down. Although harrowing at times, Lesley's indomitable spirit shines through. What an inspiration, what a book!' - Katie Fforde

'Fabulously entertaining... a poignant and powerful story that is truly unputdownable.' - Milly Johnson

'A totally gripping read, by turns tragic, mad-cap, heartbreaking and mind-blowing. And anyone who can read that final chapter without bursting into happy tears has to have a heart of stone.' - Jill Mansell

'An incredible life story from a literary icon, Lesley Pearse's truth is even more gripping than her fiction' - Veronica Henry

'Inspiring, heart-warming, extraordinary' - Woman's Weekly

'Humorous and heartbreaking... I was so gripped I read it twice' - Kate Furnivall

'What a roller coaster of a ride. I couldn't do anything else until I'd finished this book. Gripping, heart wrenching... an amazing read' - Jo Thomas

• We started tracking this book on February 13, 2012.
• This book was £5.49 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 85 times in the past 5,103 days.
• The current price of this book is £0.99 last checked 8 hours ago.
• The lowest price to date was £0.99 last reached on February 1, 2026.
• This book has been £0.99 7 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £5.49 last reached on September 28, 2015.
• This book has been £5.49 6 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionHistorical Fiction20th Century
• Literature & FictionWomen's FictionSagas
• Literature & FictionHistorical FictionHistorical

• Publication Date: May 30, 2011
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 685 Pages
• File Size: 30 KB