The first in a new Lancashire-based series by beloved saga writer Anna Jacobs, set just after WWII.

The first book in a heartwarming new Lancashire-based series by beloved and bestselling saga writer Anna Jacobs, set at the end of World War Two.

1945 - the war in Europe is over. It should be a time of utter joy and celebration.

Most women can't wait for their men to return, but in the small town of Rivenshaw in Lancashire, Judith Crossley fears having her husband back in the house. He'd grown into a bully and a drunkard, and on the occasions he'd come home from leave, he'd hit her. He wasn't a good father, either.

Luckily Judith has found an unlikely ally, a friend to turn to - Maynard Esher, from an old aristocratic family on the other side of town. But Judith knows that when her husband returns, she and her children will be back in the firing line again.

She decides that for the children's sake, she must leave her husband. But with the house rented in his name and other accommodation scarce, where on earth can they go...?

"This is that rare thing, a pacy page-turner with a ripping plot and characters you care about . . . [Anna Jacobs is] especially big on resourceful, admirable women. Great stuff!" - Daily Mail on THE TRADER'S GIFT

"Anna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around." - Historical Novels Review

"[Anna Jacobs' books have an] impressive grasp of human emotions." - The Sunday Times