Amidst the hardships of the 1920s, Carrie McDarmount's happiness is threatened for ever because of one terrible mistake.

It's 1925 and when Renee McDarmount marries Walter Sutton, Carrie McDarmount is delighted, for the two families have always been close - the children are all similar in age and their fathers work together in the local pit. But an incident on the eve of the wedding leaves Carrie pregnant and desperately ashamed of the secret she now carries. When Harry Sutton, who has always loved Carrie, discovers her plight, he volunteers to marry her and bring up the baby as his own. But their secret will inevitably come out in the end and there is much heartache ahead before Carrie can finally be happy and content with the man she loves.

"Praise for Rita Bradshaw: 'Catherine Cookson fans will enjoy discovering a new author who writes in a similar vein" - Home and Family

"If you like gritty, rags-to-riches Northern sagas, you'll enjoy this" - Family Circle

"What an emotional rollercoaster ride of a book! It grabs your attention from page one and does not let go until the end" - Sunderland Echo

"Displaying an uncanny ability to spin a good yarn" - Sunderland Echo

"All published writers have skill and creativity, but a few have more. It's called magic. I'm beginning to believe Bradshaw has it!" - Historical Novels Review