Liverpool, 1861. Annie Shaw longs to be taken seriously. At 14, she's fed up of being babied by her big sister Delilah. It's true that Delilah has been the closest thing to a mother that Annie or any of her siblings have ever known, but she's secretive about the past and won't let her little sister out of her sight. When Annie's old friend Clara visits with tales of the good money that can be made at the cotton mill outside Ormskirk, she sees her chance at adventure and runs away. The work is gruelling and Annie is shocked to witness children as young as eight working long days around dangerous machinery. But it seems that, as long as the cotton is produced on time, the mill owners turn a blind eye to the very real human toll to be paid. The children from the workhouse are treated especially poorly and Annie can't help but make it her responsibility to rescue them. Soon Annie finds herself caring for three young orphans, now a makeshift mum herself. As hard times hit the mill and hundreds of jobs are lost, will Annie be able to keep her young charges warm, fed and safe? In order to face a turbulent future, Annie needs to first dig into the secrets buried in the past . . . PRAISE FOR JUDY SUMMERS: 'I thoroughly enjoyed this book... The characters are well drawn and believable' - Lyn Andrews 'Fascinating insights into Victorian Liverpool and a heart-warming story make for an inspiring read' - Mollie Walton

Praise for Judy Summers: 'I thoroughly enjoyed this book... The characters are well drawn and believable' Lyn Andrews 'Fascinating insights into Victorian Liverpool and a heart-warming story make for an inspiring read' Mollie Walton Can she save her family when they need her the most? Liverpool, 1847. At seventeen, Delilah Shaw is the eldest of the eight Shaw siblings, and the one who must take charge when her mother and brother die in a tragic manner, and her father is left disabled in an accident at the docks. Taking care of the cooking, cleaning, washing and childcare is hard enough, but when they can no longer afford to live in the family home, Delilah must make the heartbreaking choice to leave it and to take two of her younger sisters to the workhouse. Determined to earn enough to get them back, Delilah conjures up a plan to start a flower-selling business, with the support of her new friends, Irish siblings Bridget and Frank, as well as trusted dockworker Abraham. But as her father's drinking habit gets worse, and her siblings grow weaker, Delilah must ask whether she can really forge a better life for her family before it's too late?

Abandoned and alone, can she find new hope?

Liverpool, 1848. Meg Shaw is the middle child of eight siblings, not quite old enough to bring in a wage to help her struggling family, but not young enough to be a babe to be cared for.

When the family realise they can't feed all the children, Meg makes a choice. She volunteers to go to the workhouse for one season, and she'll take her little sister, Rosie, with her. As long as they are together, they can make it through.

But the moment they enter the workhouse, Meg and Rosie are separated. Abandoned and alone, Meg is determined to make it through, and soon finds herself surrounded by a new family of vulnerable girls in need of protection and love.

Meg does all she can for her new sisters, but when a season passes and no one comes for her or Rosie, can she find a way to keep them all safe?