Essex, 1916 Lily is a housemaid up at St Clere's Hall. But times are changing with the outbreak of war. With a husband bent on signing up for the trenches and a lecherous master of the house, Lily is forced to leave. Doing her bit for the war effort - and bringing in more money for the family - Lily goes to work in a factory making explosives to send to the trenches. It's a hard job. The munitionettes must face terrible working conditions, the constant danger of accidents and air strikes and a patronising, self-serving boss. And then someone she never wanted to see there arrives. Lady Charlotte, the pampered daughter of the Hall, joins the factory as a supervisor... Lily and Charlotte have choices they never had before - but in the shadow of the Great War, can the factory girls work together for a better future?

Sue Wilsher, author of When My Ship Comes In, makes an emotional return to 1950s Essex Tilbury, 1950s. The Empire is a boarding house run by Vi, Doris's mother - the Empire Girls of the title. When Doris becomes pregnant out of marriage, she is kicked out of the house and forced to fend for herself. Desperate to look after her daughter, she takes any job going. She falls in with the Windrush immigrants and finds herself helping one to a new life in Britain.

The BRAND NEW wartime saga from the much-loved author of THE TILBURY POPPIES. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas The war is over, but their friendship has just begun . . . Essex, 1918 Working at the local munitions factory has given Aggie the freedom she's long desired. But the Great War is coming to an end, and the men are coming home. Determined to hold on to her new-found independence, Aggie decides to join the Women's Police Service and become a Copperette. Like Aggie, Mim wants nothing more than to do her bit for her country. Never one to shy away from hard work, she's eager to help her fellow women and keep up morale - even if that does mean opening her home to Aggie and helping her train. With the last days of war upon them, Aggie and Mim face shocking loss. But in the face of great hardship, can they find a way to work together? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of wartime England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'I loved reading about the wartime challenges Mim and Aggie faced - a great combination of historical fact, emotion and grit. I couldn't put it down' 'Another brilliant book from Sue Wilsher bringing history alive. Unforgettable characters and great storytelling' Brilliant book . . . the third one I've read by this author and I can't fault it at all - would highly recommend' 'A great story with local interest for anyone who knows Thurrock. A tribute to those who lived through that time and endured so much'

A heart-breaking wartime saga from the much-loved author of THE TILBURY POPPIES. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas How far would you go to protect your family? . . . Essex, 1950. The Empire is a pub run by Vi, Doris's mother. When Doris falls pregnant out of marriage, she is kicked out of the house and forced to fend for herself. Desperate to look after her daughter, Doris finds refuge in Southend and takes a job in a factory, hoping for a better life. When she finds herself cast out one night, Doris has nowhere to go but home - back to Tilbury. But she's still not welcome there and once again has to look for shelter and work. Homeless and as a single mother, life is tough for Doris. And it becomes harder when she helps a neighbour, Claude, to find a new life in Britain. Now Doris must decide where her heart lies . . . A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of post-war England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'I absolutely loved this book - it was so gripping that I read it from cover to cover in one sitting' 'This story was fabulous. It won't be my last Sue Wilsher book' 'Brilliant author - you won't be disappointed' 'Couldn't put the book down. I cannot wait for her next novel'

The BRAND NEW wartime saga from the much-loved author of THE TILBURY POPPIES. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas Will she sacrifice her dreams to care for her family? Essex, 1959. Keep the family together, that's what her old mum always said. Put up and shut up. And that's what everyone else did around there. Flo earns her money as a scrubber, cleaning the cruise ships and dreaming of a day when she might sail away from her life in the Dwellings, the squalid tenements of Tilbury docks. Then the Blundell family are evicted from their home. Fred, Flo's husband, finds work at Monday's, a utopian factory town. Suddenly, it seems like everything is on the up for Flo Blundell and her children. Even Jeanie, Flo's sulking teenage daughter, seems to be thawing a little in her shiny new surroundings. But when Fred starts drinking again, he jeopardises the family's chance to escape poverty for good. Flo is faced with a terrible decision. Must she fight to keep her family together? Or could she strive for the life of her dreams - the kind of life she could have when her ship comes in? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of post-war England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'Emotional, sweeping and unputdownable!' 'A superbly good read' 'A powerful, gripping saga' 'A beautiful read. I hope there will be many more novels to follow this one'

The bestselling wartime saga adored by readers everywhere. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas Can the factory girls work together for a better future? Essex, 1916 Lily is a housemaid up at St Clere's Hall. But times are changing with the outbreak of war. With a husband bent on signing up for the trenches and a lecherous master of the house, Lily is forced to leave. Doing her bit for the war effort - and bringing in more money for the family - Lily goes to work in a factory making explosives to send to the trenches. It's a hard job. The munitionettes must face terrible working conditions, the constant danger of accidents and air strikes and a patronising, self-serving boss. And then someone she never wanted to see there arrives. Lady Charlotte, the pampered daughter of the Hall, joins the factory as a supervisor... Lily and Charlotte have choices they never had before - but in the shadow of the Great War, can the factory girls work together for a better future? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of wartime England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'An outstanding read' 'A very well written story, set in WW1 around munition industries and women's part in the war effort' 'Excellent read, absorbing from page to page' 'Brilliant book. This was the third one I've read from this author and can't fault it at all - would highly recommend'

The BRAND NEW wartime saga from the much-loved author of THE TILBURY POPPIES. Perfect for fans of Annie Murray and Donna Douglas The war is over, but their friendship has just begun . . . Essex, 1918 Working at the local munitions factory has given Aggie the freedom she's long desired. But the Great War is coming to an end, and the men are coming home. Determined to hold on to her new-found independence, Aggie decides to join the Women's Police Service and become a Copperette. Like Aggie, Mim wants nothing more than to do her bit for her country. Never one to shy away from hard work, she's eager to help her fellow women and keep up morale - even if that does mean opening her home to Aggie and helping her train. With the last days of war upon them, Aggie and Mim face shocking loss. But in the face of great hardship, can they find a way to work together? A heart-warming story of love, loss and friendship, set against the backdrop of wartime England REAL READERS love Sue Wilsher's novels: 'I loved reading about the wartime challenges Mim and Aggie faced - a great combination of historical fact, emotion and grit. I couldn't put it down' 'Another brilliant book from Sue Wilsher bringing history alive. Unforgettable characters and great storytelling' Brilliant book . . . the third one I've read by this author and I can't fault it at all - would highly recommend' 'A great story with local interest for anyone who knows Thurrock. A tribute to those who lived through that time and endured so much'