From the moment strikingly lovely Leonine Carter first laid eyes on Peter, she felt a tremor of fear. It was not the obviously dazzled look of instant adoration from this handsome young man that filled her with misgiving. Leonine was used to that look from men. But she was not used to the overwhelming wave of desire that rose within her without warning, the sudden ache of desperate need.--page 4 of cover.

As ANna Martell grows into womanhood in the nineteenth-century English countryside, she is determined to overcome the legacy of her birth--as one of six illegitimate children--a goal aided by wealthy Timothy Barrington.

This is the story of Rory Connor, the gambling man. Born near Tyne Dock, he was determined to roam richer pastures and would take any and all risks to reach them. The ruthless poker games led to violence and danger for himself and those around him.

Biddy Millican learns to read and works her way up from laundry girl as she confronts and overcomes the prejudices of nineteenth-century England.

"Set in a nineteenth-century village in the northern English countryside so familiar to Cookson, this heart-warming epic tale is a rich tapestry blending the historical detail, engrossing story, and memorable characters that readers have come to expect of this author. ... Catherine Cookson has created one of her most unforgettable heroines, Bridget Mordaunt, who oversees with a firm but loving hand the candle and blacking factories she inherited as...

The sequel to The Mallen Girl occurs from the 1880s until World War I when Barbara Mallen Bensham destroys the lives of those around her before she commits suicide.