Her upstairs d'aint want nobody becomin' privy to what that husband of her n be up to! Her knowed the ways of Fenton Gilmore . . . may the devil tek him! Her knows his temper, felt his fist many a time. And there be others as knows, women he s paid to keep silent about the blows they've suffered, for it tek more'n a roll in bed to satisfy Fenton Gilmore.
Emma Lawrence has reason to fear the base cruelty of the man she must call uncle. She and her sister Rachel had been taken into the Gilmore household on the death of their parents and have known nothing but unkindness at the hands of Fenton and his wife. And now Rachel is dead, brutally raped and strangled, and Emma must dry her tears and flee if she is to escape the same fate. Emma falls in with two other orphans, and Timothy and Lily become as dear to her as her own departed sister. But Fenton Gilmore does not give up so easily. His evil ambition is to own a brothel and Emma is vital to his perverted plan ... Meg Hutchinson is back in vintage form with this absorbing tale of a vulnerable young woman who overcomes hardship and tragedy to reap the rewards of a virtuous life.
Hutchinson knows how to spin a good yarn. One for those cold nights curled up in front of the fire. - Birmingham Evening Mail on THE DEVERELL WOMAN
The mistress of simmering sagas. - Peterborough Evening Telegraph on PEPPERCORN WOMAN
Meg Hutchinson lived for sixty years in Wednesbury, where her parents and grandparents spent all their lives. Her passion for storytelling reaped dividends, with her novels regularly appearing in bestseller lists. She was the undisputed queen of the clogs and shawls saga. Passionate about history, her meticulous research provided an authentic context to the action-packed narratives set in the Black Country. She died in February 2010.