From the Sunday Times, multi-million copy bestselling author, a new edition of a forgotten classic

Charity Stratton is just fifteen when her world shatters. After losing her parents in a terrible fire, she’s separated from her beloved siblings and forced into servitude.

Her life as a boarding school kitchen maid is backbreaking and lonely. And her brief moments of joy with a dashing student end in heartbreak when she becomes pregnant.

But Charity’s spirit refuses to be broken. Escaping to London, she finds a city teeming with both opportunity and peril. Will Charity's resilience be enough to overcome the odds, reunite her family and build a better life for them all?

Praise for Lesley Pearse:

''I couldn’t put this book down. Although harrowing at times, Lesley’s indomitable spirit shines through. What an inspiration, what a book!'' - Katie Fforde

''Fabulously entertaining... a poignant and powerful story that is truly unputdownable.'' - Milly Johnson

''A totally gripping read, by turns tragic, mad-cap, heartbreaking and mind-blowing. And anyone who can read that final chapter without bursting into happy tears has to have a heart of stone.'' - Jill Mansell

''Incredible life story from a literary icon, Lesley Pearse’s truth is even more gripping than her fiction'' - Veronica Henry

''Inspiring, heart-warming, extraordinary'' - Woman's Weekly

''Humorous and heartbreaking... I was so gripped I read it twice'' - Kate Furnivall

''What a roller coaster of a ride. I couldn''t do anything else until I''d finished this book. Gripping, heart wrenching... an amazing read'' - Jo Thomas