Originally published in digital format as Judge Me Not in 2013. Now with forty pages of new content.
Born with a club foot in a remote village in the Pennines, Ruth is feared and ridiculed by her superstitious neighbours who see her affliction as a sign of witchcraft. When her father is killed in an accident and her family evicted from their cottage, she hopes to leave her old life behind, to start afresh in the Blackburn cotton mills. But tragedy strikes once again, setting in motion a chain of events that will unravel her family’s lives.
Their fate is in the hands of the Earl of Harrogate, and his betrothed, Lady Katrina. But more sinister is the scheming Marcia, Lady Katrina’s jealous sister. Impossible dreams beset Ruth from the moment she meets the Earl. Dreams that lead her to hope that he will save her from the terrible fate that awaits those accused of witchcraft. Dreams that one day her destiny and the Earl’s will be entwined.
The Street Orphans is an emotional story set in 1850s Lancashire, from Mary Wood, the author of In Their Mother’s Footsteps and Brighter Days Ahead.
The Jam Factory Girls is an uplifting and emotional novel of friendship set in the heart of pre-WWI London from bestselling author, Mary Wood.
Life for Elsie is difficult as she struggles to cope with her alcoholic mother. Caring for her siblings and working long hours at Swift's Jam factory in London’s Bermondsey is exhausting. Thankfully her lifelong friendship with Dot helps to smooth over life’s rough edges.
When Elsie and Dot meet Millie Swift, they are nervous to be in the presence of the bosses’ daughter. Over time, they are surprised to feel so drawn to her, but should two East End girls be socializing in such circles?
When disaster strikes, it binds the women in ways they could never imagine. Long-held secrets are revealed that could change all their lives . . .
A moving and emotional family drama set between France and Britain from bestselling author, Mary Wood.
They would fight for their country, at all costs . . .
When Sibbie and Marjie arrive at RAF Digby, they are about to take on roles of national importance. It’s a cause of great excitement for everyone around them. Perhaps they will become code-breakers, spies even? Soon the pair embark on a rigorous training regime, but nothing can prepare them for what they’re about to face . . .
Amid the vineyards of rural France, Flora and Ella can’t bear the thought of another war. But as the thunderclouds grow darker, hanging over Europe, a sense of deep foreboding sets in, not just for their safety but for the fate of their families . . . With danger looming, as the threat of war becomes real, Flora and Ella are forced to leave their idyllic home and flee. Can they make it to safety, or will the war have further horrors in store for them?
The Brave Daughters is the fourth book in the Girls Who Went to War series by Mary Wood.
Perfect for winter nights, The Wronged Daughter by Mary Wood is an emotional and moving novel that reunites old friends and heals old wounds.
Mags has never forgotten the friendship she forged with Flora and Ella, two fellow nurses she served with at the beginning of World War I. Haunted by what she experienced during that time, she fears a reunion with her friends would bring back the horror she’s tried so desperately to suppress.
Now, with her wedding on the horizon, this should be a joyful time for Mags. But the sudden loss of her mother and the constant doubt she harbours surrounding her fiancé, Harold, are marring her happiness.
Mags throws herself into running the family mill, but she’s dealt another aching blow by a betrayal that leaves her reeling. Finding the strength the war had taken from her, she fights back, not realizing the consequences and devastating outcome awaiting her.
Can she pick up the pieces of her life and begin anew?
Will Ella ever find what she's looking for?
Voluntary nurse Ella is haunted by the soldiers' cries she hears on the battlefields of Dieppe. But that's not the only thing that haunts her. When her dear friend Jim breaks her trust, Ella is left bruised and heartbroken. Over the years, her friendships have been pulled apart at the seams by the effects of war. Now, more than ever, she feels so alone.
At a military hospital in France, Ella befriends Connie and Paddy. Slowly she begins to heal, and finds comfort in the arms of a French officer called Paulo - could he be her salvation?
With the end of the war on the horizon, surely things have to get better? Ella grew up not knowing her real family but a clue leads her in their direction. What did happen to Ella's parents, and why is she so desperate to find out?
The Abandoned Daughter by Mary Wood is the second book in The Girls Who Went To War series.
The Forgotten Daughter by Mary Wood is the gripping first book in The Girls Who Went To War series.
From a tender age, Flora felt unloved and unwanted by her parents, but she finds safety in the arms of caring nanny Pru. But when Pru is cast out of the family home, under a shadow of secrets, and with a young baby boy of her own to care for, it shatters little Flora.
But over the years, Flora and Pru meet in secret - unbeknown to Flora's parents. Pru becomes the mother to flora she never had, and Flora grows into a fine young woman. When Flora signs up to become a nurse with the St John's ambulance, she begins to shape her life. But the drum of war beats loudly and Flora's world is turned upside down when she receives a letter asking her to join the Red Cross in Belgium.
With the fate of the country in the balance, it's a time for bravery. Flora's determined to be the strong woman she was destined to be. But with horror, loss and heartache on her horizon - there's a lot for young Flora to learn . . .
Brighter Days Ahead is a moving story set against the backdrop of the Second World War, from Mary Wood, the author of In Their Mother's Footsteps.
War pulled them apart, but can it bring them back together?
Molly lives with her repugnant father, who has betrayed her many times. From a young age, living on the
streets of London's East End, she has seen the harsh realities of life . . . When she's kidnapped by a gang and forced into their underworld, her future seems bleak.
Flo spent her early years in an orphanage, and is about to turn her hand to teacher training. When a kindly teacher at her school approaches her about a job at Bletchley Park, it could be everything she never knew she wanted.
Will the girls' friendship be enough to weather the hard times ahead?
You can't choose your family
Megan and her husband Jack have finally found stability in their lives. But the threat of Megan's troubled son Billy is never far from their minds. Billy's release from the local asylum is imminent and it should be a time for celebration. Sadly, Megan and Jack know all too well what Billy is capable of . . .
Can you choose who you love?
Sarah and Billy were inseparable as children, before Billy committed a devastating crime. While Billy has been shut away from the world, he has fixated on one thing: Sarah. Sarah knows there's only one way she can keep her family safe and it means forsaking true love.
Sometimes love is dangerous
Twins Theresa and Terrence Crompton are used to getting their own way. But with the threat of war looming, the tides of fortune are turning. Forces are at work to unearth a secret that will shake the very roots of the tight-knit community . . .
Will Sarah have a chance at a future, and what will become of Jack and Megan? One thing's for sure: revenge will be sweet.
A gripping page-turner from Mary Wood, Tomorrow Brings Sorrow is the third in her Breckton Novels series, and a devastating tale of heartbreak and fortitude on the brink of war.
In Their Mother's Footsteps is a moving saga set at the eve of the Second World War, by the author of the Breckton series, Mary Wood.
Two girls. One horrendous war. The chance to unite a family . . .
Edith and Ada run Jimmy's Hope House where they care for unmarried mothers, and where Edith, a doctor, offers free medical help to the poor of London's East End.
Both are struggling to overcome trauma from their past. For Edith there is the constant ache and yearning for her twin girls Elka and Ania, from whom she was separated in 1918. For Ada there is the threat of her sister returning . . .
As the Nazis strengthen their grip on Poland, sisters Elka and Ania are forced to make a difficult decision: travel to England to find their birth mother or stay and fight against an increasingly desperate regime?
In times of war, no choices are ever easy to make. But making the right choice could keep you alive . . .
The stunning first instalment in The Breckton Novels, To Catch a Dream by Mary Wood tells the tragic tale of Bridie O'Hara, as she struggles to overcome her misfortune.
Can she follow her dreams when she has lost everything?
Young Bridie O'Hara is torn away from her native Ireland by her father - a freedom fighter, turned traitor - when he has to flee the wrath of the republicans. Violated by those who should protect her and betrayed by her dashing gypsy lover Seamus Finney, she struggles to find her way in Victorian England.
Will Hadler is a kind, hard-working miner, whose love for Bridie knows no bounds. He rescues her from a life on the streets and offers her the chance of happiness, but the demons inside her never give her peace. When Will takes Bridie to Breckton in Yorkshire, she meets and befriends the young Issy. A strong young woman, she triumphs over adversity, but her quest to save Bridie, and Bridie's daughter Bridget from the consequences of her mother's actions, proves a step too far.
An Unbreakable Bond is the gripping second novel in The Breckton Novels, from bestselling saga author Mary Wood.
It is 1913 and for best friends Megan and Hattie, born at the turn of the century and brought up in a convent orphanage in Leeds, the time has come to make their way in the world. Megan is to become an apprentice seamstress and Hattie is to work as a scullery maid at Lord Marley's country residence.
Once separated, Megan begins to excel at dress-making, but Hattie is less fortunate. After a devastating encounter with Lord Marley, she is forced to earn a living working the streets, where she uncovers horrors greater than any she could have imagined.
As the two grow up, both Megan and Hattie's paths are beset with danger at every turn, with the heinous Lord Marley never far away. Can their unbreakable bond carry them through their suffering and allow them to make way for true love that may be just around the corner?
It is 1941, and the world is at war. Young Theresa Compton is left devastated after giving up her illegitimate child and joins the Special Operations Executive, an organisation of undercover agents working behind enemy lines. Her mission is to assist a Resistance group run by the handsome Pierre Reuben and it is not long before they fall in love. Soon Theresa becomes pregnant but circumstances tear Pierre and the child from Theresa.
In London, 1963, an older Theresa is haunted by her experiences during the war. In her damaged mind, the past tangles with the present and Theresa soon feels she has to make a terrifying decision. Her long-lost children are seeking answers. Will Theresa be reunited with them, before it's too late?
Part of the Breckton Novels, Time Passes Time is a thrilling and emotive saga by Mary Wood. Time Passes Time is perfect for fans of Margaret Dickinson, Nadine Dorries and Lily Baxter.
