Daughters of the Mersey


Book Description

With the scars of World War I still fresh, the Dransfield family face further challenges... A heart-breaking saga of love, loss and tragedy, Daughters of the Mersey details the effects of war on a Liverpool family, from much-loved author Anne Baker. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Lyn Andrews. When Steven Dransfield loses his fortune in the Depression, his wife Leonie is forced to save the family from ruin. But Steve resents the success of her dressmaking business and, trapped in a loveless marriage, Leonie is drawn into the arms of another man. Just as their children, Milo and June, begin to spread their wings, Leonie finds herself pregnant, but her duty lies with her family and when Amy is born she unites them all. Then with the outbreak of World War II and danger looming in Liverpool, Amy is evacuated to Wales, and, as the bombs start to drop, lives are lost and hearts are broken and the Dransfields must learn to support one another through the heartache that lies ahead... What readers are saying about Daughters of the Mersey: 'One of the best books ever - I would definitely recommend this book to my friends... It was fantastic. I found the book a compelling read - I picked it up every time I had a spare minute' 'Could not put this book down, Anne Baker brings these characters to life, and you transform yourself back in time... Excellent!'




A View Across the Mersey


Book Description

A VIEW ACROSS THE MERSEY by Anne Baker is a dramatic Liverpool family saga sure to appeal to fans of Katie Flynn, Annie Groves and Lyn Andrews. The youngest of five siblings, Lottie Mortimer has never felt like she belonged. Her mother died shortly after she was born, leaving her father and grandmother to raise the family and, despite their love and support, Lottie can't help wondering if there is something they are not telling her... With the First World War over, the Mortimers' ship-owning business is struggling to survive and Lottie, who works with her father, worries what the future will hold. Meanwhile, her elder sister Eunice is trapped in an unhappy marriage that causes concern for them all. Then Lottie discovers the shocking truth about her birth that turns her world upside down and the dramatic events that unfold affect them all...




Mersey Maids


Book Description

The fate and happiness of a family rest on the shoulders of two young sisters... Mersey Maids by Anne Baker depicts a family's battle against poverty, and two sisters' struggles in life and love. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Lyn Andrews. When widower Henry Knell loses his glove-making business to the Dransfields his life is well and truly ruined. With his six young daughters, he moves into rented rooms in a Merseyside back street. Meanwhile, Hattie and Maggie, the eldest girls, are trying to hold the family together. Sophie Dransfield's husband, Daniel, takes pity on the poverty-stricken Knells and offers Maggie a job as a maid in the Dransfields' nursery. Maggie's beautiful blonde hair soon catches the eye of Sophie's brother Tom, whose dashing brother, Luke, is equally enchanted by Hattie when she joins the household as a lady's maid. But the fortunes of the two sisters do not run according to plan... What readers are saying about Mersey Maids: 'One of her best!... An absolute blinder' 'I could not put the book down - it was just like you were there'




Moonlight on the Mersey


Book Description

Will she allow the secrets of her childhood to threaten the happiness of her future? Moonlight on the Mersey is an engrossing Liverpool saga which explores the complexities of family life, by much-loved author Anne Baker. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Nadine Dorries. Jill Ridley's childhood was one of loneliness and fear, and returning to her family home in Merseyside to join her stepmother's medical practice she decides to uncover the truth behind such painful memories. The discovery of a photograph of her stepmother holding an unknown baby prompts Jill to ask questions. But no one seems willing to answer her. It is only when Jill's stoical step-grandmother, Victoria, tells the harrowing tale of her tragic past that the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. Coming to terms with shocking revelations, Jill must also face the future. The surgery's prospects are bleak; Jill's father is buckling under work pressures; and Felix Kingsley, a young journalist, has started paying attention to Jill - but are his intentions honourable, or is he using Jill to probe for secrets that affect his own family...? What readers are saying about Moonlight on the Mersey: 'Fantastic - a very good book' 'Five stars'




So Many Children


Book Description

A young nurse hunts for answers, knowledge and true love. An evocative and moving saga, So Many Children by much-loved writer Anne Baker, details a young woman's battles with divided loyalties and the issues of yesteryear. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Lindsey Hutchinson. Beth Hubble has grown up in extreme poverty in Dock Cottages and although she loves training to become a nurse, problems at home are never far from her mind. Doctors have told her mother that, after fourteen pregnancies, she is too frail to survive another, but they will do nothing more. Beth is determined to help, but, in 1920, birth control is a taboo subject, and her quest for knowledge is thwarted at every turn. Meanwhile Beth has fallen for Andrew Langford, a hospital lab technician, who she hopes will take her away from the tenements for good. But will Beth ever find the love and happiness that she deserves? What readers are saying about So Many Children: 'Was disappointed when I got to the end of this book. It was so good that I wanted it to go on forever. Was glued to it from the first page. Absolutely loved it. Fabulous reading' 'An engaging story and a stark reminder of family life in the early 20th century. Got completely engrossed with the characters, definitely a can't-put-down book!'




Like Father Like Daughter


Book Description

A mother and daughter fight for their right to happiness and freedom. Anne Baker writes a moving saga in Like Father Like Daughter, in which a young girl struggles for a brighter tomorrow for herself and the mother she loves. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Lyn Andrews. Rebelling against the domineering man she believes to be her father, Elin Jones runs away from her Welsh home to find a job on Merseyside as a maid in the wealthy Oxley household. Seduced and left pregnant by the son of the family, she feels forced to marry the butler, but finds herself condemned to a life of abuse and poverty. Only her love for her daughter, Laura, keeps Elin going. Laura grows up with her natural father's intelligence and drive, as well as his talent for business, and when she seizes the chance to buy an ailing company, it is the start of a meteoric career. But Laura's personal life is less of a success, and it will take a twist of fate to enable Laura and her mother to find love and happiness. What readers are saying about Like Father Like Daughter: 'Very moving story line. It was as though you were in the story with Elin and Laura - excellent book'




The Orphan's Gift


Book Description

When all seems lost, will her mother's legacy keep her safe? Praise for Anne Baker's Merseyside sagas: 'A stirring tale of romance and passion, poverty and ambition' Liverpool Echo Aimee Kendrick is no stranger to heartache. Having lost her father during the Great War and her mother, a famous French impressionist painter, in a tragic accident, Aimee is brought up by her troubled grandparents on the banks of the river Mersey. She works hard at her art lessons and is encouraged to believe she has inherited her mother's gift, but it is her childhood friend and fellow student Frankie Hopkins who shows greater talent. When Frankie joins the Kendrick's textile mill to work on new fabric designs, Aimee begs her grandfather to teach her how to run the business. Working together, Aimee and Frankie become much more than friends but then they find themselves involved in family problems and it is impossible to know what the future holds.




Legacy of Sins


Book Description

Shunned as a child, a young woman's pursuit of happiness is threatened by the story of her parentage. Legacy of Sins is an enthralling Merseyside saga from much-loved author Anne Baker, full of romance, family secrets and class struggles. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Lindsey Hutchinson. 'Your mother was a naughty girl. She sinned.' Aunt Maud's cruel words shock Rosie Quest, but they also explain the hostility that surrounds her on the run-down Wirral farm: no wonder her aunt resents having had to take in an illegitimate child. It's quite a relief to escape to her job at Shearing's garment factory, even though Beatrice Shearing is a tough employer. But when Rosie catches the eye of Ben Shearing, Beatrice is having none of it: her son is too good for a factory girl. When she fails to halt the romance by conventional methods, Beatrice resolves to try more drastic tactics, even if that means uncovering secrets best left buried... What readers are saying about Legacy of Sins: 'Anne has surpassed her usual standard... I had difficulty putting it down as I wanted to know what happened next' 'Keeps you guessing to the end'




Nobody's Child


Book Description

A young woman's search for her roots has dramatic consequences. Anne Baker writes an engrossing saga in Nobody's Child - a tale of family, love and finding a place to call home. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Lyn Andrews. When Dorothy Mortimer finds herself pregnant, she is sent away to family friends, the Benders, to have the child. Dorothy wants nothing to do with her daughter Lizzie, so the Benders arrange for the child to be brought up by the O'Malley's, a feckless family living on the estate. Lizzie is unaware of her parentage but her brother Joey is suspicious of the attention she receives from the Benders... Eventually he takes Lizzie to Merseyside to claim what is rightfully hers. But Joey's obsession to provide Lizzie with the riches she deserves leads to the destruction of their love, and Lizzie finds herself drawn to the family she has never known... What readers are saying about Nobody's Child: 'A rags-to-riches story, but with a good underlying tale of spite and greed. A little bit of everything and a gritty ending - I couldn't put it down' 'A really good read, a bit like a mini-series on TV. I especially liked the way it kept me guessing until the very end'




Echoes Across the Mersey


Book Description

With the Great War looming, one young woman also faces obstacles closer to home. Anne Baker's Echoes Across the Mersey is a thrilling saga of an impossible love, set under the storm clouds of war and class. Perfect for fans of Cathy Sharp and Katie Flynn. 'A heartwarming story, Echoes Across the Mersey is the type of distinctly English book best read when sitting in the garden' - Liverpool Echo It's August 1914, and the threat of war weighs heavily on the people of Liverpool, but not on Sarah Hoxton. For Toby Percival, the son of her employer, is in love with her. Her mother fears they'll both lose their jobs when Toby's father finds out, but Sarah's prepared to risk everything for Toby's love. Maurice Percival is furious when he discovers his son is involved with a factory girl. Determined to defy his father, Toby joins the army. Sarah is left facing what seem to be insurmountable obstacles, but with the help of her friends, family and a strength she never knew she possessed, she discovers there is a light at the end of the tunnel, though it shines from a different direction to the one she expected. What readers are saying about Echoes Across the Mersey: 'I could not put it down and read it within a couple of days... the author has a way of making you visualise everything from the people to the places, and is able to bring out so many emotions whilst you are reading.'