The Manchester Maid

About this book

She was the cook's daughter. He was the heir to a fortune. Their love would shake a dynasty to its foundations.Fate dealt Hazel Matthews a cruel hand when the sea claimed her husband, leaving her alone, with child, and desperate for survival. Seeking refuge in Manchester's unforgiving streets, she finds work as a cook in the imposing Dewar estate. But it's her daughter Alice's innocent friendship with young Master Silas Dewar that ignites a story of forbidden love that will span decades.Silas, a frail boy haunted by illness and family secrets, finds in Alice the one person who sees beyond his weakness to the strength of his spirit. Yet their pure connection threatens the carefully guarded plans of those around them-especially the shadowy Uncle Buddy, whose sinister motives run deeper than anyone suspects.As Victorian England grapples with Darwin's revolutionary ideas about mankind's origins, Alice and Silas face their own evolution of heart and soul. Torn apart by class divisions, family deception, and malicious schemes, they cling to a childhood promise that seems impossibly out of reach. In a world determined to keep them apart, will their faith in each other be enough to light the way through darkness?A sweeping tale of love, faith, and courage that proves the human heart recognizes no boundaries of class or circumstance. Perfect for readers who believe that true love, like faith itself, can move mountains.