Search results for ""Author Val Wood""

The stunning follow-up to The Lonely Wife from bestselling author Val Wood.''With fully developed characters and a compelling story, it''s no wonder the author won the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her debut... A great choice for a book club'' Belfast Telegraph---------------------------1864: Following the untimely death of her cold-hearted husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie''s future is less certain. With the responsibility of the family estate on his shoulders, Laurie must decide between staying in Yorkshire to farm the family land and following his dreams.Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia''s past is shrouded in mystery and as the two fami

Read more less

**Don't miss the sequel to The Lonely Wife! Children of Fortune is available now**---------------------------------A powerful story about a woman's struggle to claim what is rightfully hers, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.1850: Beatrix Fawcett is just eighteen when her father tells her she is to marry a stranger. Hesitantly, but with little choice, she agrees to the match - in the hope of a good husband in Charles, and a happy new life together in rural Yorkshire.As Beatrix sets about making their house a home, she falls in love with it and the surrounding countryside. But she does not fall in love with her husband... Charles has chosen her simply to meet the requirements of his inheritance and has little interest in his young wife.Soon, the only spark in Beatrix's lonely life is her beloved children. But when Charles threatens to take them away from her, Beatrix must find strength in desperate times. Can she fight against her circumstances and keep what is rightfully hers?---------------------------------Praise for Val Wood:'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less

A young girl struggles to realise her dreams when her life is derailed - from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.---------------------Holderness, 1846.For reliable, thirteen-year-old Bella, life isn't turning out quite as she'd hoped. She lives at the Woodman Inn - an ancient hostelry run by her family in the Yorkshire countryside - with her parents and siblings, but when she learns not only that her father is seriously ill, but that her mother is expecting a fifth child, her dreams of leaving home to become a schoolteacher are quickly dashed.Times are hard, and when their father dies Bella also has to take on the role of mother to her baby brother. Her days are brightened by the occasional visit from Jamie Lucan - the eighteen-year-old son of a wealthy landowning neighbour. Also grieving the loss of a parent, Jamie has more in common with Bella than she thinks.When her mother announces out of the blue that she wants to move the family to Hull, Bella is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. They arrive to find that the public house they are now committed to buying is run-down and dilapidated. Could things get any worse? Or could this move turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Bella?If you've liked books by Dilly Court and Katie Flynn, you'll love Val Wood's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.---------------------Praise for Val Wood:'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less

The stunning follow-up to The Lonely Wife from bestselling author Val Wood.'With fully developed characters and a compelling story, it's no wonder the author won the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her debut... A great choice for a book club' Belfast Telegraph--------------------------------1864: Following the untimely death of her cold-hearted husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie's future is less certain. With the responsibility of the family estate on his shoulders, Laurie must decide between staying in Yorkshire to farm the family land and following his dreams.Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia's past is shrouded in mystery and as the two families grow closer, secrets start to come tumbling out...A powerful story of family ties, long-held secrets and the fleeting days of childhood.--------------------------------Praise for Val Wood:'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough TelegraphReaders are loving Children of Fortune:***** 'Excellent story, great characters bounding with interest from start to finish. Strongly recommend'***** 'Another excellent book from Val Wood and cannot wait for the next one'***** 'Val Wood never fails to keep me interested in her books, I love them'

Read more less

With her trademark warmth and powerful characters, Winter's Daughter is a stunning new Victorian saga - about a young child separated from her mother, and the family who bring her in from the cold.'As always, Val tells it from the heart . . . A stirring story of faith, hope and charity will enthral you' Peterborough TelegraphHull, 1856.James Ripley and his wife Moira have always looked out for the poor of Hull. When, during one stormy night, there is a flood in a nearby cellar - a popular shelter for the homeless - James rushes to help.Among those rescued is a dark-haired little girl who speaks a language no one can understand. Some say that she came to the cellar with her mother, but no one knows where the mother is now.Concerned for the child's safety, James is unsure of what to do. Where has the girl's mother disappeared to? And what can be done to help the homeless who have lost the only shelter they knew?A stunning new story of family, love and the importance of kindness, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood.Praise for Val Wood:'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph'With fully developed characters and a compelling story, it's no wonder the author won the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her debut... A great choice for a book club' Belfast Telegraph

Read more less

Since winning the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her first novel, The Hungry Tide, Val Wood has become one of the most popular authors in the UK.Born in the mining town of Castleford, Val came to East Yorkshire as a child and has lived in Hull and rural Holderness where many of her novels are set. She now lives in the market town of Beverley.When she is not writing, Val is busy promoting libraries and supporting many charities. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hull for service and dedication to literature.Find out more about Val Wood's novels by visiting her website: www.valwood.co.uk

Read more less

____________________Winter, 1860. Rosalie has been granted a life of comfort and wealth but neither of these protects her when her mother suddenly dies. Polly has lead a life of grinding poverty; after losing her own mother, she finds herself alone on the bitterly cold streets of Hull. Then fate intervenes, bringing the two girls together when Polly takes a job as a scullery maid in Rosalie’s lonely house. The girls become unlikely friends and, when forced to leave the city behind, find themselves setting out to live with Rosalie’s uncle on the North Yorkshire Moors. Here they discover a life that neither of them has known before; though after finding momentary joy they soon learn once again that tragedy is never far away…____________________If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

1860. Harriet Miles is trying to take care of her seriously ill mother, and just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse she is fired from her job at the hostelry. The last thing she expects after her mother dies is a marriage proposal from a man she barely knows, but her only alternative is the workhouse. And so begins her new life with Noah Tuke. But instead of marital bliss, Harriet finds herself in the cramped farmhouse which Noah calls home, and in this overcrowded and angry household she meets with hostility and bitterness. The only person who offers her friendship is Noah’s brother, Fletcher. Gradually she learns the true reasons behind Noah’s desire to marry her – and realises that the only person she finds real companionship with is the person she can’t possibly be with . . .If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

Since winning the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her first novel, The Hungry Tide, Val Wood has become one of the most popular authors in the UK.Born in the mining town of Castleford, Val came to East Yorkshire as a child and has lived in Hull and rural Holderness where many of her novels are set. She now lives in the market town of Beverley.When she is not writing, Val is busy promoting libraries and supporting many charities. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hull for service and dedication to literature.Find out more about Val Wood's novels by visiting her website: www.valwood.co.uk

Read more less

When Laura Page returns to the remote Holderness village of Welwick, it is to try and discover the mystery of her mother Susannah's early life. Now a local property owner in Hull, Susannah never speaks of her childhood, when she was brought up with the terrible stigma of illegitimacy - of being nobody's child.Born into poverty, living in a tiny labourer's cottage with her father, Susannah's mother had caught the eye of the local landowner's son. She was his one and only great love, but when she died giving birth to their daughter Susannah he could not acknowledge his child but had to watch her growing up in hardship. As the years passed and Laura had begin to be curious about her mother's past, would she ever be reunited with the father she had scarcely known?If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

When Georgiana Gregory and her maid, Kitty, make the long sea journey from their native Hull for New York, they hope to begin a new life in the freedom of the newly-formed United States of America. Georgiana wants to escape from the confines of English life, and to savour a land of emancipation and opportunity. But in New York, she encounters a man passing himself off as a local mill-owner's son, Edward, who has abandoned Georgiana's sister and fled to America. Georgiana recognises the man standing before her as Edward's valet Robert - Edward himself appears to have vanished.As Georgiana and Kitty pursue the adventures of the frontier, and Edward tries to flee his enemies, the dangers of this new country seem too much to cope with.If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

Rosa grew up an orphan in a remote, watery island fastness on the wild East coast of Yorkshire. Taken in as a small child by the motherly Mrs Drew, she realised as she grew up that this large and seemingly close farming family contained many troubled souls. Mr Drew, whose religious fervour held a dark secret; Jim, the eldest son, who was terrified of something from his past; Delia, longing to escape from the island; and tall, handsome, confident Matthew, who wanted only one thing - Rosa herself.But Rosa's background was one of mystery. Her mother, before she drowned in the dyke near their home, had always promised that one day Rosa's father would return to her - a handsome Spaniard, with jewels and silks in treasure chests, sailing in on a ship with golden sails. Mr Drew knew the secret of Rosa's past - and so did the two mysterious Irishmen, who came back to the island after many years and who threatened everything which Rosa held most dear.Other novels by Valerie Wood include: The Hungry Tide, winner of the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction, Annie, Children of the Tide, The Romany Girl, Emily, and Going Home.

Read more less

At only thirteen, Mikey Quinn is arrested for stealing a rabbit to feed his family. Despite his age, he’s shown no mercy by the wealthy lawyer who sends him to prison. He returns home to find that his mother has died and his younger siblings taken into the workhouse. With only his determination, Mikey makes his way to London to seek a better life for his family. Whilst there, he meets Eleanor who he recognises as the daughter of the lawyer who ruined his life. Desperate, they band together forging a new life for themselves on the streets of London. Overlooking their initial differences, the two come to rely on each other and, when the time comes to return to Hull, they face the long walk home together.

Read more less

Jenny is determined to make her own way in the world, and she secures a job as the kitchen maid in a grand house in Yorkshire. Gradually, she gains the attention of the young master of the house, and they fall in love.But their hopes and dreams turn to nightmares, culminating in a scandal that will force Jenny to leave behind everything she knows.Cast aside by her own family, Jenny faces many difficulties until an usual promise changes the course of her life. Jenny the kitchen maid becomes the mistress of her own grand house. Although she tries to fit in with this new world, however, she never forgets the words that the gypsy told her: that one day she will return to where she was once happy - and discover her true love . . .If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

Sarah Foster’s parents have been fighting a constant battle with poverty, disease and crime. When her father, Will, is involved in a terrible accident at work, their lives became even harder. But Will’s good deeds of the past pay off as John Rayner decides to rescue the Fosters. John provides them with work and a house on the estate owned by his wealthy family. It is at this new home on the crumbling coastline of Holderness that Sarah is born – and grows into a bright and beautiful girl, and a great source of strength to those around her. As John grows closer to Sarah, he becomes increasingly aware of his love for her. But could these two very different people ever make their love story truly work?If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

Since winning the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her first novel, The Hungry Tide, Val Wood has become one of the most popular authors in the UK.Born in the mining town of Castleford, Val came to East Yorkshire as a child and has lived in Hull and rural Holderness where many of her novels are set. She now lives in the market town of Beverley.When she is not writing, Val is busy promoting libraries and supporting many charities. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Hull for service and dedication to literature.Find out more about Val Wood's novels by visiting her website: www.valwood.co.uk

Read more less

Ruby and Grace have grown up in the poorest slums of Hull. Friends since early childhood, they have supported each other in bad times and good. But their families are bound together by more than friendship, and secrets from the past threaten to make their lives even more difficult.The local cotton mill has provided work for Ruby and Grace since they were nine years old, and now years later both girls find themselves the object of attention from the mill owner's sons. As times grow harder, and money ever scarcer, Grace becomes involved in campaigns against poverty and injustice, while Ruby is tempted into prostitution.The two girls are searching for something that could take them far away . . . But what price will they pay to find it?If you like Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love this heartwarming story of triumph over adversity.---------------------------Praise for Val Wood:'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less

Margriet grew up as a lonely child in the old town of Hull. Her adored father often travelled by sea to the Netherlands, leaving her with an unaffectionate mother and only her imagination of a little Dutch girl, Anneliese, to keep her company. When devastation ravages her tiny family. Annelise becomes the comforting friend Margriet needs for a long time to come.A few years later, Margriet is blossoming into a kind young lady. Keen to escape her mother and strike out on her own, she forms an unlikely friendship with some of the street children who roam the town.As Margriet acts upon her inspiration to help them, will the troubles of her past break her spirit, or will she be able to overcome them?If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heart-rending stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

After her devious husband Billy tries to sell her at a wife sale, Lily Fowler finds herself alone, frightened and heavily pregnant on the streets of Hull.Running out of options when even the workhouse turns her away, Lily is forced to swallow what little pride she has left and accept work in a once-grand mansion in Leadenhall Square – now a brothel.Unexpectedly, she soon forges a strong bond with the group of people she finds there, all good-hearted women who have simply fallen on hard times. Seeing potential where others see only destitution, Lily and her ‘fallen angels’ join forces to outwit the low-life brothel-keeper. In working to transform the house in Leadenhall Square into something more respectable, doors to new opportunities are opened and lost loves are rekindled.Can the happy endings the fallen angels never dared to dream of finally come true?If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

When Lucy’s parents are killed in a train crash, her kindly uncle steps in to look after the little girl – to the initial apprehension of his wife and her son. However, Lucy’s sweet, spirited charm slowly wins over her new family, and as she overcomes the trauma of her childhood, she grows up inspired to become a doctor, just like her father.But studying medicine in London takes Lucy far from her home in Hull and the people she loves, and she has to battle to be accepted in a man’s world.With the dark clouds of the First World War gathering on the horizon, an even greater challenge approaches. Can a woman find her place on the front line of battle? Will Lucy be able to follow her dreams – and find love – in a world shattered by war?Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

Read more less

Rosalie, brought up in affluence and comfort on the other side of town, loses her own mother in similar circumstances and on the same day. Polly takes a job as scullery maid in Rosalie's lonely house, and the two girls form an unlikely friendship.

Read more less

Ellen thought she’d always live in the remote, pretty coastal village where she grew up. After all, her husband, Harry, works on a farm where he’s guaranteed a job and home for life. But when the old landowner dies and the couple and their young children are forced from their cottage, the future is suddenly bleak. Rather than stay – and starve – in the countryside they love, Harry sets out to find a job in the factories and mills of nearby Hull, and Ellen must leave behind everything she’s ever known to follow her husband and build a new life for her family on the unfamiliar city streets.The road ahead is full of hardships and challenges. But with love and determination, they make the best of things, forging friendships with other newcomers and refugees; even helping them to succeed in their new surroundings.Then tragedy threatens Ellen’s fragile happiness. How much more can she sacrifice before they find a place to call home? Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

Read more less

For ten years, Delia has had to fend for herself and her son Jack, and as a young unmarried mother, life has never been easy. Every new coat and pair of shoes was bought with what little money she could scrape together as a singer on the stage. But when the theatre work dries up, Delia faces a dilemma: continue the search for employment with no knowing whether she’ll find the stability and security her son needs, or return to the place that should be home . . . where only spite and hatred await them. Desperate now, a chance encounter suddenly presents a lifeline. But Delia is faced with an impossible, heart-wrenching choice. Can she bear to leave Jack behind, hoping another family will care for him? Will they ever be reunited? What else can a mother do to give her son the life he deserves?Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

Read more less

Scarborough, 1880Jeannie spends her days in the town's teeming fishing port, waiting for Ethan Wharton to return on his father's trawler. She had always expected to marry the loyal and dependable Ethan, but when she meets Harry, a handsome stranger from Hull, Jeannie can't help but fall for his charm. When Jeannie falls pregnant and Harry breaks his promise to come back for her, she is alone. Resolving to make a better life for her and her child, Jeannie moves to the city in a bid to keep them from poverty. Starting over brings heartache and tragedy, and Jeannie finds herself longing for her lost love. But will Ethan find the strength to forgive her?If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less

As the sea claims the land, can she claim the love she deserves?In the old fishing town of Hull, Sarah Foster's parents have been fighting a constant battle with poverty, disease and crime. When her father Will, a whaling man, is involved in a terrible accident at sea, their lives became even harder.But Will's good deeds of the past pay off as John Rayner decides to rescue the Fosters. John provides them with work and a house on the estate owned by his wealthy family. It is at this new home on the crumbling coastline of Holderness that Sarah is born - and grows into a bright and beautiful girl, and a great source of strength to those around her.As John grows closer to Sarah, he becomes increasingly aware of his love for her. But could these two very different people ever make their love story truly work?If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Read more less