1945. War is over and people are celebrating, but in the small town of Rivenshaw in Lancashire, Judith Crossley fears having her husband back in the house. He’d grown into an abusive bully and a drunkard, so she decides that for the children’s sake, she must leave him. But with the house rented in his name, and accommodation scarce, where can they go? Alice Bretherton is returning from being a Land Girl. Her great-aunt has left her a house in Rivenshaw, but it was partly bombed and is in poor condition. Still, she decides to camp out in it, because she has nowhere else to go. However, when she arrives, she finds a Polish man is already living there…
Lancashire, 1930s. When her mother dies, leaving her an old sewing box and a clue to her father’s identity, 22-year-old Maisie Bassett is determined to make a fresh start. Changing her name and moving to the small town of Rivenshaw, she finds a respectable job in a grocery store. But unwanted attentions from a man at her new church make life increasingly difficult – until the shy, handsome Gabriel Harte comes to her rescue. Then she receives an inheritance from a distant relative and her world is turned upside down. The home she’s always dreamed of may finally be hers – if she can keep it safe from a grasping slum landlord. With Gabriel’s help, can Maisie untangle the secrets of her past?
In the wake of World War Two, the whole country is desperate for houses, with very little money available to rebuild. In the town of Rivenshaw, Mayne Esher has no choice but to turn Esherwood, the war-damaged stately home which has been in his family for generations, into flats. Rebuilding Esherwood won’t be easy but with Judith Crossley by his side, Mayne hopes to restore it to its former glory. First, he must open it up to some of his long-suffering army friends… and it soon becomes clear that the house isn’t the only thing which needs rebuilding. Saving Esherwood proves to be a difficult undertaking for Mayne and Judith. And certain people will stop at nothing to prevent it happening. In this time of renewal, will the group find a way to rebuild their lives, and the old house, as planned?
1945: The war in Europe is over, and most women can’t wait for their men to return. But in the small town of Rivenshaw in Lancashire, Judith Crossley fears having her husband back in the house. Before Doug left for the war, he’d become a bully and a drunkard, and on the few occasions he’d come home on leave, he’d hit her and the children. Judith has found an unlikely ally in Maynard, only son of the aristocratic Esher family – but she knows that when Doug returns, she and her children will be back in the firing line again. So she decides they must leave. But with the house rented in Doug’s name and other accommodation scarce, where on earth can they go…?
After a stray bomb scored a direct hit on his childhood home in Hertfordshire, the only thing that has kept Francis Brady going while he works day and night salvaging what he can from the rubble is the thought that soon he’ll be joining wartime friends Mayne, Daniel and Victor as electrician in their new dream building firm in Lancashire. But things are not going to plan. Many marriages are breaking up in these times of change, and Francis is loath for his to be one of them – but how can he turn down the opportunity of a new life and career in Rivenshaw? Meanwhile, while clearing out Esherwood house in readiness for the rebuild, Mayne and Judith make a macabre discovery in the old Nissen hut – a body, buried in a shallow grave…
Germany, 1939: Christa Sommer boards the KINDERTRANSPORT, unsure that she’ll ever see her parents again. Once in England she is taken in by elderly Mrs Pelling, who grows to love Christa as the daughter she never had. But in 1945 Mrs Pelling dies and her money-grabbing niece turfs Christa out with only a suitcase to her name. Luck comes her way when a lady she saves from being mugged turns out to be Mayne Esher’s friend Daniel’s mother. Taking pity on Christa, they bring her to Rivenshaw, where they plan to start a new life as part of the Esher building firm. There Christa is welcomed with open arms, and she soon develops a love for the place, the people – and Daniel…
