A beloved classic by the Sunday Times, multi-million copy bestselling authorCharity Stratton is just fifteen when her world shatters. After losing her parents in a terrible fire, she's separated from her beloved siblings and forced into servitude.Her life as a boarding school kitchen maid is backbreaking and lonely. And her brief moments of joy with a dashing student end in heartbreak when she becomes pregnant.But Charity's spirit refuses to be broken. Escaping to London, she finds a city teeming with both opportunity and peril. Will Charity's resilience be enough to overcome the odds, reunite her family and build a better life for them all?_________________Praise for Lesley Pearse:'I couldn't put this book down. Although harrowing at times, Lesley's indomitable spirit shines through. What an inspiration, what a book!' - Katie Fforde'Fabulously entertaining... a poignant and powerful story that is truly unputdownable.' - Milly Johnson'A totally gripping read, by turns tragic, mad-cap, heartbreaking and mind-blowing. And anyone who can read that final chapter without bursting into happy tears has to have a heart of stone.' - Jill Mansell'An incredible life story from a literary icon, Lesley Pearse's truth is even more gripping than her fiction' - Veronica Henry'Inspiring, heart-warming, extraordinary' - Woman's Weekly'Humorous and heartbreaking... I was so gripped I read it twice' - Kate Furnivall'What a roller coaster of a ride. I couldn't do anything else until I'd finished this book. Gripping, heart wrenching... an amazing read' - Jo Thomas