Valerie Wood

This is a very moving book about women in medicine during WWI. Of course, there are also men, romance, ... The depiction of relationships between people of different social classes at the time doesn't seem really true to life, but certainly that class and gender divides were beginning to crumble is true.

Set in Hull in the days of workhouses. Lily's husband is missing, presumed dead fighting for the army. She makes the mistake of marrying Billy Fowler, who decides to drag her, pregnant, to Hull to sell her.

This leads Lily into a life she would rather not have, but where she manages to bring order and hope.

This story is a fascinating insight into the life of brothels, and why various women became prostitutes at that time, and as such gives food for thought.

It does however make a very show more predictable turn for the ending, or it would have got a much higher scores. show less

This is like a Catherine Cookson novel as written by Maeve Binchy: the miserable circumstances of the first, but the cheerful resolution of the second.

This was my first ever step into historical fiction And I really enjoyed it. But only because it was set in places I could associate with. I was fascinated in how the people lived back in the 1800s and how they were treated too. This really was an enjoyable book which I shall always remember reading.