Is it possible to stand out with a background that seems to doom you?

Synopsis

Let bestselling author Lindsey Hutchinson take you back in time to the Victorian Black Country, for a tale of love, hardship and fighting against the odds to succeed.

Life is tough for Ella Bancroft. After her father, Thomas, is wheelchair-bound by an accident at the tube works, the responsibility for keeping a roof over their head falls to Ella. Ella’s mother died when she was ten, and her sister Sally lives with her no-good, work-shy husband Eddy, so is no help at all.  If she and her father are to keep the bailiffs from the door, then Ella must earn a living.

But Ella is resourceful as well as creative, and soon discovers she has a gift for millinery. Setting up shop in the front room of their two-up, two-down home in Silver Street, Walsall, Ellaand Thomas work hard to establish a thriving business. Before long, the fashionable ladies of the Black Country are lining up to wear one of Ella’s beautiful creations, and finally Ella dares to hope for a life with love, friendship and family.

Meeting the man she longs to marry should be a turning point for Ella, but life’s twists and turns can be cruel. As the winter grows colder, events seem to conspire to test Ella’s spirit. And by the time spring is approaching, will the hat girl of Silver Street triumph, or will Ella have to admit defeat as all her dreams are tested.

The Queen of the Black Country sagas is back with a heart-breaking, unforgettable, page-turning story of love, life and battling against the odds. Perfect for fans of Val Wood and Lyn Andrews. 

My review

After having discovered that she has a gift for Millinery, Ella Bancroft and her father set up a little shop in the front room of their house.
Together they do their utterly best to make a success of their business, even if Thomas wheelchair – bound.
Life is not easy for Ella, because it’s her responsibility to earn a living, as Ella’s mother died when Ella was just a young girl. And Ella cannot surely count on the help of her sister Sally and Sally’s lazy husband.

Slowly people start to discover the magnificent creations Ella is capable of inventing. And when she meets Harper, is there also love is something Ella dares to dream about.
But life and fate keep on playing cruel twists and turns and Ella is facing even more hardship. Will she be able to stay strong or will these last tricks be able to break her?

If there is one character I wished all the best in the world, it would be Ella Bancroft… not only is she looking after her father, with obviously all the love and care she can manage, but she is also very creative even if a bit taken advantage of at her work with Ivy Gladwin.
So when happiness finally seems to come in her life, I was truly glad. Ella is a woman that you quickly warm towards, because it’s obvious she has a kind heart.

There are several people who I instant disliked. Some redeemed themselves, others just confirmed my feelings.

This story is showing how life truly goes. It’s not only rainbow and sunshine, especially in the Victorian Black Country. More often life throws you curveballs and it’s up to you to decide if you’re going to admit defeat or fight for your happiness.
There are heart-breaking moments, even hard to digest as just a reader, but that’s also the charm of the book. There is no sugar – coating, this is how life really is. No matter how good or bad you are, you don’t always get what you truly deserve.

A gripping story about a woman who has to be courageous, make her own happiness, but also has to fight to maintain that little happiness she has fought so hard for it.
I found myself turning the pages, wanting to know more. And even if the ending surprised me a bit, it was in line with the rest of the story even if it wasn’t the ending I wanted the book to have…

After reaching the end, I found myself pondering about the injustice people had to endure, and it was a relief to be in the present, in a more comfortable position, being able to make my own happiness. And that is a thought we too often forget…