Product Description

Hannah Francis has been forced to leave her beloved mother and the life she knows in the silk mill town of Macclesfield and is set to become an apprentice at a cotton mill in the Derbyshire dales. It is a cruel blow for such a young girl, but her three travelling companions are even younger than she is, and Hannah is determined to keep their spirits up and remain in good cheer.

Once she is settled in the mill, Hannah discovers that the hours of work are long, and the daily routine is dangerous, arduous and harsh, but her bright singing and capacity for joy lighten the load for everyone.

Hannah soon becomes a favourite with the other mill workers. Friendships are forged and an innocent love starts to blossom. But can such a fragile love survive cruel reality? It is not long before she attracts the eye of Edmund Critchlow, the man who owns them all, body and soul – the man from whom no pretty mill girl is safe.

Times are hard in the cotton industry as civil war rages across America affecting even the mill owner and the lives of all his workers . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46347 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-07
• Format: Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Rachel Redford, The Oldie, June 2006
[Sue] Jameson's voice wraps you in its warmth, and breathes humanity into the characters

About the Author

Born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape.

Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. This was followed by eighteen further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven trilogy. Many of her novels are set in the heart of her home county but in Tangled Threads and Twisted Strands, the stories included not only Lincolnshire but also the framework knitting and lace industries of Nottingham

Customer Reviews

Another Great read from a great author.
After reading my first Margaret Dickinson book a few years ago I caught the bug & had to buy them all. This is another great addition to her list of titles & as she produces more books they get ever better. I could not put it down.

Pauper's Gold
Hannah Francis and her mother are forced to move in to the workhouse. Even though it is a bleak existence for Hannah and her mother, Hannah cheers everyone up with her beautiful singing voice. Hannah has always tried to see the best in everything, and in everyone. When Hannah is 12 years old, she is sent to work in the nearby mill with three other children. The hours are long, and the work is extremely dangerous. The owner of the Mill is a tyrant, and has an eye for the young lasses. This is a story of triumph and determination. Hannah was not born in the lap of luxury, and has had to struggle everyday of her young life. But Hannah will not let that stop her from making something of her life, and helping those around her also succeed in life. This is a wonderful heartwarming story of the struggles and accomplishments of those who are determined to make something of their lives. This is Margaret Dickinson at her best!