A powerful new novel, heart-breaking but ultimately uplifting, from the author of the classic Twopence to Cross The Mersey. Life in a Liverpool tenement block is a grim struggle for Martha Connelly and her poverty-stricken family, as every day renews the threat of homelessness, hunger and disease. Family warmth remains constant however, despite the misery and disquiet of the slum surroundings, and the indomitible neighbourhood puts up a relentless fight for survival. Helen Forrester's poignant novel relays bleakness and hardships, but celebrates also the spirit of unified hope and the restorative values of the close-knit community.

'Records of hardship during the Thirties or earlier are not rare; but this has features that make it stand apart' Observer 'Remarkable that from so bleak and unloving a background came a writer of such affectionate understanding and unsettling honesty' Sunday Telegraph '...should be long and widely read as an extraordinary human story and social document' Observer What makes this writer's self-told tale so memorable?... An absolute recall, a genius for the unforgettable detail, the rare chance of subject' The Good Book Guide 'A fascinating autobiography which has also gained a new topicality... highly gripping and entertaining' Birmingham Post 'The story of a young girl's courage and perseverance against adversity... warm-hearted and excellent' Manchester Evening News

Born in Cheshire, Helen Forrester, the eldest of seven children, made her home in Liverpool until emigrating to Canada. She is the author of four bestselling volumes of autobiography and a number of equally successful novels.