Birmingham, 1858. Dora, a spirited young maid with a vivid imagination, finds solace in the library of the esteemed family she works for. But when a forbidden love leads to a secret that could ruin her, Dora has no choice but to leave the only place that has ever offered her security and kindness.

Alone in Birmingham’s teeming industrial streets, Dora reinvents herself as a washerwoman – each stitch and scrub a testament to her fierce determination to protect her daughter, Rose.

But, snatching any free moment in her exhausting days, Dora begins to write her own stories, dreaming that one day, she will see her words in print.

As fate reunites Dora with long-lost family, she must face fresh challenges and personal heartache. Can this woman, armed with grit, love and a pen, defy her past and write her own destiny?

Dora's Dream is a gritty and heartfelt saga from beloved author, Annie Murray and is the second book in the Children of Birmingham series after The Pearl Button Girl.

_{The Birmingham Rose by Annie Murray was a Sunday Times bestseller in Feb 1995.}

This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn * Candis on The Pearl Button Girl *
It’s gritty and moving story-telling * Peterborough Telegraph on The Pearl Button Girl *
An involving read that perfectly evokes the hardship of life at the time in the Second City * Choice on The Pearl Button Girl *
A heartwarming and affecting tale * Woman's Weekly on Homecoming for the Chocolate Girls *
[A] dramatic historical tale. Told with enormous skill and sensitive insight, Homecoming for the Chocolate Girls is an emotional story that captivates completely * The People's Friend *
Murray achieves authenticity with a detailed historical knowledge * North East Post on The Pearl Button Girl *

Annie Murray was born in Berkshire and read English at St John’s College, Oxford. Her first Birmingham novel, Birmingham Rose, hit The Sunday Times bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels, including War Babies and Girls in Tin Hats and the bestselling novels Chocolate Girls, Sisters of Gold and Black Country Orphan. Annie has four children, all Birmingham born and she lives near Oxford.