Val Wood

With her trademark warmth and powerful characters, Winter's Daughter is a stunning new Victorian saga - about a young child separated from her mother, and the family who bring her in from the cold. Hull, 1856. James Ripley and his wife Moira have always looked out for the poor of Hull. When, during one stormy night, there is a flood in a nearby cellar - a popular shelter for the homeless - James rushes to help. Among those rescued is a dark-haired little girl who speaks a language no one can understand. Some say that she came to the cellar with her mother, but no one knows where the mother is now. Concerned for the child's safety, James is unsure of what to do. Where has the girl's mother disappeared to? And what can be done to help the homeless who have lost the only shelter they knew? A stunning new story of family, love and the importance of kindness, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. Praise for Val Wood: 'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin 'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row 'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph 'With fully developed characters and a compelling story, it's no wonder the author won the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her debut... A great choice for a book club' Belfast Telegraph

An unputdownable historical novel of triumph over adversity from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Winter’s Daughter

Sarah Foster’s parents have been fighting a constant battle with poverty, disease and crime. When her father, Will, is involved in a terrible accident at work, their lives became even harder. But Will’s good deeds of the past pay off as John Rayner decides to rescue the Fosters. John provides them with work and a house on the estate owned by his wealthy family. It is at this new home on the crumbling coastline of Holderness that Sarah is born – and grows into a bright and beautiful girl, and a great source of strength to those around her. As John grows closer to Sarah, he becomes increasingly aware of his love for her. But could these two very different people ever make their love story truly work? If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

The Hungry Tide

Jane Johnston

Lindy Nahmad-Williams

Ruby Oates

This fully updated new edition offers a comprehensive, accessible, yet rigorous introduction to the study of Early Childhood that will will add value to any Early Childhood Studies course at both foundation and degree level. Addressing both care and education in the Early Years, the book considers a range of multi-disciplinary aspects of Early Childhood; including health, social, educational, psychological and sociological perspectives. Early Childhood Studies engages the reader by providing real-world examples that underpin theoretical perspectives and bring examples to life, while encouraging practitioners to engage in reflective practice by considering their own similar experiences. Key features include: Engaging activities and case studies that bring theory to life Cutting-edge research Practical tasks and advice with points for further reading End of chapter summaries, Reflective Tasks and Study Skills boxes in each chapter Full colour illustrations throughout This core introductory textbook is an indispensable resource for Early Years’ students and professionals, whatever their level of expertise or experience.

Principles and Practice

Early Childhood Studies

When Georgiana Gregory and her maid, Kitty, make the long sea journey from their native Hull for New York, they hope to begin a new life in the freedom of the newly-formed United States of America. Georgiana wants to escape from the confines of English life, and to savour a land of emancipation and opportunity. But in New York, she encounters a man passing himself off as a local mill-owner's son, Edward, who has abandoned Georgiana's sister and fled to America. Georgiana recognises the man standing before her as Edward's valet Robert - Edward himself appears to have vanished. As Georgiana and Kitty pursue the adventures of the frontier, and Edward tries to flee his enemies, the dangers of this new country seem too much to cope with. If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Far from Home

Holderness, 1846. For reliable, 13-year-old Bella, life isn't turning out quite as she'd hoped. She lives at the Woodman Inn an ancient hostelry run by her family in the Yorkshire countryside surrounded by two older brothers who never pull their weight and a flighty younger sister.

The Innkeeper's Daughter

Scarborough, 1880 Jeannie spends her days in the town's teeming fishing port, waiting for Ethan Wharton to return on his father's trawler. She had always expected to marry the loyal and dependable Ethan, but when she meets Harry, a handsome stranger from Hull, Jeannie can't help but fall for his charm. When Jeannie falls pregnant and Harry breaks his promise to come back for her, she is alone. Resolving to make a better life for her and her child, Jeannie moves to the city in a bid to keep them from poverty. Starting over brings heartache and tragedy, and Jeannie finds herself longing for her lost love. But will Ethan find the strength to forgive her? If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

a gripping historical romance saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author

The Harbour Girl

At only thirteen, Mikey Quinn is arrested for stealing a rabbit to feed his family. Despite his age, he’s shown no mercy by the wealthy lawyer who sends him to prison. He returns home to find that his mother has died and his younger siblings taken into the workhouse. With only his determination, Mikey makes his way to London to seek a better life for his family. Whilst there, he meets Eleanor who he recognises as the daughter of the lawyer who ruined his life. Desperate, they band together forging a new life for themselves on the streets of London. Overlooking their initial differences, the two come to rely on each other and, when the time comes to return to Hull, they face the long walk home together.

The Long Walk Home

Ellen thought she’d always live in the remote, pretty coastal village where she grew up. After all, her husband, Harry, works on a farm where he’s guaranteed a job and home for life. But when the old landowner dies and the couple and their young children are forced from their cottage, the future is suddenly bleak. Rather than stay – and starve – in the countryside they love, Harry sets out to find a job in the factories and mills of nearby Hull, and Ellen must leave behind everything she’s ever known to follow her husband and build a new life for her family on the unfamiliar city streets. The road ahead is full of hardships and challenges. But with love and determination, they make the best of things, forging friendships with other newcomers and refugees; even helping them to succeed in their new surroundings. Then tragedy threatens Ellen’s fragile happiness. How much more can she sacrifice before they find a place to call home? Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

A Place to Call Home

When Lucy’s parents are killed in a train crash, her kindly uncle steps in to look after the little girl – to the initial apprehension of his wife and her son. However, Lucy’s sweet, spirited charm slowly wins over her new family, and as she overcomes the trauma of her childhood, she grows up inspired to become a doctor, just like her father. But studying medicine in London takes Lucy far from her home in Hull and the people she loves, and she has to battle to be accepted in a man’s world. With the dark clouds of the First World War gathering on the horizon, an even greater challenge approaches. Can a woman find her place on the front line of battle? Will Lucy be able to follow her dreams – and find love – in a world shattered by war? Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

No Place for a Woman

Can two friends find hope in hard times? Ruby and Grace have grown up in the poorest slums of Hull. Friends since early childhood, they have supported each other in bad times and good. But their families are bound together by more than friendship, and secrets from the past threaten to make their lives even more difficult. The local cotton mill has provided work for Ruby and Grace since they were nine years old, and now years later both girls find themselves the object of attention from the mill owner's sons. As times grow harder, and money ever scarcer, Grace becomes involved in campaigns against poverty and injustice, while Ruby is tempted into prostitution. The two girls are searching for something that could take them far away . . . But what price will they pay to find it? If you like books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

The Doorstep Girls

A young girl struggles to realise her dreams when her life is derailed - from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. --------------------- Holderness, 1846. For reliable, thirteen-year-old Bella, life isn't turning out quite as she'd hoped. She lives at the Woodman Inn - an ancient hostelry run by her family in the Yorkshire countryside - with her parents and siblings, but when she learns not only that her father is seriously ill, but that her mother is expecting a fifth child, her dreams of leaving home to become a schoolteacher are quickly dashed. Times are hard, and when their father dies Bella also has to take on the role of mother to her baby brother. Her days are brightened by the occasional visit from Jamie Lucan - the eighteen-year-old son of a wealthy landowning neighbour. Also grieving the loss of a parent, Jamie has more in common with Bella than she thinks. When her mother announces out of the blue that she wants to move the family to Hull, Bella is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. They arrive to find that the public house they are now committed to buying is run-down and dilapidated. Could things get any worse? Or could this move turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Bella? If you've liked books by Dilly Court and Katie Flynn, you'll love Val Wood's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity. --------------------- Praise for Val Wood: 'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin 'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row 'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

The choice was hers - fame and fortune or true love. Poppy Mazzini, born in Hull over her father's grocery shop, lives up to the promise of her fiery red hair and Italian ancestry. Her lovely singing voice and good looks lead her to her great ambition - to go on the stage and see her name top of the bill. She becomes a music hall star both in her native town and in the south, after an appearance in the theatre at Brighton - she even performs in Paris, to tremendous acclaim. But when her first love, an ambitious shoemaker in her home town, becomes engaged to someone else Poppy is devastated. She disappears, believing that she will never return to her life of stardom. But her fame cannot be kep a secret...

The Songbird

Jenny is determined to make her own way in the world, and she secures a job as the kitchen maid in a grand house in Beverley .She gradually gains the attention of Christy, the young master of the house, and they fall in love. But slowly their hopes and dreams turn to nightmares and culminate in a scandal which will force Jenny to leave Beverley and everything she knows. Cast aside by her own family, and all alone in the world, Jenny has to rely on her ailing aunt Agnes, who was banished from the family many years before. Living with Agnes and her husband, Stephen St. John Laslett, she learns that Stephen's wealthy family have disowned him and they have to eke out a meager living on their small farm. Times are hard, and as Agnes grows weaker, she asks Stephen to make her an unusual promise, one that will affect the rest of Jenny's life. Jenny the kitchen maid becomes the mistress of Laslett Hall, and although she tries to fit in with the world that she now inhabits, she never forgets the words that the gypsy told her: that one day she will return to where she was once happy--and there Jenny will find her true love . . . If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

The Kitchen Maid

In the hardest of times, can their dreams ever come true? After her devious husband Billy tries to sell her at a wife sale, Lily Fowler finds herself alone, frightened and heavily pregnant on the streets of Hull. Running out of options when even the workhouse turns her away, Lily is forced to swallow what little pride she has left and accept work in a once-grand mansion in Leadenhall Square – now a brothel. Unexpectedly, she soon forges a strong bond with the group of people she finds there, all good-hearted women who have simply fallen on hard times. Seeing potential where others see only destitution, Lily and her ‘fallen angels’ join forces to outwit the low-life brothel-keeper. In working to transform the house in Leadenhall Square into something more respectable, doors to new opportunities are opened and lost loves are rekindled. Can the happy endings the fallen angels never dared to dream of finally come true? If you've liked books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

A gripping saga about the power of female friendship and fate

Fallen Angels

When Lucy's parents are killed in a train crash, her kindly uncle steps in to look after the little girl - to the initial apprehension of his wife and her son. However, Lucy's sweet, spirited charm slowly wins over her new family, and as she overcomes the trauma of her childhood, she grows up inspired to become a doctor, just like her father. But studying medicine in London takes Lucy far from her home in Hull and the people she loves, and she has to battle to be accepted in a man's world. With the dark clouds of the First World War gathering on the horizon, an even greater challenge approaches. Can a woman find her place on the front line of battle? Will Lucy be able to follow her dreams - and find love - in a world shattered by war? Val Wood's wonderful historical sagas are perfect for readers of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Rosie Goodwin.

1860. Harriet Miles is trying to take care of her seriously ill mother, and just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse she is fired from her job at the hostelry. The last thing she expects after her mother dies is a marriage proposal from a man she barely knows, but her only alternative is the workhouse. And so begins her new life with Noah Tuke. But instead of marital bliss, Harriet finds herself in the cramped farmhouse which Noah calls home, and in this overcrowded and angry household she meets with hostility and bitterness. The only person who offers her friendship is Noah’s brother, Fletcher. Gradually she learns the true reasons behind Noah’s desire to marry her – and realises that the only person she finds real companionship with is the person she can’t possibly be with . . . If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

His Brother's Wife

A powerful story about the bond of sisterhood and how it can triumph against any adversity, from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. Hull, 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother's death ten years ago. She and the girls' beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together and now it's time to celebrate as Matty turns eighteen. But their joy is short-lived when tragedy suddenly strikes and their father disappears on his way to London. The sisters have no way of knowing what has happened to him - only that he hasn't returned home. With little money left they're now forced to battle life's misfortunes alone...

Four Sisters

**PRE-ORDER NOW!** A powerful new family saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. 1864: Following the untimely death of her cold-hearted husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie's future is less certain. With the responsibility of the family estate on his shoulders, Laurie must decide between staying in Yorkshire to farm the family land and following his dreams. Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia's past is shrouded in mystery and as the two families grow closer, secrets start to come tumbling out... A powerful story of family ties, long-held secrets and the fleeting days of childhood, from Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. Praise for Val Wood: 'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin 'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row 'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

Children of Fortune

**PRE-ORDER NOW!** A powerful new family saga from the Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. 1864: Following the untimely death of her cold-hearted husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie's future is less certain. With the responsibility of the family estate on his shoulders, Laurie must decide between staying in Yorkshire to farm the family land and following his dreams. Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia's family past is shrouded in mystery and as the two families grow closer, secrets start to come tumbling out... A powerful story of family ties, long-held secrets and the fleeting days of childhood, from Sunday Times bestselling author Val Wood. Praise for Val Wood: 'A heart-warming story filled with compelling action' Rosie Goodwin 'Hull's answer to Catherine Cookson' BBC Radio 4's Front Row 'Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood's] stories' Peterborough Telegraph

An exclusive short story from the much-loved author Val Wood The truth could change the lives of all those around her . . . Ellen has worked as a servant girl since she was twelve – her mother had always taught her that she must earn her own keep until she finds someone to marry. After a year of back-breaking work, a chance encounter leads her to a new position as kitchen maid at Hart Holme Manor – the grandest estate around for miles. There, against the wishes of the household, she befriends the owners’ son, Christopher. If the true nature of their closeness were ever revealed it could not only jeopardise both Christopher and Ellen’s positions, but carry consequences that could affect the rest of their lives . . . If you enjoy books by Katie Flynn and Dilly Court, you'll love Val's heartwarming stories of triumph over adversity.

Val Wood

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