Annie Murray

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 destin? ora's Dream is a gritty and heartfelt saga from beloved author, Annie Murray and is the second book in the original Children of Birmingham series after The Pearl Button Girl. The Birmingham Rose by Annie Murray was a Sunday Times bestseller in Feb 1995.

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 destin? ora'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''Gritty and moving story-telling'' - Peterborough TelegraphAnnie Murray''s The Pearl Button Girl is book one in the Children of Birmingham series, starting in Victorian Birmingham and following the trials and triumphs of the Fletcher family.Working at the local pearl button factory, Ada Fletcher is doing her best to make ends meet in trying times.When tragedy strikes and her siblings are taken to a workhouse orphanage, Ada is saved from a similar fate by her neighbour, Sarah Connell.But the roof over Ada’s head doesn’t come without a price: the Connells have too many children, not enough money, and Sarah’s reliance on drink means that it isn’t long before Ada needs to escape.Determined to be more than just a factory girl, Ada embarks on a journey to reunite with her siblings. But in a teeming industrial city, will she be able to find long-lost family as well as a home and life to call her own?

'This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn' - Candis'Gritty and moving story-telling' - Peterborough TelegraphAnnie Murray's The Pearl Button Girl is book one in the Children of Birmingham series, starting in Victorian Birmingham and following the trials and triumphs of the Fletcher family. Working at the local pearl button factory, Ada Fletcher is doing her best to make ends meet in trying times. When tragedy strikes and her siblings are taken to a workhouse orphanage, Ada is saved from a similar fate by her neighbour, Sarah Connell. But the roof over Ada’s head doesn’t come without a price: the Connells have too many children and not enough money, and Sarah’s reliance on drink means that it isn’t long before Ada needs to escape. Determined to be more than just a factory girl, Ada embarks on a journey to reunite with her siblings. But in a teeming industrial city, will she be able to find long-lost family as well as a home and life to call her own?