I enjoy sagas and I was interested to read this as it was set in a mining town in Somerset.
The characterisation was very good and you could really feel the dedication Charlotte and James gave to their family in trying to provide and make thing stretch at a time when provisions were very limited due to the War. The brutality of mining was well described and Charlottes fierce determination to push her gifted child in to a alternative, better way of life.
This family faced so many trials and tribulations striving just to survive but finally from heartbreak came some happiness too!..
I enjoyed this book and will be looking to read the others in the series. A new author to me but one I will be looking out for.
My thanks go to the author, publisher and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

Very emotional and intense book. When you are the mother of seven children as Charlotte is life will never be easy for you. In this saga we see Charlotte and James children growing up. Mining is a way of life for the men and boys of age in this small village. Charlotte sees so many of the men brought from underground with the life sucked from the from mine cave-ins . Being that her husband and some of her sons work in the mines she wants more for her son Jack. With the encouragement of his teacher he takes scholarly classes and it gladdens his mother's heart. She has her hands full with other other children, Amy has a near fatal burn from bathing water and is laid up for months. An expense that the family can barely afford. This story follows the families daily life through work,trials and tribulations. It sees the children with Charlotte matchmaking for them when they are old enough. Tragedies and good times alike. I really enjoyed this book and I need to read the rest of the books in the series to see how the saga continues.
Pub Date 02 Jul 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Canelo through Netgalley. Thank you. All opinion expressed are my own.

Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.