Glenda Young

Following a scandalous affair, wayward Emma Devaney is sent in disgrace from her home in Ireland to Ryhope, where she will live with her widowed aunt, Bessie Brogan, and help run her pub. Bessie is kind but firm, and at first Emma rebels against her lack of freedom. Struggling to fit in, she turns to the wrong person for comfort, and becomes pregnant. Accepting she must embrace her new life for the sake of her baby, Emma pours her energy into making...

Seventeen-year-old Ruth Hardy works long hours at Grange Paper Works, with her younger sister Bea. When Bea reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock, Ruth knows even tougher times are ahead. Ruth's hard work at the mill does not go unnoticed and it looks as though their luck might turn when she's promoted. When the arrival of Bea's baby girl ends in tragedy, Ruth is left with no choice but to bring up her niece herself. Although Ruth's friendship...