'Catherine Cookson soars above her rivals' Mail on Sunday 'Her characters have the grit of real life' Sunday Times 'Queen of raw family romances' Telegraph A rags-to-riches story of a young woman who must overcome the scandal of her past to forge a new life. In Heap Hollow cottage in County Durham live what appears to be a close and loving family. But across the happy façade lies a shadow that has lengthened and darkened with the passing years. Their narrow-minded neighbours disapprove of the family's choices because of their illegitimacy, their mother and father never having married. Anna, the eldest daughter, is determined to face the challenging legacy of her birth and prove herself to those in the community who look down on her. Will her strength of character and zest for life be enough to put the scandal of her past behind her and forge a new life? Previously published as The Gillyvors