-I guess I'll name you Jenny, something I can say easy. That was my mammy's name anyway. Jenny. You be Jenny from now on...- Cornelius Carson's mother cautioned him never to own slaves, but in 1830s Louisiana, land and slaves are the measure of a man's worth. At 23, Cornelius is ambitious, and in love. He owns one elderly slave, Malachi, and a small cotton farm along the Bayou Cocodrie in Louisiana. And he plans to marry Stephanie Coqterre, daughter of a wealthy Natchez planter. He needs another field-hand, but prices are high. So when a trader brings a coffle of smuggled slaves to Natchez, Cornelius buys a 10-year-old girl. She is mute and nameless, but she's all he can afford. He names her Jenny. It quickly becomes apparent that Jenny will change life on the Cocodrie as much as it changes her. The winds of ambition are blowing everywhere, both among the whites, who strive for wealth and status, and among the slaves, who yearn for freedom. But dangers are everywhere, too. As madness and treachery reach from Natchez to the Cocodrie to blast all their dreams, Cornelius struggles to find a way to salvage his life and the lives of Jenny and Malachi as well.

A gripping and heart-warming saga set in Lancashire from The Sunday Times bestseller Ruth Hamilton, perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson. Guaranteed to keep you turning the page... "These are echoes of Cookson with its story of great homes where dark secrets lurk in the shadows." -- PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH "A thoroughly enjoyable book, rich in gossip and events." -- LIVERPOOL DAILY POST "Another compelling family saga lets you take Bolton with you to the beach!" -- BOLTON EVENING NEWS "[My mother is] loving every minute of reading this enchanting and spellbinding story..." -- ***** Reader review. "BRILLIANT BOOK AS ALWAYS READ ALL THE BOOK IN ONE GO" -- ***** Reader review. ************************** ALL SHE EVER WANTED WAS THE CHANCE TO MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR HERSELF... Jennifer Crawley, eighteen, leads a strange and lonely life - her days in the spinning room of the cotton mill, her nights with possessive - and slightly mad - Aunt Mavis. When she's offered the chance to work as a servant at Skipton Hall, she sees this as a chance to better herself. Yet the household is as dangerous and weird as the one she left behind. Mrs Sloane, the terrifying housekeeper, takes pleasure in bullying and frightening the young maids; Henry Skipton is an embittered, solitary man who never takes the time to see his invalid wife, Eloise Skipton, who lays bed-ridden, feeding on hatred and plotting vengeance on the man she married. When she first sets eyes on young Jenny, she realizes she has found the perfect weapon for revenge... But Jenny and her friend, Maria Hesketh - her character as fiery as her hair - are determined that they will make something of their lives and succeed in spite of everything...

At eighteen Jennifer Crawley led a strange and lonely life - her days in the spinning room of the cotton mill, her nights with possessive - and slightly mad - Aunt Mavis. Jenny didn't even know who her parents were. Aunt Mavis never spoke of them. Then came the chance to better herself - to work as a servant at Skipton Hall. And there Jenny found a household as dangerous and weird as the one she had left behind. Mrs Sloane, the terrifying housekeeper, was as cruel as she was ugly, taking pleasure in bullying and frightening the young maids. Henry Skipton was an embittered, solitary man who took care never to see his invalid wife. And Eloise Skipton lay bed-ridden, a beautiful woman in a beautiful room, feeding on hatred and plotting vengeance on the man she had married. When she first set eyes on young Jenny, she realised she had found the perfect weapon for revenge. But Jenny, for the first time in her life, had a friend. Maria Hesketh, a gutsy, talented Liverpudlian, her character as fiery as her hair, was determined that she and Jenny would make something of their lives, would succeed in spite of everything.