London, 1854: twenty-year-old Essie Chapman lives with her father in poverty stricken Limehouse, working on the river as a boatman. Her life seems set before her, never to leave this part of London and forever at her father's beck and call. Then, one night, she must transport a mysterious man from a foreign ship to the banks of the Thames, a man who ends up renting a room in Essie's house, identifying himself only as 'Raven'. When curiosity gets the...

As the ship glided into the harbour, guided by the cold, winter waters of the Thames, Rose took a deep breath. Had she done the right thing? Leaving everything behind her to follow the man she loved? But as London refused to appear through the thick fog that engulfed it, Rose felt more lonely than ever. Raised in Australia, Rose Munday is on the way back to the city she was born in. But, expecting to be met by her sweetheart, she is left alone on...

1885. Ruby Carter works hard in her parents' bakery. Whilst life isn't easy, she's happy enough - her gentle mother protects young Ruby from her cruel father and loves her unconditionally. So, when her mother falls ill, Ruby is heartbroken and when, from her deathbed, her mother reveals that Ruby was adopted the young girl is distraught. Stricken by grief and alone with the violent man she called her father, Ruby feels she has no choice but to flee....

18-year-old Flora Butler is going up in the world. She has the prized position of lady's maid to young Constance Ogilvie, and is able to provide for her beloved parents and four younger siblings. She has even fallen in love, and though she does not feel quite ready to marry the charming Jamie Branning, her future seems clear. But Flora's life is turned upside down when her mistress's father dies in a tragic accident. Connie is forced to move to New...

Molly McKenzie is only eleven years old when her abusive father beats her to within an inch of her life. Escaping from the hovel she calls home, Molly is found by kind fisherfolk, sick and near death. With them she experiences the love of a family for the first time and, even though life is hard, she is content. Time passes and Molly's looking ahead to a future with the boy she loves, but then a terrible tragedy rips her life apart. Once again she's...

Nuneaton, 1935. Kathy has grown up at Treetops home for children, where Sunday and Tom Branning have always cared for her as one of their own. She enjoys her life at Treetops Manor, surrounded by her beloved horses, and with a future as a nurse ahead of her, she could wish for nothing more. But when Tom dies suddenly in a riding accident, life at Treetops will never be the same again. Kathy is distraught, and Sunday, overwhelmed by grief, leaves the...

It's winter, and in the throes of a fierce blizzard Elsie Redfern and her husband discover an unknown girl in their hay barn, about to give birth. After the young mother dies, Elsie takes the infant in and raises her as her own daughter, her precious storm child. Gina grows into a beautiful little girl, yet her safe haven turns out to be anything but. Torn away from her home and family, the child finds herself in a nightmare from which there's no...

Seventeen-year-old Constance has had a privileged upbringing in Clapham, with staff to attend to her every need. But her parents have always been cold and distant, never showing her love. Craving affection, Constance falls into the arms of Albie Jones, the cook's grandson. But one fateful encounter leaves her ashamed and pregnant, and she is soon shunned from the family home. Heartbroken and threatened by scandal, Constance is forced to wed Albie...

East-End London, 1858. In London's twisting streets, it's hard to tell friend from foe. And for Katherine Martin, arriving back in London after years away, the city is far crueller than she remembers. Her eyes opened to the plight of London's poor, Kate is determined to do what she can to help - even if it means defying her parents. In secret, she opens a soup kitchen. But there is a world of criminals within London's poorest alleys. Catching the...

At the end of Hawthorn Close there is a charming park which boasts two magnificent magnolia trees, and an assortment of houses and units. Several new occupants are moving into the neighbourhood and will live in units fronting the park, built and managed by a charity for people needing a home for a while. Amongst them are Brett, 18, an orphan just out of the foster child system; Carla, who is escaping an abusive ex-partner; and Matthew Woodley, a widower...