As Anna Martell grows into womanhood in the nineteenth-century English countryside, she is determined to overcome the legacy of her birth--as one of six illegitimate children--a goal aided by wealthy Timothy Barrington.

FROM AMAZON: Set in northern England in the late nineteenth century, this saga tells of the love between Nathaniel Martell and Maria Dagshaw. Together they have six children, and to all appearances they are a caring and proud family. But Maria and Nathaniel have never married, and as a result their children are scorned and treated as outcasts by their fellow townspeople. The family perseveres in spite of this difficult existence, but the commitment to surmount the stigma of illegitimacy is strongest in Anna, the eldest daughter. As Anna enters womanhood, she is determined to overcome the legacy of her birth and the challenges it continually brings her. Having spurned all romantic involvements for fear that she will be subjected to innuendo and merciless ridicule, Anna finally meets and falls in love with Timothy Barrington, a wealthy and little-understood man whose pain and hardship match her own. ( )

A really good book - one of her best.

Back Cover Blurb:
Set in County Durham 100 years ago, this is the story of Nathaniel Martell, Maria Dagshaw and their six children - bastard offspring or gillyvors. The book is about the children's quest to resolve the legacy of their birth. This book has everything - family trauma, love, loss, hatred and shame. ( )