When a factory girl and a Jewish businessman fall in love it seems that the whole world is against them. Manchester, 1939. On the eve of war Gracie Earnshaw is working in Rosenberg's Raincoat factory – a job she hates – but her life is about to be turned upside down when she falls in love with Jacob, the boss's charismatic nephew. Through Jacob, with his ambitions to be a writer, Gracie glimpses another world: theatre, music and prejudice. But their forbidden romance is cut short when Jacob is arrested and tragedy unfolds. Gracie struggles with heartbreak, danger and old family secrets, but the love of her first sweetheart comes back to her in an unexpected way giving her the chance of a new life and happiness.

WW2 Manchester: Newlyweds Helen and Jim Harrison have big plans – to leave the family shop where Helen works and set up home together. But when Jim is tragically killed in an air raid, Helen is heartbroken, her life in ruins. Battling grief and despair, Helen resolves to escape her domineering mother and rebuild her shattered world. Wartime Manchester is a dangerous place, besieged by crime and poverty. So when Helen joins the Women's Auxiliary Police Corps, working with evacuees, the destitute and the vulnerable, she finds a renewed sense of purpose. She's come a long way from her place behind the counter in the corner shop. But there's still something missing in her heart. Is Helen able to accept love and happiness and find the courage to change her life?

SynopsisFive women and one city in a heartwarming story of life, love and war. Belfast 1939: Martha Goulding’s world is shattered by a sudden death and the outbreak of war that leaves her family facing an uncertain future. Her daughters are talented singers who join a troupe of entertainers led by Goldstein, a Polish Jew, who is determined to raise morale and money for the war effort. But Martha is torn between allowing her girls to perform and keeping them safe from men, both in and out of uniform, and their own headstrong personalities. Irene is drawn to Sean, but the relationship leads her into danger. Peggy is charmed by the enigmatic Harry. Pat doesn’t realise she’s fallen in love at all until it’s too late. Sheila longs to sing with her older sisters. The rise in the girls’ success as the renamed Golden Sisters is played out against a backdrop of Belfast life – from elegant Royal Avenue, into the mills, aircraft factory, concert and dance halls to the heart of the Stormont government. Apathy and lack of resources have left the city unprepared and vulnerable, its people unaware of the horror about to befall them, and Martha’s family will need all their strength and courage to survive.

Victory is on the horizon, but will it bring lasting happiness for Martha's beloved girls? Irene loves her job at the aircraft factory but her pregnancy is making the work increasingly difficult. She feels her job and her independence slipping away. How will she cope when the baby arrives? Peggy falls under the spell of a dashing Guards officer. Much older than her and a sophisticated man of the world, he persuades Peggy to keep their relationship quiet. But does the major have other secrets too? Pat has overcome tragedy and found love again. But then her fiancé, US Army captain Tony Farrelly, is posted to North Africa, and Pat teeters on the edge of heartbreak once more. Sheila, the youngest of the girls, has met a teacher who seems the perfect match – but she still longs for excitement. A chance encounter with a recruiting sergeant for the WAAF takes her away from home – and towards danger and romance. If you've read Martha's Girls and The Golden Sisters,...

A moving saga that takes the reader to the very heart of a close-knit, fiery, loving family – perfect for fans of Maureen Lee, Mary Larkin and Pam Weaver. It's 1941 and German bombs are falling on Belfast. Martha's girls face danger, hardship and difficult decisions. Irene, the eldest of the sisters, is struggling with the constraints of married life, until a chance meeting forces her to choose between romance and reality. Pat, intelligent and sensitive, is working in Stormont alongside William Kennedy. As their relationship deepens, she feels that real happiness could be within her grasp. Peggy, impulsive and glamorous, is thrilled when the charismatic Devlin offers her a job with the dance band at the Plaza Ballroom. But she soon sees his darker side... Sheila, the youngest, is blossoming into a young woman, though her family seem intent on...