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Freda Lightfoot

Where there’s community, there’s courage…
Jess Delaney has always longed for independence. But when the Blitz reaches Manchester, she is locked in the cellar by her feckless mother, Lizzie. As bombs rain down from a sky turned blood red with flame, Jess waits for Lizzie to return.

But fortunes are fickle, and soon Jess finds herself packed off to live with her tyrant Uncle Bernie, a bullying black marketeer. Though he treats her like a servant, she seeks refuge in the Sally Army and her natural musical talent offers both an escape route and the chance for love.

But Uncle Bernie never forgives his niece for refusing to join his illegal schemes and threatens to deprive Jess of her hard-won freedom once and for all.

This is a sweeping saga of hope and resilience perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Rosie Goodwin.
Praise for Dancing on Deansgate
‘A heart-wrenching story’ 5* Reader review

‘It drew me in straight away’ 5* Reader review

‘Another gem from a great writer’ 5* Reader review

‘A compelling story of separation and hardship, and heartache overcome at last’ 5* Reader review

Canelo Saga

A Salford Saga

Dancing on Deansgate

Where there’s a rulebook, there’s a rebel…
Ruby McBride has always been on the wrong side of authority. The grand opening of the Manchester Ship Canal is set to be a day of unfettered festivity for Ruby and her younger sister and brother. Even Queen Victoria will be in attendance.

But the glories of the ceremony fade into insignificance when their dying mother delivers them to the imposing oak doors of Ignatius House. Abandoned in the not-so-tender care of the nuns, the siblings are soon separated.

So when the Board of Guardians force Ruby into a marriage that sends her to a new home upon the Salford waterways, she makes only one vow: to reunite her family whatever the cost.

This is an enthralling story of romance and rebellion perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court.
Praise for Ruby McBride
‘An inspiring novel about accepting change and bravely facing the future’ Bangor Chronicle

‘Compelling and heart-wrenching’ Hull Daily Mail

‘The kind of character-driven saga that delights the Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox audience’ Peterborough Evening Telegraph

‘This book deals with gritty, real-life situations and shows how the heroine’s strength of character triumphs through adversity’ 5* Reader review

Ruby McBride

Where there’s muck, there’s mettle…
Dolly Tomkins has always known what it is to live hand to mouth. In the mean streets of a Salford struggling under the mantle of the Great Depression, the only one making a decent living is the talleyman.

Though Nifty Jack has a money bag where his heart should be, Dolly’s mam is in hock up to her ears and in dire need of assistance. But when Jack offers to wipe the slate clean, Dolly just can’t bring herself to trust him.

Instead, she takes him on at his own game and in the process endangers everything she holds most dear as a revelation about the past rocks the very foundations of her world.

This is an enchanting story of love and endurance perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Kitty Neale.

Previously published as Watch for the Talleyman.
Praise for The Castlefield Collector

'A story which in some ways could be written about today as easily as the 1920s' 5* Reader review

'This is my first novel by Freda and it will definitely not be the last' 5* Reader review

'I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from start to finish' 5* Reader review

The Castlefield Collector

Where there’s daring, there’s danger…
Isabella Ashton has always been her father’s favourite, but when she gets involved with the new Birth Control Movement, he is scandalised. A decade has elapsed since the end of the Great War and running a family planning clinic in Salford is challenging but rewarding work.

Bella is grateful for the help of Violet Howarth, a generous-hearted woman who takes her in off the street. Before long, a friendship with Violet’s son, Dan, blossoms into the beginnings of love.

But Bella also crosses paths with handsome ne’er-do-well Billy Quinn, leader of an illegal betting ring, and everything she has worked for is suddenly put at risk.

This is a bewitching tale of drama, jealousy and the fight for women's rights, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Nadine Dorries.
Praise for The Favourite Child
‘Compelling and fascinating’ Middlesborough Evening Gazette

‘A revelation in telling us what it was like before women had rights’ 5* Reader review

‘One of those books that you can’t put down, loved it’ 5* Reader review

A Salford Saga - The book series

A Salford Saga - The book series

A Salford Saga books in order

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