Manchester Moll

by Emma Hornby

Powerful, absorbing storytelling that is perfect for fans of saga by Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Maggie Hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2017

About the author

Mother-of-three Emma Hornby was born and raised in Bolton, England.
History has always been her passion and she grew up with her nose buried in sagas. Before pursuing a career as a novelist, she had a variety of jobs, from care assistant for the elderly to working in a Blackpool rock factory. She later wrote short stories and non-fiction pieces for the internet, print and stage and also worked as a freelance poet.
Emma's books are gritty historicals set in Victorian and WWII Bolton and Manchester, which she began writing after researching her family history. The colourful folk she unearthed gave her plenty of inspiration; like the characters in her novels, many generations of her family eked out life amidst the squalor and poverty of Lancashire's slums. Her first book, A Shilling for a Wife, was the bestselling debut saga novel of 2017. Her subsequent titles regularly appear in the official bestsellers' charts.
Visit Emma's website at emmahornby.com for more.

Reviews

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moll's mother is an alcoholic and Moll's father's health is declining. Moll tries to support her family financially and she's trying to raise her brother Bo and Sister Sissy as well as she can. It's the end of the nineteenth century and Manchester is being ruled by gangs. Two of those gangs would love to add Bo to their ranks. Moll is trying to prevent this from happening. However, their mother is making life incredibly difficult for her children and this makes it hard for Bo to stay on the right track.

Moll knows how to stand up for herself, but she keeps angering people when doing so. She's no longer safe both on the streets and inside her home. What can she do to keep tragedy at bay? When Moll falls in love the conflict deepens. Now she and Bo are at opposite sides of the same battle. What will she do and which choices can she make to stop bloodshed from happening? Can Moll protect her loved ones or is she in over her head?

Manchester Moll is a beautiful impressive story. Moll doesn't have an easy life. She has to work hard for very little money, she has many responsibilities, especially since she's only eighteen years old, and she doesn't get much love in return. My heart constantly ached for her. Moll is a fighter though. She's clever, she's responsible and she knows how to stand up for herself. I admired her spirit and her determination to make things better for the people she loves. She's an admirable person and I loved reading her story. I was amazed by how well she does given the circumstances and couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to find out what would happen to her.

Emma Hornby skillfully describes the era she's writing about. I could easily picture Moll's world and was impressed by the realistic atmosphere Emma Hornby manages to set. It isn't colorful and every day is a struggle, but that's exactly where the beauty lies. Life still has its good sides even when things aren't perfect. There's so much community spirit, there's love and understanding and people are really looking out for one another. That is something I absolutely loved about Manchester Moll, I could feel all that and more. Emma Hornby has written a fantastic poignant story filled with emotion, heartbreak and hope. I highly recommend this amazing book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read, 1800 is the timeline for this fast paced novel. Could not put down once started reading very addictive and draws you in and can be quite emotional.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was horrendous about the scuttles they were almost nearly kill you if they had .moll was a decent girl and had a fight over her brother .

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

moll chambers and her family live in the squadle of manchester. when her father dies their mother moves in davy a brutial man thats not all that he seems. moll is a feasty girl that wont stand for any nonsense. a heartbreaking story that i enjoyed from start to finish. all moll wants is happiness and goes the long length of doing it what ever it takes to protect her mother brother and sister. i enjoyed this book just like the first a shilling for a wife. excellent author

[Ruth Harwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, great writing, fab imagination, my only issue being that the highly accented language was a little hard to read at times, though this didn't dampen my enjoyment too much. A highly enjoyable read x

[Clare Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is enjoyable, although the content is often sad, to read fiction which is informative on the era and geographical area of the book. Emma Hornsby is an excellent author detailing the hard life and poor conditions in Victorian Manchester.

[Pol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Hornsby 2nd book, another good read worth the 5 stars. Look forward to her next one.

[Samantha Henthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Manchester Moll a recently written Mary Barton? I draw this comparison because Manchester Moll gives a real snapshot of life in Manchester in the 1800s a few decades after the end of the industrial revolution, 18 year old Moll is not involved in factory life, but keeping her family safe against the violent scuttler gangs, a product of the hard times the city has been through (pun intended!). Moll's character is old before her years, this is illustrared in her speech and we soon learn she is a real tough nut - and no wonder given her family. The descriptions of her home life are fantastic- I was there! And wait until you read about her kitchen at work… eww! I admit to feeling a little conflicted by Moll's brother what a turncoat! A collection of life problems for this dramatic Victorian Manchester woman.

[linda abela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, as I live in Manchester I know every street and area that is in the pages . What a brilliant read. Most of the street and roads are still there it's amazing how the characters are so real and the details so true to those times.A fantastic read.

A really truthful tale of those times. Haven't read a book in a couple of days for along time., but this was one of those that you don't want to put down.

[Livvy Sangrithi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read- loved getting an insight into 1800 Manchester as well as understanding the characters and their plight. There were some very emotional parts of the book that made you feel like you were experiencing exactly what Moll was experiencing. Loved it and would recommend this to other hopeless romantics out there:)

[EILEEN SHEPPARD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected

First time reading this author's work and I was pleasantly surprised by this book and it's storyline. The human depravity, the slums, the heartache all made this a book hard to put down. The main characters some were loved and loaved in equal measures, I cheered a few times reading it. I would highly recommend this book to all.

[c m bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

A great read from start to finish. Lots of turns and laughter. But be warned you will definitely need your paper handkerchiefs near the end. Great the way the characters make you feel for them. Looking forward to another Emma Hornby book. This is a definite must read.

[Abigail Woodruff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm... Really not sure about this. It was a fast read, but some of the plot twists were laughable and the main romance was so out of keft field that I kept thinking it was a ruse. I also just struggled with how one dimensional the characters were.

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up as a gamble, really enjoyed it, says at the back you can get a refund if not as good as Dilly Court, never read her books, think I'll stick this author, certainly will ge reading more. Enthralling back in time 'gangster' thriller, better than Martina Cole!

[j geldard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant reading.

Brii!iant book very good read. Could not put it down. Look forward to more by emma Hornby. Let's hope its soon.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

What a great book. A family that is out through its tests more than others, has highlighting a a few years shed. Highly recommend

[Baz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read but with an unexpected development near the end. Quite enjoyed it.

[Brenda Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable read by Emma hornby.

[Dorothy Tysall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

You just don’t want to put the book down it’s so interesting. One to take with you on holiday, will be reading from this Author,

[Chrissy newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Read to of her books now can't wait for the next one always been into horror never thought I would be glued into to these but I am

[Mrs P Brearley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished A Shilling for a Wife and really enjoyed it. Purchased Manchester Moll hoping it was as good. I was not disappointed. Finished it in record time, loved it.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

again a great book by emma. I really do enjoy stepping back in time with her books. all a delight to read.

[Lou Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unquestionably one of the best books I’ve ever read. I learnt so much and it had me fascinated to research more. Brilliant read.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good story, enjoyed it

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read the ups and downs of struggling families who get involved with gangs and how life can be so different if you try a lovely story of fiction and the life of Molly and her family

[Carly Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

would make a great film

[Portia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kinda liked this but there was more things I disliked than liked, hence the low-ish rating. The pacing was good and it held my attention. The dialect added a sense of authenticity but it made it a little tiresome to read - would work much better on screen or as an audiobook. Moll's romance with Horatio went from 0 to 100 so fast which was weird??? Also he was so bland, his entire personality revolved around him being instantly and inexplicably in love with Moll, and when he was finally given some kind of backstory it was over with in a page or two.

[Jennifer Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, a entertaining story.

[Mrs Emma S Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book very descriptive of the era and circumstances it's set in. The story kept me wanting to read more and moved at a reasonable pace. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy a story about times gone by .