Fourteen-year-old Trixie Jackson hoped she had a future to look forward to. But when she is sacked from the local factory she is forced to work as a housekeeper for one of her father’s friends — a man she instinctively dislikes.
Kept under lock and key, her life soon becomes a living hell. But in her haste to escape she injures herself and ends up in hospital. However, her troubles are only just beginning. When her mother is involved in a tragic accident and dies, Trixie and her younger sister Cilla are left at the mercy of their bullying father. All too quickly he brings his mistress Daisy into the house. And she will stop at nothing to make the girls’ lives utter misery.
Rosie Harris was born in Cardiff and for several years worked in the City Hall. Her husband, Ken, was from Wallasey and after they married they lived on Merseyside for many years. She has been writing since the 1950’s. In the 1960’s she ran her own agency, Regional Feature Service, writing articles for most of the provincial newspapers. During the 70’s she became Editorial Controller for a non-fiction house. In the 1980’s, after publishing a number of non-fiction titles she turned to fiction and during the 1980/90’s had a number of short stories published as well as five books by Sphere under the name Marion Harris. Since 2002 she has had some 20 books published by Heinemann/Arrow. She sets her books in the 20’s because she has a great admiration for the women who were wives and mothers in those days. They had none of the current time-saving equipment – no washing machines or vacuum cleaners, no instant electric fires or cookers, and certainly no Internet. Their days were long and arduous and often they had to manage on very little money. In 2005 she was one of the judges when Arrow and Asda collaborated in a major national competition to find the next big saga writer. Her most recent titles are Love Changes Everything and The Quality of Love. The next, Whispers of Love, will be published in March 2010.
4⭐️ = Good. Hardback. What a lovely little story. I don’t think that the book cover does this book justice at all. Gentle, yet with a slightly darker side added in. A fairly easy read.
Really enjoyed this book.great believable characters.read it in two days.strongly recommend this book to other book readers.look forward to another book by rosi e harris
Trixie Jackson has a younger sister Cilla who is simple and needs to be looked after which Trixie is very good at. While their mother Maggie was alive things at home were managable even with having to put up with their angry father Sam, who is a drinker and spends all his spare time down at the local.
When Trixie turns 15 her father Sam told her he had found her a job at a local biscuit factory. The only good thing about this job is meeting Ivy who becomes her best friend. During this time Trixie also meets Ivy's brother Jake and his friend Andrew, who she falls in love with. After Trixie is sacked from her job Sam finds her a job as housekeeper with a man Trixie does not like at all.
After a tragic accident takes Maggie from their lives and their father marries his mistress Daisy things become very difficult for Trixie and Cilla. If it was not for Jake and his mum Ella things would have been worse. Jake helps Trixie get a job that she can take Cilla to, as she cannot leave her at home with Daisy. She keeps her job a secret from her father and Daisy and not long after they find out the girls are kicked out of home. They move in with Ella, Jake and Ivy and before long Trixie realizes she is in love with Jake.
I find Rosie Harris' story a good read, nothing to rave about though and often I find her heroines naive in lots of ways and I get a little frustrated Trixie was no different but still a good read.
Very much enjoyed this, easy to read and follow, not too many characters. Made me glad that I don't live in a time where many women were so badly treated.