Manon Jenkins has had a cherished childhood in the sleepy village of Five Saints in the heart of Wales, but when her beloved father dies, she is left homeless and alone. The handsome blacksmith, Morgan Lewis, cares deeply for her, but she cannot make herself marry a man she doesn't love. She longs for Caradoc Jones, son of a famous Welsh cattle drover and, in desperation, she accepts a job as chaperon to Caradoc's spoilt sister Georgina, and joins the drovers on the road to Smithfield market in London. She plans to seek her fortune as a herbalist, preparing medicines for sale to both the rich and the poor. Life on the trail is hard, and Non struggles to be accepted by the other women on the journey, as they walk long miles over rugged terrain. One heady, star-filled night Caradoc finally becomes her lover, but she is devastated when he refuses to marry her. She is determined to survive without him in London, but when she realizes she is pregnant, she finds that it's not easy to escape the clutches of the Jones family...
Iris Gower (b. 1935) was a Swansea-based novelist. Her historical romances are all set within Swansea and Gower in South Wales.
Iris (real name Iris Davies) was born in Mumbles and lived in Derwen Fawr, a part of Sketty, Swansea. She had four adult children, though her husband of 48 years, Tudor Davies, died on 15 April 2002 after suffering a major stroke. She later lived with a partner, Peter.
She was one of the top-selling authors in the country, and was awarded an MA in Creative Writing by Cardiff University, as well as an Honorary Fellowship at the University of Wales, Swansea. She wrote and published around 40 books including 26 novels.
Gower died at Singleton Hospital, Swansea on 20 July, 2010. She was 75 years old.
A book I 'inherited' from my Mum. It was better than expected. Some atmospheric writing but finished quite abruptly. Would happily read more by this lady