This standalone story is starts in the East End pf London in 1925, when you meet its central character, Maggie Bailey. She has a difficult life, living in a family where her father is a violent drunk who dominates her mother at the expense of his children. Times are certainly hard but you soon see Maggie's determination to work hard and to make a better future for herself and her little brother, Robin. Maggie has always felt that there is something behind her family's attitude towards her, which can be sharp and as the story progresses, you begin to find out why she has always felt a little different. The bonds of family are strong, despite the poverty, and Maggie always feels the tug of family ties.

You realise from the beginning that something catastrophic has happened and throughout the book, Maggie seems to be confiding in a mysterious figure. You see both sides of humanity in this story, those who are kind and those who can be cruel and at times, rough justice is meted out. As Maggie's story develops, more characters are added who all p[lay a part in her future. You are always aware of the injustice shown towards women at the time and will Maggie to step out from under a man's thumb. The story certainly evokes the gritty side of life for some in the late 1920's and the deprivations and unrest which led up to the General Strike. Above all, you see life from the point of view of the mothers who have to try to work, keep house and raise their children. Marriage gives them respectability but can come at a price. Maggie is a young girl when you first meet her but by the end of the story, she has matured and sorted out her own priorities. Although it is a standalone story, I could see a follow up, full of possibilities

As always Rosie has written a book that you just can't put down with A Mothers Shame.

The story had me thinking about my own family circumstances in many ways as there are strong similarities with Maggie. So I can honestly say this story is VERY believable!

Historical drama set in the 1920s. The main character is Maggie who has much to overcome in her life. Plenty of drama and twists.

An enjoyable book set in 1920's life is tough, her father uses his fists and is partial to drink, but Maggie puts all this behind her and goes working away from London moving to Eastbourne and working in hotel.

Best-selling author Rosie Clarke is back with a gritty, gutsy and dramatic new saga, A Mother’s Shame.

Maggie Bailey’s life is anything but easy. Her violent father is a drunk who spends every single penny her family has down the pub. Maggie would love nothing more than to escape the prison she is trapped in, so when she meets handsome Jack, she immediately falls head over heels in love with him. Blinded by Jack’s promises and desperate to make a happy home for herself far from her father’s tyranny Maggie soon finds herself pregnant. However, when Jack abandons her she finds herself completely alone and with nobody to turn to. What is Maggie going to do now?

Maggie leaves the East End and heads off to Eastbourne to start over. However, her fresh start is similarly fraught with hardship and sorrow. Not only must Maggie learn to fend for herself, but shocking secrets about her parentage come to light which make her realise that her entire life was built on a lie. Who were her parents? Will she ever find the happiness she desperately seeks? And can she ever find out the truth about her family’s past?

When her employer, Aunt Beth, takes her under her wing, it looks like Maggie has finally got somebody in her corner. But when tragedy strikes once again, Maggie wonders whether she will ever find somewhere she belongs and somebody to care for her. Or whether she will spend the rest of her life atoning for past sins and old mistakes…

Rosie Clarke is such a talented writer who writes involving, engrossing and heart-wrenching sagas that never fail to keep readers turning the pages. A Mother’s Shame is a tear-jerking tale full of incident, emotion and pathos written with plenty of heart that will keep readers gripped.

Maggie Bailey is a heroine that is impossible not to care for and symphatise with. Life has been tough on her, but what makes Maggie so inspirational is that she never gives up and keeps fighting even when the odds are stacked against her.

Rosie Clarke has done it again with A Mother’s Shame and written an enjoyable historical saga that will satisfy her legion of devoted readers and have them eagerly awaiting her next release.

I love Rosie Clarke's books - I don't think she has written a bad one yet. This one, a stand alone story, didn't disappoint - in fact, I'd say it was one of her best yet!
It had everything- romance, drama, and many a tear was shed!
This was an emotional rollercoaster to read, that's for sure!
I recommend this, definitely.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, a story of a young girl and the tough childhood she endured. Maggie Bailey had a hard upbringing working hard to support her mother while her violent father drank all his wages. Maggie falls in love with jack and marries him hoping for a better life, sadly her marriage isn’t the dream she had hoped for. Maggie has to learn to support herself in this tale of heartbreak and hardship. A touching and often heartbreaking read, your just hoping that she can find her happy ever after. Great read, but don’t forget your tissues.

I just love anything written by Rosie Clarke, and I was very excited to read this new standalone novel.

My only complaint about this book is that it’s a standalone, because I loved it so much I wish it was the start of a series.

This is one of those books that just completely draw you in, and you feel right from the start as if you know the characters.

Maggie is a character that I really took to straight away. She works so hard to help her family out, and it’s not easy for her, with her father being so useless, but she’s a really strong person and gets through all the traumas that occur in her life.

This story just swept me away, and I was so invested in all the family secrets and the twists and turns that happened to Maggie. I couldn’t put this book down and I was genuinely sorry when it had to end.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family saga. Heart-warming and so authentic, it’s really one to savour and enjoy.

This standalone story is starts in the East End pf London in 1925, when you meet its central character, Maggie Bailey. She has a difficult life, living in a family where her father is a violent drunk who dominates her mother at the expense of his children. Times are certainly hard but you soon see Maggie's determination to work hard and to make a better future for herself and her little brother, Robin. Maggie has always felt that there is something behind her family's attitude towards her, which can be sharp and as the story progresses, you begin to find out why she has always felt a little different. The bonds of family are strong, despite the poverty, and Maggie always feels the tug of family ties.

You realise from the beginning that something catastrophic has happened and throughout the book, Maggie seems to be confiding in a mysterious figure. You see both sides of humanity in this story, those who are kind and those who can be cruel and at times, rough justice is meted out. As Maggie's story develops, more characters are added who all p[lay a part in her future. You are always aware of the injustice shown towards women at the time and will Maggie to step out from under a man's thumb. The story certainly evokes the gritty side of life for some in the late 1920's and the deprivations and unrest which led up to the General Strike. Above all, you see life from the point of view of the mothers who have to try to work, keep house and raise their children. Marriage gives them respectability but can come at a price. Maggie is a young girl when you first meet her but by the end of the story, she has matured and sorted out her own priorities. Although it is a standalone story, I could see a follow up, full of possibilities.

In short: period detail and engrossing characters
#Blogtour

This book is the perfect summer beach read or to snuggle in under a blanket in winter and dream…..simply beautiful

Heart-breaking is the word that kept springing to mind throughout this dazzlingly intense saga. The prologue is absolutely heart-breaking and sets the tone superbly. I just had to find out what had happened to this poor young girl.

Rosie Clarke has the creative knack of generating characters that just tug at your heart strings. She writes with a sensitivity that breathes life into her brilliantly real and believable characters.

I found Maggie the most endearing young woman who has suffered greatly at the hands of her parents, mostly her father. She is trusting and goes through life trying to do the best by the people she loves yet she keeps being knocked down at every turn.

A Mother’s Shame is an engaging read that takes you through such a sad story that I was left feeling emotional and somewhat drained. Poor Maggie, I just wanted to take her by the hand and show her a happy ending. Will she ever get that happy life that she, more than anyone deserves? This is where you will have to get a copy of this epic Historical saga to find out Maggie’s fate. I truly loved every page.

Thank you #netgally and #boldwoodbooks for letting me read this fabulous ARC.
Absolutely Gripping, Wow, an incredibly gripping story. Maggie is such an interesting character who lives in the London Docklands. The story is set a few years after WW1 with people still struggling to make ends me and find work, add to that the ghosts of war and this is where the story starts. Maggie has an older sister called Sadie who is expecting a baby with her husband and lives with him close to her family home, her younger brother Robin is a skinny sickly young lad who needs a lot of care and attention. Her mother is downtrodden and beaten regularly by her drunkard of a father who sadly struggles with the demons of war. He often spends his wages on alcohol, leaving the family without rent and food money. Maggie works all the hours god sends to support her family. Then one day...her world is turned upside down. To find out more, I recommend you take a chance on this amazing book.

A Mother’s Shame draws you in from the first page and doesn’t disappoint. It is set between the world wars in England and tells the story of Maggie Bailey who is from a small dysfunctional family. The book develops strongly as Maggie goes through life’s trials and tribulations with great strength and resilience.
Rosie Clarke has a wonderful way with descriptive words and there are threads of mystery woven into the story including Maggie’s parentage and disappearance of a loved one. Her special relationship with her brother Robin is heartwarming.
The book was a very good read, written poignantly and beautifully. It has all the hallmarks of the female struggle to survive those harsh times. There were so many hurdles for Maggie to navigate but she seemed to be more than capable of overcoming them.
It was a very emotive read and I felt all of Maggie’s pain and despair.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a tale about strong characters and a proper conclusion.

If you are looking for a dramatic family drama this is the one.

Set in 1920s London it will pull at your heartstring.

It center's around the main character Maggie Bailey, from childhood to adulthood she struggles with what life throws at her. From a drunken wife bashing father to true love to kindness, frustration, and determination.
Maggie is a strong likable character.

What a lovely book, I was totally engrossed from page one. If I want a good saga to read I always head to Rosie Clarke. She really knows how to write a great story and this time once again she didn't let me down.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. xx

I was hooked from the first page! I instantly took to Maggie, she has a lovely relationship with her brother Robin and a strained relationship with her parents.
When tragedy strikes Maggie’s family it starts a slight downward spiral for Maggie’s life and a different journey of her young life.
Maggie leaves behind the life she knows and little does she know what she has been looking for was right under her nose.
This was my first Rosie Clarke book, it won’t be my last, it was a page turning easy read from a great writer.
Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for this ebook.

Trigger warnings, Abuse and alcoholism.
📖 Book Review 📖

A Mother's Shame
East End of London
Maggie Bailey has not had an easy childhood. Her father, Michael, always too easy with his fists after spending money down the pub. Just sixteen, in love and blinded by promises, Maggie sees marriage to handsome Jack as her great escape. However, she soon finds herself abandoned with a beautiful baby when Jack disappears. Maggie is forced to seek a new life away from the East End of London and finds herself a job at a hotel in Eastbourne. Here she must learn to fend for herself and also accept a shocking discovery that she was fostered as a babe and nothing is known of her real parents. Her employer, Aunt Beth, is kind and her life improves but Maggie makes one mistake after another and, eventually, they lead to a terrible tragedy that will bring her to the point of no return. Will Maggie ever find true happiness and discover the secret of her birth?

I was glued to the pages from the start of this book, so much so that I had to stop quite a few times and look around to remember where I was. Rosie Clark certainly has a talent of making you feel like you are there in the story. The cover of this book is what drew me in first and then the story definitely does it justice. I didn't want to finish it because it so good, I had tears in my eyes. I was so happy to be apart of this tour and A Mother's Shame was an extraordinary read for my first ever blog tour. I can honestly say I will be highly recommending this one especially if you like historical fiction.

My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5



#amothersshame #blogtour #bookreview #historicalfiction

A great new story from Rosie Clark. She writes the best sagas of people and their lives in east end London. You will love this story!

Rosie Clarke is one of my favourite authors and when I hear she has a new book out i don’t even read the book blurb I just dive straight into the book. So when I was invited to take part in the ‘BlogTour’ for ‘A Mother’s Shame I didn’t have to be asked twice. I just love when I start a book and after the first few pages I’m completely and utterly engrossed with the story. Well this was what happened in this book it was simply and utterly amazing. I honestly couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough find our what was going to happen.to Maggie and her family. I honestly can’t recommend this book highly enough, especially for fans of historical saga books. A massive 5⭐️ from me.

Another fantastic novel by Rosie Clarke, all her books are well worth a read and this one is no different. Very well worth a good read and 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This isn’t my usual type of read but the blurb interested me enough for me to take a chance on it. I liked Maggie as a character, she’s strong and dealing with lot of hardship from her parents and others. Maggie gets little to no support from her family, others turn on her and blame her for things that aren’t her fault and when everything seems to be falling to pieces around her she leaves London to try for a new start elsewhere.

This was a book I found completely engrossing, I read some of it while out and about and at times had to look up and remind myself where I was. The descriptions of London and the living and working conditions where Maggie lives make it clear how tough life was in those areas at that time. The descriptions help the story and add context but what really makes it come alive are the people. Maggie’s story, the decisions she makes and how people around her treat her is the real story here. It shows that there are kind and cruel people in the world but also that you never really know someone until things get tough, and then their true colours show through.

This was a riveting read, I felt for Maggie most of the time as she was so much a victim of circumstance and cruelty but she does the best she can for herself with her limited options. I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and/or stories of strong characters perserving through their struggles.