I heartily enjoyed reading this book. The characters are well represented and the plot is irresistible. Annie is a character that makes the book come alive.

A daughter's promise - Judy Summers

Brilliant characters, that were so easy to picture and see in their settings. Not a smooth ride of a story (some awful conditions to read about) but so enjoyable, when you get started it is hard to put it down. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Looking forward to more from this author. Thanks so much Netgalley, Welbeck Publishing UK and Mountain Leopard Press for this e-arc in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.

I read this book as a stand-alone as I’d not heard of the authors work before. However she quickly had me enraptured by the book and it’s characters. I felt as if I was part of the book very quickly.

Young Annie demonstrates the life she had to lead in thff we mills at a very young age The lived experience st the mill I was brutal and you hope Annie can find love and friendship .

Very well written and look forward to reading more from the author.

A true family saga! Full of love for all her siblings Delilah is so used to looking after & Keeping them safe that she forgets they are growing up, as a mother sometimes can. Annie feels it most, thinking that she is expected to live her life as others wish and not how she would like. So after one particular family gathering where she feels she has been left on the sidelines she takes thins into her own hands. Annie decides to runaway.
When Annie finds work at the Carrington mill she is shocked at some of the conditions, especially the young children used and the conditions in which they are kept. This makes Annie decide to make it her mission to do what she can to improve things. While busy plotting this Annie pays more attention to the workings of the mill and the bosses, especially the two sons Theodore who has a low opinion of women and Frederick who appears more amenable, but can appearances be deceptive!
Annie discovers a like minded person in the form of mechanic Jack but notices that he is always on his own, everyone seems to sidestep him!
Could Annie be getting into danger? She may welcome her family one day.
A worthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read.

A lovely addition to the Shaw family saga. Heartbreaking in places as we rejoin Delilah, Annie and Meg. In this book we read about Annie and her journey to the cotton mills and the upsetting experiences she encounters. The grass is not always greener but as you read this story and get involved with the characters you see romance blooms for Annie and relationships are restored.

A Daughter's Promise is described as a new festive winter saga for 2023.

Set in Liverpool in 1861 we are treated to a historical novel with a strong female lead seeking her own independence but also looking out for those less fortunate than herself.

Annie is 14 years old and desperately wants to create her own life rather than being stuck helping her older sister Delilah around the home. Unexpectedly, Annie gets her chance when her old friend Clara comes for a visit. Clara has been working at the cotton mill outside town for a while and Annie is lured by her tales and the possibility of making her own money.

Arriving at the mill Annie is put to work, hard work, and soon learns that money is the driver for the mill owners and children as young as young as eight are working at the mill.

With events in the US affecting the supply of cotton to Europe, Annie, Clara and the other workers are suddenly fighting for their jobs. The mill owners are keeping the younger workers on (as they cost less!) and those lucky to have a job are keeping their heads down and getting on with it.

Without giving any spoilers, I liked the strength of Annies family, and the courage of some of the workers, and how they tried to make it better for everyone despite risking, and losing, their own jobs.

A fantastic historical novel!

Absolutely loved this series of books and looking forward to the next in the series. From Meg to Delilah and then Annie the story’s are so well written with great characters.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Welbeck Publishing UK for the early read

This was a great book to read.It is another one in the series of the Shaw family.Annie Shaw is the main character ,at 14 years old she leaves the family home in the middle of the night with her friend Clara to work in a cotton mill.This is the story of what happens too her there,but life doesn't run smooth for Annie.Once you start reading it you can't put it down.Thank you to Netgalley and Welbeck Publishing UK for letting me read it.

The storyline follows Annie Shaw, the youngest of the Shaw sisters, by quite a big age gap. Their parents have died, and her older sister has taken on the role of 'Mother'. Feeling smothered, Annie leaves home in the middle of the night to go work in the mills. The grass is certainly not greener on the other side. I was shocked by how easy a child could just 'disapear'.

The conditions in the mill were brutal. I often forgot how young Annie was and what she had to endure. This is a story of hope, and although there is a lot of heartbreak, there is a happy ending.

I read this quite easily as a standalone, but there are books that follow other family members. I didn't feel as if I missed out. It was my first read by Judy, and I'm keen to read the previous books now.