A Crooked Mile: An emotional and uplifting saga set in Bolton from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

Catherine Cookson fans will love this heart-warming saga set in Lancashire from The Sunday Times bestseller Ruth Hamilton. You won't want to put it down... "Very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" - Sarah Broadhurst on Radio Four. "Gritty, down-to-earth writing and strong female characters have become the trademarks of her writing" — Bookworld "I really do not know what to say about this book, it is the most moving story I have ever read. In places it made me laugh, and in many places it made me cry. Absolutely excellent." — ***** Reader review. "Another excellent book from Ruth Hamilton. I read every night in bed and am always reluctant to switch off my Kindle as I want to know what happens next in the story." — ***** Reader review. "Ruth Hamilton has exceeded all expectations [-] another successful novel..." — ***** Reader review. "Really enjoying this book. Can't wait to pick it up again." — ***** Reader review. ************************** SHE'LL NEED ALL HER STRENGTH TO SURVIVE... Life is tough and conditions are squalid for the residents of Myrtle Street , in the shadow of the Althorpe mills. Joe Duffy , a Bolton tradesman, strives to lift his family out of the 'garden' streets. But as more children are born, Joe's wife Tess sinks deeper into the obsession that will be her undoing. Few people heed her ravings saying that the area is cursed. She is ignored, even as the Myrtle Street tragedies become more frequent and begin to feature in local gossip. It is left to Megan , the third Duffy child to end the curse. When she becomes embroiled in a web of deceit, Megan needs all her strength, talents, and wit in order to survive and ensure her family's stability and the future of the Althorpe cotton mills. In the shadow of the Althorpe mills, the Myrtle Street residents endure cramped and often verminous conditions. Joe Duffy, a Bolton tradesman, strives to lift his family out of the 'garden' streets. But as more children are born, Joe's wife Tess sinks deeper into the obsession that will be her undoing. When Tess screams her belief that the area is cursed, few people heed her ravings. She is ignored, even as the Myrtle Street tragedies become more frequent and begin to feature in local gossip. It is left to Megan, the third Duffy child -- the one who felt she was unworthy and unloved because she had been born a girl -- to end the curse. When she becomes embroiled in a web of deceit, Megan needs all her strength, talents, and wit in order to survive. But it is her capacity to give love that ensures her family's stability, the future of the Althorpe cotton mills, and the safekeeping of the Hall i' the Vale In Bolton, Tess Duffy believes Myrtle Street is cursed but few people believe her. Yet the street's tragedies will feature in local gossip for years to come. It is left to Megan, the third Duffy child, to end the curse. Embroiled in a web of deceit, she needs all her strength to survive.