by Hazel Gaynor
First published 2015
Tilly Harper trades the Lake District's quiet beauty for Victorian London's chaos in 1912. The twenty-year-old arrives at Mr. Shaw's Home for Watercress and Flower Girls as assistant housemother. She finds herself caring for orphaned children who survive by selling violets and watercress on London's harsh streets. Tilly discovers a diary left by Florrie, a young Irish flower girl who died after losing her sister Rosie. Florrie's words reveal a heart broken by separation and the brutal reality of street life. Tilly decides to find Rosie, but her search proves difficult. The investigation takes her through London's contrasts of wealth and poverty, following clues that lead to unexpected discoveries. As Tilly pursues the mystery of the separated sisters, she confronts her own emotions and desires. The quest to reunite two sisters becomes a journey that changes Tilly herself.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: found-family, mystery
Setting: Lake District, London, Ireland
Period: 1912
Audio CD · HarperCollins