by Jean Stubbs
First published 1982
William Howarth builds his industrial fortune on iron, forging an empire through relentless ambition. He works to establish the Howarth name as a symbol of wealth and influence. His sister Charlotte chooses a different path. She takes a lover who rebels against the established order, a man who challenges the very society her brother seeks to dominate. Her passion leads her into a shadowy realm where intrigue and violence reign. Charlotte follows her lover beyond respectable boundaries, entering a dangerous world that threatens everything the Howarths have built. The siblings find themselves pulled in opposite directions. William consolidates power and respectability while Charlotte risks scandal and ruin. Their choices split the family legacy between two incompatible visions of what the Howarth name should represent.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-legacy
Setting: Europe
Period: 19th Century, 20th Century
396 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet