1900. Men toil in the steel mills of South Yorkshire, at constant risk of death or catastrophic injury, their employers indifferent to their plight. Eighteen-year-old Jack Prendergast takes his place in this brutal environment and finds comfort in the fatherly mentorship of Arthur Davies, trade union leader.As the unions grow and strengthen, young Jack rises through the ranks.
Shaking off the poverty and deprivation of his past, he takes his place as a leader. He is volatile and principled and will risk everything to fight for what he believes in.When Jack meets Florence Davies, Arthur’s niece, he is captivated by her. She is brave and resolute and dreams of a career in nursing.
But Florence is fleeing a terrible secret. Jack and Florence are on the verge of beginning a life together when Florence’s brother Thomas is drawn into a disastrous plot which threatens to shatter everything they have. Can Florence and Jack overcome the pain of their past and present to build their future? This is the first book in a trilogy following the challenges and triumphs of Jack, Florence and their families through the early twentieth century.
