JUST BY CHANCE

The Leicester saga writer has leapt to national acclaim and Cookson-Cox aficionados who've missed her should grab this. Romantic and gripping." Peterborough Evening Telegraph

In a run-down cottage, deep in woodland on the outskirts of Leicestershire, sixteen year-old Tilda Penny lives in fear of her drunken father's violent attacks. Born with a withered arm, Tilda is branded an outcast in the community and her only comfort is drawn from the friendship of a seven-year old villager, Eustace Sprocket, who sees beyond her disfigurement. Suffering from his aunt's intolerable abuse, he too is no stranger to rejection.

Entering her cottage late one evening, Tilda stumbles upon a young man preparing to steal her life's savings. Despite her terror, she confronts the intruder. But instead of throwing Ben McCraven out, she takes pity on him and offers him shelter for the night. Just by chance Ben's arrival is to change the course of Tilda's life forever....