It is 1942, and after a tough childhood in Birmingham, Maryann Bartholomew has built a happy life with her husband and children working the canals on a narrowboat. But hard work and constant child bearing take their toll, and the death of a friend and another pregnancy lead her to a desperate and near-fatal act. Paperback , 458 pages Published March 5th 2004 by Pan Publishing (first published 2004)