Annie Murray

Birmingham, 1858. Dora, a spirited young maid with a vivid imagination, finds solace in the library of the esteemed family she works for. But when a forbidden love leads to a secret that could ruin her, Dora has no choice but to leave the only place that has ever offered her security and kindness. Alone in Birmingham’s teeming industrial streets, Dora reinvents herself as a washerwoman – each stitch and scrub a testament to her fierce determination to protect her daughter, Rose. But, snatching any free moment in her exhausting days, Dora begins to write her own stories, dreaming that one day, she will see her words in print. As fate reunites Dora with long-lost family, she must face fresh challenges and personal heartache. Can this woman, armed with grit, love and a pen, defy her past and write her own destiny? Dora's Dream is a gritty and heartfelt saga from beloved author, Annie Murray and is the second book in the Children of Birmingham series after The Pearl Button Girl. The Birmingham Rose by Annie Murray was a Sunday Times bestseller in Feb 1995.

'This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn' - Candis'Gritty and moving story-telling' - Peterborough TelegraphAnnie Murray's The Pearl Button Girl is book one in the Children of Birmingham series, starting in Victorian Birmingham and following the trials and triumphs of the Fletcher family.Working at the local pearl button factory, Ada Fletcher is doing her best to make ends meet in trying times.When tragedy strikes and her siblings are taken to a workhouse orphanage, Ada is saved from a similar fate by her neighbour, Sarah Connell.But the roof over Ada’s head doesn’t come without a price: the Connells have too many children, not enough money, and Sarah’s reliance on drink means that it isn’t long before Ada needs to escape.Determined to be more than just a factory girl, Ada embarks on a journey to reunite with her siblings. But in a teeming industrial city, will she be able to find long-lost family as well as a home and life to call her own?

'This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn' - Candis'Gritty and moving story-telling' - Peterborough TelegraphAnnie Murray's The Pearl Button Girl is book one in the Children of Birmingham series, starting in Victorian Birmingham and following the trials and triumphs of the Fletcher family.Working at the local pearl button factory, Ada Fletcher is doing her best to make ends meet in trying times.When tragedy strikes and her siblings are taken to a workhouse orphanage, Ada is saved from a similar fate by her neighbour, Sarah Connell.But the roof over Ada’s head doesn’t come without a price: the Connells have too many children and not enough money, and Sarah’s reliance on drink means that it isn’t long before Ada needs to escape.Determined to be more than just a factory girl, Ada embarks on a journey to reunite with her siblings. But in a teeming industrial city, will she be able to find long-lost family as well as a home and life to call her own?

Continuing the saga begun in Annie Murray’s Chocolate Girls, and set in 1960s Birmingham, The Bells of Bournville Green is a story of families whose lives are entwined, of belonging and loss . . . and of a young woman’s search for transforming love.Pretty seventeen-year-old Greta has never known a stable family life. With no father, and loathing her mother Ruby’s latest boyfriend, Greta finds life hard at home and is happiest at work with her friends at the Cadbury factory in Birmingham, where she is popular with the boys.Life takes a turn for the worse when her missing vixen of a sister Marleen turns up during the freezing winter of 1962. Greta decides that her only way out is marriage, but all too soon she discovers that life with her old classmate Trevor is not a ticket to freedom and happiness. She finds herself on the streets, pregnant and homeless . . .She is taken in by her mother’s old friends, Edie and Anatoli Gruschov. In Anatoli, Greta finds the father she has never had. Kindly Edie loves to mother people and is desperately missing her son David and his family, who have settled in Israel. But the love and security of this haven is soon shattered by appalling tragedy, which affects all the chocolate girls and their children and changes life forever . . .The next novel in Annie Murray's gritty family saga is Secrets of the Chocolate Girls

'A heart-warming and affecting tale' – Woman's WeeklyHomecoming for the Chocolate Girls is the heartfelt and dramatic conclusion to this gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate.1946: The war might be over, but for the Gilby family there are still battles to be fought at home . . .For Birmingham and the Gilby family the war years have been a time of great change. With husband Len having left her for another woman, Ann Gilby is finally free to follow her heart. While the neighbours may be scandalized by having a divorcee in their midst, Ann is determined to rise above the local gossip and make a happy home with her former sweetheart, the father of Ann’s youngest child.Daughters Joy and Sheila are lucky enough to have their menfolk back home, but Joy’s husband has returned a broken man from his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. And Sheila’s husband is finding his wartime adventures and travels have made Birmingham feel small by comparison.Then there’s Anne’s youngest child, Martin, who is still coming to terms with learning who his real father is, as well as having secrets of his own . . .From Annie Murray, the bestselling author of Chocolate Girls, The Bells of Bournville Green, Secrets of the Chocolate Girls and Wartime for the Chocolate Girls.'[A] dramatic historical tale. Told with enormous skill and sensitive insight, Homecoming for the Chocolate Girls is an emotional story that captivates completely' – The People's Friend'A portrait of four generations of a Birmingham family as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of World War Two. With intimately drawn characters grappling with emotional dramas, this is a writer at the top of her game' – Joanna Toye, author of The Shop Girls

'A heart-warming and affecting tale.' - Woman's Weekly1946: The war might be over but, for the Gilby family, there are still battles to be fought at home . . .For both the city of Birmingham and the Gilby family, the war years have been a time of great change. With her husband, Len, having left her for another woman, Ann Gilby is finally free to follow her heart. While the neighbours may be scandalised by having a divorcee in their midst, Ann is determined to rise above the local gossip and make a happy home with her former sweetheart, Tom – the father of her youngest child.Meanwhile, daughters Joy and Sheila are lucky enough to have their menfolk back home. But Joy's husband, Alan, has returned home a broken man from his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. And Sheila's husband, Kenneth, is finding his wartime adventures and travels have made Birmingham feel small by comparison.And then there's Ann's youngest child, Martin, who is still coming to terms with learning who his real father is – as well as having secrets of his own . . .From Annie Murray, the bestselling author of Secrets of the Chocolate Girls and Wartime for the Chocolate Girls: Homecoming for the Chocolate Girls is the heartfelt and dramatic conclusion to this gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . .'A portrait of four generations of a Birmingham family as they struggle to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of World War Two. With intimately drawn characters grappling with emotional dramas, this is a writer at the top of her game.' - Joanna Toye, author of The Shop Girls

As the pressures of rationing, bombing raids and sleepless nights grow, two sisters must decide what they really want from life – and if they're brave enough to fight for it. Meet Me Under the Clock is a beautiful wartime story from Annie Murray.Growing up in Birmingham, Sylvia and Audrey Whitehouse have always been like chalk and cheese. When the Second World War breaks out, Sylvia is still dreaming of her forthcoming marriage to fiancé Ian – while Audrey jumps at the career opportunities the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) throws her way.Audrey joins the ranks at RAF Cardington but soon finds that her new freedom also brings temptation. When she goes too far, the consequences ripple through the Whitehouse family. Meanwhile, Sylvia is doing her bit as a railway porter, much to her fiancé’s dismay. He thinks the job is unfeminine - unlike Sylvia's new friend Kitty, who is as sweet and pretty as can be. But Kitty's innocent nature hides a dark secret . . .A heartbreaking yet inspiring wartime set novel, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn.

From Annie Murray, the bestselling author of Chocolate Girls, The Bells of Bournville Green and Secrets of the Chocolate Girls, Wartime for the Chocolate Girls is a gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . .April 1941.Almost losing her life in a bomb blast while serving in the Women's Volunteer Service has made Ann Gilby take stock of what's really important - her family.With daughter Sheila back home, and Joy still working munitions at the Cadbury factory and engaged to her soldier sweetheart, home life feels more settled too. Ann has even come to an uneasy truce with her husband, Len, despite her recent discovery of his infidelity and the fact that he has fathered a child with another woman.But what Ann has not reckoned with is Marianne, Len’s other woman, turning up on her doorstep - a woman with a mysterious past.Only Ann has secrets of her own and one day soon she knows she will have to tell her youngest child, Martin, who his father really is . . .'A heartwarming tale of secrets and lies, mystery and drama' – Lancashire PostReaders love Wartime for the Chocolate Girls:'This story full of love . . . I felt a part of the family as I was reading''A very heart warming story about how people got on in such tragic circumstances''It was such an absolute joy to read'

April 1941.Almost losing her life in a bomb blast while serving in the Women's Voluntary Service has made Ann Gilby take stock of what's really important - her family.With daughter Sheila back home, and Joy still working munitions at the Cadbury factory and engaged to her soldier sweetheart, home life feels more settled too. Ann has even come to an uneasy truce with her husband, Len, despite her recent discovery of his infidelity and the fact that he has fathered a child with another woman.But what Ann has not reckoned with is, Marianne, Len’s mistress, turning up on her doorstep - a woman with a mysterious past.Only Ann has secrets of her own and one day soon she knows she will have to tell her youngest child, Martin, who his father really is . . .From Annie Murray, the bestselling Chocolate Girls, The Bells of Bournville Green and Secrets of the Chocolate Girls, Wartime for the Chocolate Girls is a gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . .

From Annie Murray, the bestselling author of The Bells of Bournville Green, comes Secrets of the Chocolate Girls, another gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . . September 1940, Birmingham.While her husband and daughter work at Cadbury's Bournville factory, Ann Gilby has her hands full at home. Her other daughter, Sheila, has newly returned home with baby Elaine. And, with Sheila's husband away doing his bit in the RAF, Ann knows she should be grateful to have all her children safe under one roof.But she can't help but fear for their uncertain future, as bombs fall ever closer to her Birmingham home. Part of her yearns for the carefree days of her youth when she too worked the line at Cadbury's, filling trays of chocolate shells.But mostly Ann tries not to think of the past at all, since that would mean she would have to confront her oldest secret. A secret that she has kept since the last war, and the one that could easily rip her family apart . . .Readers love Secrets of the Chocolate Girls:'So good that I couldn’t put the book down''I loved all the characters with such a lot of research blended in''Annie Murray gets all her facts correct . . . I know because I worked there''Another great book by Annie Murray'

September 1940, Birmingham.While her husband and daughter work at the Cadbury’s Bournville factory, Ann Gilby has her hands full at home with her youngest child Martin and her other daughter, Sheila, newly returned home with baby Elaine. With Sheila’s husband away doing his bit in the RAF, Ann knows she should be grateful to have all her children safe under one roof. But as bombs fall ever-closer to her Birmingham home, she can’t help but fear for their uncertain future. Part of her yearns for the carefree days of her youth when she also worked the line at Cadburys, filling trays of chocolate shells.But mostly Ann tries not to think of the past at all, since that would mean she would have to confront her oldest secret – one she’s kept since the last war, and that could easily rip her family apart . . .From the bestselling author of Chocolate Girls and The Bells of Bournville Green comes another gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate . . .

In Annie Murray’s bestselling Chocolate Girls, three very different women work together at Cadbury’s Bournville factory, where their lives become entwined by war and work – and a child called David.Edie marries young to escape her unhappy family home. Widowed at nineteen, and having lost her child from the marriage, she faces the war grieving and lonely. Then one night during the Blitz, an infant mysteriously abandoned during the bombing is handed into her care . . .Ruby, meanwhile, doesn’t want to be left behind in the wedding stakes, and settles for marriage with Frank.Finally there’s Janet, kind-hearted and susceptible to male charm, who is hurt desperately by an affair with a married man.David, the child who steals Edie’s heart as she brings him up through a time none of them will ever forget, is the love of all their lives. And when David is old enough to wonder who he really is, he leads Edie through struggle and heartache to a life and love she would never have dreamed of . . .Chocolate Girls is followed by the captivating sequel, The Bells of Bournville Green.

Black Country Orphan is a moving story of the courage and strength of women, by the Sunday Times bestselling author Annie Murray.The early 1900s: Cradley Heath, a town in the Black Country near Birmingham and centre of the world’s chain-making trade. Lucy Butler, a young girl crippled by a cruel accident, lives with her two brothers and widowed mother, a chain-maker barely making ends meet. When tragedy strikes, the Butler family is separated and Lucy is taken in by Bertha Hipkiss, another impoverished chain maker, struggling to look after her own family.Lucy, while feeling the loss of her own family, relies on the company of Bertha’s two sons, charming Clem and straight-laced John. Though clever at school, Lucy knows she must leave and earn her keep, working many hours in the backyard forge. The five women toiling side by side, inevitably have their own friendships and squabbles. But they’re united in their hatred of loathsome middleman Seth Dawson, who treats the women with contempt, and keeps their pay punishingly low. But by the 1910s, there is a movement stirring, as across the country workers begin unionising for their rights. For Lucy, Bertha and the women of Cradley Heath, the promise of a better life seems almost too much to hope for – and the fight may end up costing them everything . . .

Black Country Orphan is a moving story of the courage and strength of women, by the Sunday Times bestselling author Annie Murray.The early 1900s: Cradley Heath, a town in the Black Country near Birmingham and centre of the world’s chain-making trade. Lucy Butler, a young girl crippled by a cruel accident, lives with her two brothers and widowed mother, a chain-maker barely making ends meet. When tragedy strikes, the Butler family is separated and Lucy is taken in by Bertha Hipkiss, another impoverished chain maker, struggling to look after her own family.Lucy, while feeling the loss of her own family, relies on the company of Bertha’s two sons, charming Clem and straight-laced John. Though clever at school, Lucy knows she must leave and earn her keep, working many hours in the backyard forge. The five women toiling side by side, inevitably have their own friendships and squabbles. But they’re united in their hatred of loathsome middleman Seth Dawson, who treats the women with contempt, and keeps their pay punishingly low. But by the 1910s, there is a movement stirring, as across the country workers begin unionising for their rights. For Lucy, Bertha and the women of Cradley Heath, the promise of a better life seems almost too much to hope for - and the fight may end up costing them everything . . .

1940 - Small Heath, in the heart of Birmingham, is facing the darkest days of the war. Two very different girls from this tight-knit community join up as ARP wardens to do their bit for the Home Front.Violet Simms lives with her controlling, widowed mother who runs the local pawn shop. At just twenty-years-old, Violet longs for friendship, love and escape. It seems her dreams might come true until tragedy strikes on one of the very worst nights of the Birmingham Blitz. Grace Templeton is the eldest in her family of ten children. Spirited Grace is determined never to become burdened by child bearing and drudgery like her mother. Adored by childhood sweetheart, Jimmy Oval, Grace believes she can do better. Volunteering as an ARP warden feels like a chance for adventure – until she sees the horror and reality of war first hand. In this blacked out city, where not everyone is quite what they seem, she comes to realize she is less in control of events than she had thought.The war will have long-lasting effects on every family . . . Long buried secrets come to light, and their stories are woven together amid the intense bombing of Birmingham.The girls’ lives will be changed forever by friendship and love, by tragedy and joy. Girls in Tin Hats is the heart-wrenching generational saga by Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Annie Murray.

1940 - Small Heath, in the heart of Birmingham, is facing the darkest days of the war. Two very different girls from this tight-knit community join up as ARP wardens to do their bit for the Home Front. Violet Simms lives with her controlling, widowed mother who runs the local pawn shop. At just twenty-years-old, Violet longs for friendship, love and escape. It seems her dreams might come true until tragedy strikes on one of the very worst nights of the Birmingham Blitz. Grace Templeton is the eldest in her family of ten children. Spirited Grace is determined never to become burdened by child bearing and drudgery like her mother. Adored by childhood sweetheart, Jimmy Oval, Grace believes she can do better. Volunteering as an ARP warden feels like a chance for adventure – until she sees the horror and reality of war first hand. In this blacked out city, where not everyone is quite what they seem, she comes to realize she is less in control of events than she had thought.The war will have long-lasting effects on every family… Long buried secrets come to light, and their stories are woven together amid the intense bombing of Birmingham.The girls’ lives will be changed forever by friendship and love, by tragedy and joy. Girls in Tin Hats is the heart-wrenching generational saga by Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Annie Murray.