The stunning follow-up to The Lonely Wife from bestselling author Val Wood.''With fully developed characters and a compelling story, it''s no wonder the author won the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction for her debut... A great choice for a book club'' Belfast Telegraph--------------------------------1864: Following the untimely death of her cold-hearted husband, Beatrix and her three children are finally free. While Ambrose has already determined his path in life, eldest son Laurie''s future is less certain. With the responsibility of the family estate on his shoulders, Laurie must decide between staying in Yorkshire to farm the family land and following his dreams.Meanwhile, headstrong and independent Alicia is defying expectation and excelling at school. There she befriends the enigmatic Olivia Snowdon and they quickly become inseparable. But Olivia''s past is shrouded in mystery and as the two families grow closer, secrets start to come tumbling out...A powerful story of family ties, long-held secrets and the fleeting days of childhood.--------------------------------Praise for Val Wood:''A heart-warming story filled with compelling action'' Rosie Goodwin''Hull''s answer to Catherine Cookson'' BBC Radio 4''s Front Row''Wonderfully fully-fleshed characters are the mainstay of [Val Wood''s] stories'' Peterborough TelegraphReaders are loving Children of Fortune:***** ''Excellent story, great characters bounding with interest from start to finish. Strongly recommend''***** ''Another excellent book from Val Wood and cannot wait for the next one''***** ''Val Wood never fails to keep me interested in her books, I love them''