Can a woman take control of her own destiny?

Saltcoats, Scotland, 1909

After his wife’s death, Hamilton Forsyth announces his intention to leave the Ayrshire town of Saltcoats, convinced his duties to his three grown children are complete.

The decision shocks the family. Walter is set to inherit the ironmongery and is engaged to a respectable bride; Belle manages the household accounts; and Morna, a lively socialite, expects a proposal of her own.

But scandal soon isolates the Forsyths from the community they once cherished. Matters worsen when Walter reveals his affair with Sarah, the family’s housemaid—now pregnant—and insists on marrying her. Thrust into her new role, Sarah struggles, while Belle and Morna resent the upheaval.

Belle leaves to live with their strict Aunt Beatrice, and Morna takes lodgings elsewhere, reconnecting with a former nursemaid. There she meets the ambitious Samuel Gilmartin.

Encouraged by a former classmate, Morna becomes a teacher and is drawn into the suffragette movement—beginning to imagine a different future.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer 💫

Previously published in paperback as A Certain Freedom

PRAISE FOR EVELYN HOOD

'Compelling from the start, heartfelt and beautifully written.' - Rosie Clarke

'If you like Catherine Cookson, you’ll love Evelyn Hood’s books.’ - Lizzie Lane

‘Evelyn Hood’s characters step off the page and into your heart.’ - Sheila Riley

‘This is addictive and heartfelt storytelling, with colourful characters you'll never want to say goodbye to.’ - Jane Lark

''Loved the strong, relatable characters. A lively, refreshing read.' - Kate Eastham

'Wonderfully descriptive, with memorable characters and a true sense of place.' - Tracy Baines

'Faultless historical detail and emotionally complex characters makethese engrossing and intelligent Evelyn Hood's sagas deeply satisfying' - Maisie Thomas

‘Evocative, beautifully rich, brilliantly detailed and meticulously researched - this story transported me and kept me up way past my bedtime - a triumph of a story. I very highly recommend Evelyn Hood’ – Renita D’Silva

'Scotland's Catherine Cookson' - Scots Magazine

‘Hood is immaculate in her historical detail’ - Scottish Herald

'Quite simply, I couldn't put it down. A rich and rewarding read' - Emma Blair

'Evelyn Hood has been called Scotland's Catherine Cookson. Unfair. She has her own distinctive voice' - Scots Magazine

‘Touching, romantic and unforgettable’ - Reader Review

‘Love all her books’ - Reader Review

‘Evelyn Hood produces the best of stories’ - Reader Review

‘I cannot put her books down’ - Reader Review

‘Love everything Evelyn Hood writes’ - Reader Review

‘Evelyn Hood is a fantastic writer, bringing the past to life and drawing you right