A dramatic and heartwarming Victorian saga, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Anne Bennett.

Ironbridge, 1893. When nineteen-year-old Maria Keay is offered an exciting job in a department store in Shrewsbury, she is keen to spread her wings and leave her hometown behind, including her childhood sweetheart Charlie Woodvine, the local schoolteacher.

She loves her new job in Shrewsbury and it's not long before she falls head-over-heels for the enigmatic and charming German chemistry student Oskar.

But as the exhausting work and exploitation of shopgirls becomes her everyday life, Maria must decide if moving away from home - and Charlie - was the right decision, especially when her relationship with Oskar takes a dark and devastating turn . . .

Praise for The Ironbridge Saga:

'A compelling blend of real history, rich period detail, and a gritty, authentic story brimming with love, loss, intrigue, hope, and bitter revenge' Lancashire Evening Post

'A Journey. Compelling. Addictive.' Val Wood

'Walton has created a brilliantly alive, vivid and breathing world in Ironbridge' Louisa Treger

'Evocative, dramatic and hugely compelling . . . I loved it' Miranda Dickinson

'Feisty female characters, an atmospheric setting and a spell-binding storyline make this a phenomenal read' Cathy Bramley

'Such great characters who will stay with me for a long time' Beth Miller

'The attention to period detail and beautiful writing drew me right in and kept me reading' Lynne Francis

'Vivid, page-turning drama' Pippa Beecheno

'A powerful sense of place and period, compelling characters and a pacy plot had me racing to the end' Gill Paul

'A story that is vivid, twisting and pacy, with characters that absolutely leap off the page' Iona Grey

'Beautiful and poignant' Tania Crosse

The Shopgirl of Ironbridge - sidottu, Englanti, 2025