Lottie Trago

It is 1864, and Josh and Miriam Retallick return home from Africa to find the men and women hungry—and Lottie, an unmistakable Trago in looks and spirit—guarding goats on Bodmin Moor. Josh soon takes stock of these hard times and becomes a driving force in his native land. Meanwhile, Jane Trago, a sensual woman but an unfeeling mother, sweeps in to take up her new trade in the local tavern. Against the fluctuating fortunes of the Sharptor mine, we follow Lottie as she is drawn first to Jethro Shovell, a dedicated trade unionist, and then to the smooth-talking, aristocratic Hawken Strike.

E. V. Thompson is a former policeman and sailor. He is the author of The Dream Traders as well as Chase the Wind, which won the Best Historical Novel of the Year award.