The Maid of Lindal Hall

Katie Hutton

INSPIRED by her father’s early years in Barrow, and her own frequent visits to the town, saga author Katie Hutton (pictured below) brings us a moving and drama-packed tale of a young orphan girl whose life is overshadowed by dark secrets in her past.

Set between the wars, and harnessing the rich history of this corner of Cumbria, Hutton introduces readers to some of the area’s famous landmarks like the impressive Cistercian Furness Abbey, Townend, the eccentric National Trust property at Troutbeck, near Ambleside, and the distinctive cottage children’s care homes in Roose Road, once run by the Barrow Poor Law Union.

The two semi-detached houses – originally built by the Barrow Board of Guardians in the early 20^th century – accommodated about seventy destitute children, aged three and over, who were brought up in ‘a village-like atmosphere’ and were expected to work as servants when they were old enough.

And it’s at Roose Road in 1920 that we meet three-year-old Molly Dubber, brought from Manchester to Barrow as an orphan, and placed in the care of the home’s resident ‘mother and father,’ Robert and Annie McClure, two characters whom Hutton’s avid readers will recognise from her previous book, Annie of Ainsworth’s Mill. 

A skilled tailor, Robert trains boys to his profession whilst his wife prepares the girls to go into service. By 1933, Molly has lived at the house for 13 years but she has never been told the truth about the terrible event that brought her there.

When a request comes in for a new girl to work at Lindal Hall, Annie decides to put 16-year-old Molly forward. The hall has a reputation for not keeping servants due to the moody and unpredictable owner, Anthony Gascarth, who has been damaged by his experiences in the First World War trenches.

Meanwhile, Molly has fallen for Annie’s stepbrother, 28-year-old Mark Fagan, who was blinded in action during the war, but she takes up the position at the ramshackle hall because she is resigned to the fact that her love is unrequited.

But then Molly finds herself with some unexpected attention and an unwelcome visitor from the tragedy of her hidden past... a past she fears she might never truly leave behind. With its alluring blend of mystery, hardship, authentic detail, and triumph against adversity, The Maid of Lindal Hall is packed with drama and romance... and don’t miss Hutton’s inclusion of a recipe for Butter Pie, that tasty, age-old Chorley and Preston favourite dish!
This book is published on August 31.
(Zaffre, paperback, £8.99)