The Low Road Katharine Quarmby 9781800182394 [USED COPY]

Two young women. One passionate love. Will their paths ever cross again?

Norfolk, 1813. In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of a woman - Mary Tyrell - is staked through the heart after her death by suicide. She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her newborn child. Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is later sent away to the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.

It is at the Refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love. But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the Refuge's laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.

Drawing on real events, The Low Road is a gripping, atmospheric tale that brings to life the forgotten voices of the past - convicts, servants, the rural poor - as well as a moving evocation of love that blossomed in the face of prejudice and ill fortune.

Katharine Quarmby has written non-fiction, short stories and books for children. The Low Road is her first novel. Her non-fiction works include Scapegoat: Why We Are Failing Disabled People and No Place to Call Home: Inside the Real Lives of Gypsies and Travellers. She is also an investigative journalist and editor with particular interests in inequalities, the care system and the environment. Her reporting has appeared in outlets including the Guardian, The Economist, The Atlantic, The Times, the Telegraph, New Statesman and The Spectator. Katharine lives in London.

Winner of the silver medal for Historical Women's Fiction 2023, and an honourable mention for Historical Romance 2023, from the Coffee Pot Book Club

• 'The Low Road is a tough read, paradoxically, because of the empathy with which Quarmby tells her story; tougher, too, because it is based on true events' Katherine Mezzacapa, Historical Novel Society

• 'The descriptiveness of Hannah's thoughts, her environments, the conditions, the women she meets, and the controlling men that impact her life, all make this story so credible and riveting. You feel as if you are there with her ... It is important that stories like Hannah's are preserved. It is a very thought-provoking read' Beauty and Lace Book Club

• 'A darkly gripping picaresque tale of cruelty, courage and kindness as an orphaned girl survives poverty and injustice to seek love on the other side of the world' Maggie Gee, author of The White Family

• 'Vibrant... Quarmby immerses the reader into the early nineteenth century with this page-turning tale of forbidden passion and a woman's ultimate triumph over adversity. A traditional saga, harking back to the glory days of Catherine Cookson, but with a very modern twist which is sure to appeal to today's reader. I look forward to reading more of her work' Michelle Styles, author of The Gladiator's Honour

• 'A convincing and fully immersive everyday world ... The story goes at a rollocking pace, you are introduced and reintroduced to fully formed characters at every twist, and yet the focus is tight on Hannah and the world the reader experiences through her eyes. She grows up and matures as an increasingly less unreliable narrator completely believably' Adam Macqueen, author of the Tommy Wildeblood series

• 'Quarmby spins an absorbing, tender and brutal tale that encompasses a London refuge for the destitute, rural Norfolk, and Van Diemen's Land in Australia. This is a novel about love, betrayal, destitution and redemption. A heart-rending story, impeccably researched, packed with rich and realistic detail, and reminiscent of the work of Charlotte Bronte and Sarah Waters' Jane Harris, author of The Observations

• 'Quarmby unites sympathetic examination of a fragmentary historical record with imaginative reconstruction to give a voice to a girl who endured the gravest injustice and misfortune over two centuries ago. Ever evocative of time and place. The Low Road reads compellingly as an act of love and restitution' Lydia Syson, author of A World Between Us

• 'The Low Road is a beautifully written novel. Katharine Quarmby masterfully captures the essence of Hannah and Annie's relationship, portraying their emotions with sensitivity and authenticity. Her skilful storytelling also keeps readers engaged in their journey ... The characters' voices are authentic: and the dialogue perfectly captures the nuances of speech from the 1820s. This attention to detail adds a layer of realism that enhances the overall reading experience ... From the streets of London to the distant shores of Australia, readers are immersed in a world that is rich in detail and atmosphere' Tasmanian Times

• 'The haunting, beautifully told tale of a young woman's struggle against the unforgiving institutions of her day; a struggle not just for survival, but for the right to live with dignity and the right to love and be loved. Young Hannah Tyrell's story is as gripping as it's moving and The Low Road is a book that will stay with me for a long time' Marika Cobbold, author of Guppies for Tea

• 'Engrossing and beautifully written novel . . . All sorts of horrors to be found here, but also love and bravery and hope. A must for lovers of historical fiction' Adele Geras, author of Dangerous Women

• 'An epic tale of life of early nineteenth-century life set in set in Norfolk, London, and New South Wales' TripFiction

• 'An excellent evocation of the lives of working class people, women especially, as endured in the early nineteenth century. Hannah's progress from innocent child to motherhood contains enough twists, turns and setbacks to keep you reading long into the night or, as I did, so late on Saturday afternoon that I missed the start of Strictly! I give it five well-earned stars' Rosie Amber book blog

• 'Moving . . . A resolute tale of survival' Whispering Stories book blog