The Empty Cradle: An unforgettable saga of compassion in the face of adversity

Front Cover
Headline, Nov 8, 2012 - Fiction - 357 pages

When a young woman faces unimaginable heartache, she vows to make a difference...

A moving saga of anguish, hope and never-ceasing fortitude, The Empty Cradle is a spell-binding and unforgettable tale from bestselling author of
No One's Girl, Mothering Sunday and The Little Angel, Rosie Goodwin. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Dilly Court.

'Goodwin uses her deft touch, natural warmth and superb storytelling skills in a spellbinding story of love, loss and redemption' - Lancashire Evening Post

To the outside world, Charlotte is the privileged daughter of the local vicar. Behind closed doors, however, she is the prisoner of her controlling father. As she grows up, Charlotte longs for freedom, but her captivating innocence leads her into trouble. Sent to Ireland to hide a shameful pregnancy, she discovers that once again her father has deceived her. She is forced into a convent's harsh and humiliating regime, where she must eventually give up the one thing that makes her life worthwhile. When Charlotte returns to England, older than her years, she chooses to forget the past. Becoming a London midwife, she longs only to help other women at this hardest and most joyful moment in their lives. But her deep compassion, and desire to prevent anyone else suffering the same horror she did, leads her into a darker and more dangerous place.

What Amazon readers are saying about The Empty Cradle:

'I have never felt it quite so necessary to write my thoughts about a book. I cannot wait to read more and more of Rosie Goodwin's books. From the very first page to the very last it holds you page by page. My goodness what an amazing lady this author is. I loved every chapter, every page'

'...this one has to be the best [Rosie Goodwin] by far. Certainly not a book that you can guess the ending, and kept me captivated all through. Fantastic story and written superbly'

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About the author (2012)

Rosie Goodwin's first book, The Bad Apple, was published in 2004 by Headline. Since then she has gone on to write many more classic and contemporary sagas. She is also the first author in the world to be allowed to follow three of Catherine Cookson's trilogies with her own sequels. Before becoming a published author, Rosie worked in Social Services. She is now amongst the top 100 most borrowed UK authors and her books regularly appear in the Bookseller's 'Heatseekers' charts. Rosie has children and lives in Warwickshire with her husband and her four Shihtzus.

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