Books have been her only solace. Now they're about to change her life.

'Dorcas is as appealing and extraordinary in her circumstances as Elizabeth Bennett or Mrs Dalloway' ~ JJ Marsh, author of Salt of the Earth

London, 1775: The only surviving child of six, Dorcas Turton should have been heiress to a powerful family name. But after her mother's untimely death, she is stunned by the discovery that her father's compulsive gambling has brought them close to ruin. With the threat of debtor's prison looming large, she must employ all her ingenuity to keep their creditors at bay.

Fortunately, ingenuity is something Dorcas is not short of. An avid reader, novels have taught her the life lessons her governess failed to. Forsaking hopes of marriage and children, she opens a day-school for girls. But unbeknown to Dorcas, her father has not given up his extravagant ways. When the bailiffs come pounding on the door, their only option is to take in lodgers.

The arrival of larger-than-life James Lackington and his wife Nancy breathes new life into the diminished household. Mr Lackington aspires to be a bookseller, and what James Lackington sets out to do, he tends to achieve. Soon Dorcas discovers she is not only guilty of envying Mrs Lackington her strong simple faith and adaptable nature. Loath though she is to admit it, she begins to envy her Mr Lackington...

Based on a true story, Jane Davis's latest historical novel is for book-lovers everywhere, delivering unforgettable characters, a portrait of Georgian London on the brink of change, and a love song to the power of the written word.