The House Across the Street Read online

  Stolen

  A beautiful young woman is discovered half-drowned on a Sussex beach. Where has she come from? Why can’t she remember who she is — or what happened?

  Gypsy

  Liverpool, 1893, and after tragedy strikes the Bolton family, Beth and her brother Sam embark on a dangerous journey to find their fortune in America.

  Faith

  Scotland, 1995, and Laura Brannigan is in prison for a murder she claims she didn’t commit.

  Hope

  Somerset, 1836, and baby Hope is cast out from a world of privilege as proof of her mother’s adultery.

  A Lesser Evil

  Bristol, the 1960s, and young Fifi Brown defies her parents to marry a man they think is beneath her.

  Secrets

  Adele Talbot escapes a children’s home to find her grandmother — but soon her unhappy mother is on her trail …

  Remember Me

  Mary Broad is transported to Australia as a convict and encounters both cruelty and passion. Can she make a life for herself so far from home?

  Till We Meet Again

  Susan and Beth were childhood friends. Now Susan is accused of murder, and Beth finds she must defend her.

  Father Unknown

  Daisy Buchan is left a scrapbook with details about her real mother. But should she go and find her?

  Trust Me

  Dulcie Taylor and her sister are sent to an orphanage and then to Australia. Is their love strong enough to keep them together?

  Never Look Back

  An act of charity sends flower girl Matilda on a trip to the New World and a new life …

  Charlie

  Charlie helplessly watches her mother being senselessly attacked. What secrets have her parents kept from her?

  Rosie

  Rosie is a girl without a mother, with a past full of trouble. But could the man who ruined her family also save Rosie?

  Camellia

  Orphaned Camellia discovers that the past she has always been so sure of has been built on lies. Can she bear to uncover the truth about herself?

  Ellie

  Eastender Ellie and spoilt Bonny set off to make a living on the stage. Can their friendship survive sacrifice and ambition?

  Charity

  Charity Stratton’s bleak life is changed for ever when her parents die in a fire. Alone and pregnant, she runs away to London …

  Tara

  Anne changes her name to Tara to forget her shocking past — but can she really become someone else?

  Georgia

  Raped by her foster-father, fifteen-year-old Georgia runs away from home to the seedy back streets of Soho …

  THE BEGINNING

  Let the conversation begin …

  Follow the Penguin Twitter.com@penguinUKbooks

  Keep up-to-date with all our stories YouTube.com/penguinbooks

  Pin ‘Penguin Books’ to your Pinterest

  Like ‘Penguin Books’ on Facebook.com/penguinbooks

  Listen to Penguin at SoundCloud.com/penguin-books

  Find out more about the author and

  discover more stories like this at Penguin.co.uk

  MICHAEL JOSEPH

  UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia

  India | New Zealand | South Africa

  Michael Joseph is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com

  First published 2018

  Copyright © Lesley Pearse, 2018

  The moral right of the author has been asserted

  Jacket images © Trevillion Images and © Getty images

  ISBN: 978-0-718-18926-6

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  By the Same Author

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Read More

  Follow Penguin

  Copyright Page