The sweeping, heartbreaking and uplifting start to a Scottish saga series of love, loyalty and long-buried secrets from Sunday Times bestselling author Evelyn Hood — perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Rosie Goodwin and Donna Douglas.

Can a long-kept secret ruin the future happiness of two families?

Paisley, Scotland 1745

Meg and Duncan Montgomery move to the flourishing Scottish town of Paisley to find work in the thriving weaving industry. Soon, Meg is expecting their first child, Margaret.

To make ends meet, they live in Peter Todd’s household, Duncan’s employer and Meg’s days are filled with domestic duties. But soon Meg and Duncan find themselves caught up in the intricate lives of the Todd family and when a tragic accident causes further conflict, a decision is made to keep a terrible secret from Meg.

As Margaret grows older, she despairs of the town’s inequality and becomes an advocate for the poor. While her philanthropic ideals are tolerated, even accepted by her understanding parents, Margaret’s affection for her childhood friend William Todd is greeted with disapproval.

But Margaret wants more from life than marriage and is overjoyed when she is taken on as a teacher at the local hospital.

As a dark secret from the past looms over the lives of both families,threatening to tear apart their futures, the younger Todds and Montgomery’s must decide between following in their parents’ footsteps or forging their own paths

The start of The Paisley Women saga series from Evelyn Hood, the original bestselling Scottish saga writer.

Previously published in paperback as The Silken Thread