In the heart of 1875 Victorian London, where the city's ruthless streets guard the darkest of secrets, two orphaned souls stand defiant in the face of adversity. Prepare to embark on an extraordinary Christmas journey - a tale of unyielding courage and a love that defies all odds. As their beloved mother departs from this world, young Emma is burdened by the haunting question of why their father vanished into the shadows. Her quest for answers takes a backseat to the relentless struggle for survival.

Life is hard for a plain, unloved, urchin like Ruby Brandon. Alone in the world with little to bring her joy other than the occasional orphanage outings to Wood Horse Farm, Ruby has nothing but her dreams to hold on to. 

Selling flowers on the London streets is the only way Gracie Woods can help her father earn enough money to keep a roof over their heads. But when illness comes to claim him, she’s left orphaned and alone, with no one to turn to for help. Saved only by one man’s kindness, Gracie is thrust into a new life as a housemaid for the Reeves family, where she becomes firm friends with the young and charming Charley. Outcast once more with nothing but her wits to protect her from the harsh London winter, Gracie must now find her own way in the world, or die trying.

At just nine-years-old, Briar Walker is forced out onto the cold London streets to hunt through piles of dirt and ash for things her drunken father can sell in exchange for a bottle of whiskey. Longing for the day when she can escape his wrath, Briar secretly hides away a few treasures of her own. Then, one day, Briar is cornered by the terrible Jones twins and forced to run for her life. Pulled to safety by the charming and handsome Jack Harris, Briar finds herself at the mercy of The Family; one of the most notorious pickpocket gangs in the whole of London.

The untimely death of her beloved sister and the soul-crushing grief of her mother push Daisy to an agonizing juncture – one that leaves her all alone to fend for herself against seemingly insurmountable odds. But Daisy is not a quitter! Far from defeated, her spirit remains unyielding, fuelled by the unwavering belief in her mother's eventual recovery and the promise of a brighter future. Surely her sister's death was not in vain.

When her late father bequeaths his entire estate, including the family business to Emma Elmstone, she’s just as surprised as her brother, Theo. As is customary, Theo expected to inherit everything and is barely able to contain his anger when he discovers that their father had other plans. Eventually, Theo offers Emma his love and support, and Emma is delighted. But when Emma starts to become confused and forgetful, she worries that she’s cursed with the same fate as her late mother, who died in a Yorkshire asylum when Emma was still a babe in arms.

Ada Walker doesn’t remember her parents, so she never knew how much she was loved. Her father has been missing for a year, so when her mother dies when Ada is just four years old, she faces an uncertain future with an unscrupulous foster mother. At the age of eight, Ada is sold to work on the banks of the raging river Thames searching for treasures. And soon, she learns there are only two things in life she can truly rely on; her friend Bram, who promises to take care of her always, and her love of singing that helps to pass the dark and lonely hours.

A cruel Christmas tragedy. A soldier saved by the actions of a little girl. One woman’s determined journey from helpless rags to the rich arms of love.

Caroline is an orphan. Vulnerable and passed from family member to family member, until the fateful day she disappears in Surrey Gardens. All hope seems lost, until Arthur stumbles through the doors of the Lanyard Arms. Recently released from backbreaking punishment for a crime he did not commit, he is shocked and dismayed at what he discovers. Not only that, his heart is also captured by the mysterious Miss Davey.

On Christmas Eve 1875, an unnamed baby girl is rescued from the workhouse and handed over to a wealthy couple, Rose and Silas Clements, to raise as their very own. The couple call the child Holly and welcome her into their home as their little Christmas miracle. As Holly grows into a lovely girl, full of joy and imagination as wild as her red hair, so too does Rose’s resentment of her.

Alice Thorton is only five years old when her parents are killed in an accident. Together with her two little sisters, she is sent to live in a dismal part of London near the docks. Her grandfather loves them, but Christmas is a quiet, lonely affair in his little cottage. As the streets surrounding them turn dangerous, the girls are confined to the cottage. Alice’s only friend is Charlie Tillman, a cheerful young dockworker who is always looking out for her and her sisters.

Juliette Purcell has never known anything beyond her small, miserable world: the tiny tenement where she lives with her mother and brother; the grimy street filled with terrifying homeless men; and the market square where they scrounge scraps of food. Her mother, a washerwoman, works incessantly, yet Juliette and her brother Reuben often go hungry.

Abandoned by all who should protect her, the workhouse swallows the young life of Olivia Coomb. It also swallows her voice. Who could ever love a mute and broken girl like Olivia? Franklin Slater wants nothing more, but society slays his advances, and Olivia is forced to flee once again.

Blossoming in a Victorian slum is an impossible dream. Hopes and dreams come here to die, not to be born. But Daphne is an unusually determined dreamer. Despite the disappearance of her parents and siblings, she holds to her goal. The workhouse can't stop her. The slums won't prevent her. Disaster and degradation only fuel her intentions.

A helpless baby is forsaken in a churchyard. This is how life begins for orphan Emma. Unwanted, cast aside, and thrown on the mercy of strangers, she grows up wondering why. And what are the mysterious gifts each year, placed where her cradle was once abandoned? Now blossomed to youthful beauty but shunned by society, the man she loves is forbidden to marry or court her.