Publisher's Synopsis
Set in the nineteenth century, ten-year-old Daisy Grey is delighted to be moving to Oxfordshire with her parents to start a new life. Daisy's father has at last found the perfect new home, in Lavender Farm, to rent, wanting nothing more than to farm the land and provide a decent life for his family, after living in a run-down cottage for years and struggling to earn a living as an odd job man. Although disappointed on arriving at Lavender Farm to find it not in the pristine condition that they'd been expecting, nothing could dampen the family's spirits, and Sam and Megan Grey, along with their daughter, set about restoring the run-down farm. After a dreadful tragedy occurs, shattering the entire family and leaving young Daisy in dire circumstances, it soon becomes apparent that the landlord and his wife have a darker side to them and Daisy becomes victim to their cruel plan. Daisy's life is marred by unfortunate circumstances and by her trepidation of the dreaded workhouse. When Daisy's path is crossed by a young homeless orphan from London, after she is forced to flee from her work in service, it marks the beginning of a friendship which finds them soon becoming inseparable. As Daisy is forced to quickly mature, her strong and dependable friendship with Alvin Clarke becomes bound by love. But life for the young couple is destined to change dramatically with the onset of the Crimean war.
