Publisher's Synopsis
In 1836 a young couple arrives in Liverpool on board the Ben-My-Chree packet ship from the Isle of Man. Expecting their first child, they are full of hope and can't wait to start their new life. However, they soon discover that the pavements are not as golden as they had presumed. Their dreams are thwarted by ill health and poverty and they have no choice but to settle for a squalid room in one of Liverpool's notorious courthouses.
As time goes by life continues to be a struggle as Nancy and Michael's family grows. With five children to feed, things become increasingly difficult. On the fifteenth of February 1850, Alice Anne is born, and all their lives take a drastic turn for the worse when the family are tragically torn apart as a necessity for survival. Alice spends her early years in the workhouse, cared for by a woman they called 'Mad Mary Moon', unaware that she has a family of her own. Alice narrates her own story, recounting the many twists and turns that life throws at her as she navigates her way through childhood and adolescence to become a woman of substance. On The Shoulders of a Giant is a story of resilience, inner strength and self-discovery!
