A little girl seeking a meagre scrap of coal. A drowned man barely breathing. And a kindness that changes their lives forever…
Ten-year-old Milcah Fox lives in the mining town of Sheffield with her mother, father and six younger siblings, collecting dropped scraps of coal from the area around the mines in order to feed her poor and hungry family. After the sudden death of her mother and the loss of her newborn sibling, life at the Fox household is difficult, but the family hold themselves together with faith, love and a shared joy for stories.

One day, Milcah’s father returns home with the body of an unconscious stranger in his cart. Milcah’s father found the man drifting in the river, and managed to save him.

No one in the household has ever seen this man before in their lives, and they barely have enough food to feed themselves, let alone to help heal another. But Milcah’s father tells his children that they must always help a person in need, regardless of who they are and how needy they themselves might be.

Milcah takes the lesson to heart, and after a few days under her care, the stranger wakes. He barely speaks, and when he vanishes in the night, the family all assume that they will never see him again.

Little do they suspect that their kindness to this one stranger will eventually change their lives forever.

Rosie Swan, celebrated Victorian Romance author, does it again in this heartwarming tale of kindness despite overwhelming challenges. A beautiful tale you’ll not want to end.