The Pearl Button Girl cover art

The Pearl Button Girl

The gritty and heartwarming historical fiction from the Sunday Times bestselling saga author

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About this listen

'This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn' - Candis

'Gritty and moving story-telling' - Peterborough Telegraph

Annie Murray's The Pearl Button Girl is book one in the Children of Birmingham series, starting in Victorian Birmingham and following the trials and triumphs of the Fletcher family.

Working at the local pearl button factory, Ada Fletcher is doing her best to make ends meet in trying times.

When tragedy strikes and her siblings are taken to a workhouse orphanage, Ada is saved from a similar fate by her neighbour, Sarah Connell.

But the roof over Ada’s head doesn’t come without a price: the Connells have too many children, not enough money, and Sarah’s reliance on drink means that it isn’t long before Ada needs to escape.

Determined to be more than just a factory girl, Ada embarks on a journey to reunite with her siblings. But in a teeming industrial city, will she be able to find long-lost family as well as a home and life to call her own?

 Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Victorian

Critic reviews

Murray achieves authenticity with a detailed historical knowledge, especially of the button factories and the squalid lives of those forced to work in them, for a pittance of a wage
Heart-warming and affecting tale
This heartfelt story is perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Katie Flynn
The popular saga writer returns to her roots with the first in the Children of Birmingham series . . . It’s gritty and moving story-telling
An involving read that perfectly evokes the hardship of life at the time in the Second City
All stars
Most relevant
Lovely book really enjoyed listening to it would recommend it nice long chapters heart warming

The story

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The narrator changed which was a little weird and I couldn’t get used to it.

Kept my interest and the story was lovely

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loved all the references to old Brum where my family all came from and the history of life of my great grandparents

old Birmingham

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Lovely story to escape. Not sure who the narrator was mid stream but great listen.

Great escapism.

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Great historical story, Great mixture of characters. Was somewhat suprised to hear 1 chapter read by another reader which I didn't like much.

Lovely listen

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