The Harbour Girl

Sixteen-year-old Jeannie spends most of her time at Scarborough Harbour - she is a net mender and herring girl, just like her mother. When she meets Harry, a fisherman from Hull, she falls head-over-heels in love with him and soon finds herself pregnant. Her oldest childhood friend Ethan is devastated - he too was in love with Jeannie but never found the courage to tell her. Harry's dour grandmother tells Jeannie that they must marry, despite him being out of work. They do so, and begin a life in the hub of Hull's fishing community. But it is not long before Jeannie realises she has made a terrible mistake... Jeannie is met with joy and tragedy when she gives birth to a beautiful baby boy, but her husband's grandmother dies soon afterwards. From this moment, their marriage drifts apart - Harry leaves her for another woman and Jeannie is left destitute save for the occational work on the fishing quay.

Val Wood (Author) : Valerie Wood was born in Yorkshire and now lives in Beverley. She was the first winner of the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction. Find out more about Valerie Wood's novel's by visiting her website on www.valeriewood.co.uk