A Child for Sale: Utterly gripping and heartbreaking historical fiction about a home for unmarried mothers

I reach out, arms aching to hold my newborn baby, and catch just a glimpse of soft, dark-brown hair before someone pushes me back onto the bed. 'It's alive, ' says the woman who delivered my child before she places something over my face. My last thought is of my baby's first cry before my world goes dark.

1964. When seventeen-year-old Laura Sims realises she's pregnant, her boyfriend Pete says they will look after and love their baby together; but Laura's mother turns on them in fury. Wrenched from her home and the boy she loves, Laura is thrown into a home for unmarried mothers. With no access to the outside world and treated harshly, Laura fights to keep her child safe and to find a way to escape the nightmare...

2015. Despite the anguish of losing their firstborn, Laura and Pete have been happily married for fifty years. But they've never given up on their lost child. And when Laura uncovers a tattered old diary from someone who worked at the home where she last saw her child, her heart breaks in two: those who ran the home sold their baby to a desperate, childless family.

Such cruel actions give Laura and Pete a tiny sliver of hope. Is there a chance to find their child, safe and happy, or will their search bring them only heartbreak and devastation?

A totally heart-wrenching and utterly gripping novel about how far a mother will go to find her child. Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday and The Orphan Train fans will be swept away by this gorgeous novel that reminds us to never give up on those we love.

What readers are saying about Pam Howes:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Heart-wrenching... You will need tissues... I just loved it all... Brought tears to my eyes as I read... Just perfect... 10/10.' NetGalley reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'My heart felt like it was literally going to burst... Gripping... A powerful and moving story that I didn't want to end... A must-read.' By the Letter Book Reviews

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'I love this book so much... So many tears were shed whilst reading this I got a blocked nose!... Oh my days I'm so into this... Fantastic.' Read Along With Sue Ward

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'WOW what a fabulous book!!... Loads of laughter and tears - it is absolutely a book you will not be able to put down until you finish it, for that reason I had sleepless nights!! I can't recommend it highly enough.' Goodreads Reviewer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Oh what a corker... Fantastic... Tissues ready though, okay?... Literally moved me to tears, filled my arms with goosebumps... Truly spell-binding, humble, and utterly poignant... Historical fiction at its finest.' The Writing Garnet