A Mother’s Gift: Two Classic Novels. Josephine Cox

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Copyright

      Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

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       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016

      A Mother’s Gift Copyright © Josephine Cox 2016

      The Journey First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      Copyright © Josephine Cox 2005

      Journey’s End First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      Copyright © Josephine Cox 2006

      Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

      Josephine Cox asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780008171544

      Ebook Edition © January 2016 ISBN: 9780008171773

      Version: 2017-05-10

       Dedication

       To my Ken, as always

       To my ever loyal readers …

       And to those who have not yet discovered the magic of holding a beloved book in your hands and heart, as you travel through the twists and turns of my characters’ adventure …

       I started writing the first of these two books over ten years ago, but the characters and their tale have stayed with me so strongly ever since that I am delighted to be presenting you with an anniversary edition of the complete set of books that makes up this haunting story.

       It is the story of a devoted mother, Lucy Baker, and a good man. Their love for those they care most deeply about is immensely strong, but our lonely man is determined to commit a brave and sorry act that will inevitably destroy him.

       Because he believes it to be right, he feels that he has no choice …

       Meanwhile, despite the hardships and disappointments of her own life, Lucy has so much love in her heart, not least a mother’s love. It is her inherent goodness that drives her to right the wrongs of the past, even if it means breaking a promise she has kept for many long years.

       And so we find ourselves asking whether anyone in this tragic situation come out a winner, and will Lucy eventually find the happiness she so richly deserves?

       These characters are real, as all my characters are to me. They walk and live, and open their hearts to you. They are much the same as we all are, travelling through our lives with hope, and the belief that in the end all will be well. Sadly though, our hopes and dreams might fade away, or alternatively they will actually come to fruition. But whichever way your life might turn out, it is your life, and through your dreams and strong beliefs, it will carry you through, and the great and wonderful experiences will lift your spirits.

       There will surely be sadness, and tears, and a cruel dashing of your hopes – yet we struggle on, because we have to. Because deep down in the human spirit breathes a well of hope and believe that in the end it will all come right, one way or another.

       We are duty bound to walk through our lives with dignity, belief and goodness as much as we can, because there is no other way but forward.

       Just like Lucy, keep a strong heart and a deep well of strong belief in yourself so that you have it in you to rise above all the bad things that life will surely test you with. In this story, you will understand, how joy can overcome sadness. You will understand how love can turn around even the most painful experiences. And how family – the ones we find ourselves in, and the ones that we choose to make – is the most important gift of all.

       I am so glad to be sharing this special story with you, and I hope it stays with you as it has stayed with me.

       With all my love,