The Girl Who Dared to Dream

The captivating new novel from Diney Costeloe, bestselling author of The Throwaway Children and The Girl With No Name.



In London in 1912, Mabel Oakley and her family are typical of their time. Her father Andrew is a solicitor, her mother Alice keeps the home fires burning and her brothers plan to become skilled apprentices. Mabel would rather die than go into domestic service like her cousin, and is determined to train as a secretary.



But one February morning, a terrible tragedy strikes Andrew on the way to work and the lives of the Oakley family are forever changed. Swallowing her pride, Mabel takes on a position as a maid and finds it every bit as unpleasant as she expected. But when help comes from an unexpected direction, Mabel finds her dreams might not be lost after all…



Praise for The Girl Who Dared to Dream:

'Fans of historical fiction will love how Costeloe paints pre-war London... You won't be able to put it down!' Chat Passions

'Diney Costeloe delivers an inspiring, heart-rending read with a wonderfully strong female protagonist.' Woman's Own

'A fascinating insight into the lives of women at the turn of the century.' Yours

'Beautifully crafted... Diney Costeloe has written over 20 novels, and this is one of her best.' Historical Novel Society

'A brilliantly written, tender and compelling page-turner – I LOVED it!' Faith Hogan



Praise for Diney Costeloe:

'Truly captivating.' Woman & Home

'A treat from the very first page. I could not put it down!' Historical Novel Society

'Historical fiction heaven... Anyone who feels that women's hist fict is a simplified genre sub-set would definitely need a rethink after this.' The Bookbag