Norfolk, 1813.
In the quiet Waveney Valley, the body of Mary Tyrell is staked through the heart after her death by suicide.
She had been under arrest for the suspected murder of her newborn child.
Mary leaves behind a young daughter, Hannah, who is later sent away to the Refuge for the Destitute in London, where she will be trained for a life of domestic service.
It is at the Refuge that Hannah meets Annie Simpkins, a fellow resident, and together they forge a friendship that deepens into passionate love.
But the strength of this bond is put to the test when the girls are caught stealing from the Refuge’s laundry, and they are sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, setting them on separate paths that may never cross again.
The Low Road by Katharine Quarmby is published in audio format on 1 February, 2024.
It’s already out in hardback and ebook.
Katharine has written a feature for Historia about the shocking practice of staking through the heart for felo de se.
For more historical fiction, look at our round-up of over 130 books coming out this year.
