Ellen Lives On

15-year-old Ellen returns home from school in Yorkshire to find her mother has hanged herself. She is taken to live with her aunt and uncle and is forced into housework. In a fit of rebellion, she writes a letter to the local paper in support of comprehensive education and the closure of her prestigious selective school. She runs out of school and down to London to find her grandfather. When she finds herself caught in the midst of a radical political rally led by a group of young women protesting for their rights, her world is changed. Ellen Lives On is a story of one girl's struggle for self and survival, offering support, insight, and comfort for those younger readers dealing with parental suicide. It also offers keen perspective on long-term womens issues.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 28 October 2018
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

1971 . When 15-year-old Ellen returns home from school in Yorkshire, her world is shattered as she discovers that her mother has taken her own life. A dark mist descends upon her, yet she must find a new way to live. After her mother's funeral, Ellen is taken to live with her aunt and uncle and forced into household chores, serving the men of the household. She retreats into herself, into a sullen and desperate silence, to survive. In a fit of rebellion, she writes a letter to the local paper in support of the campaign for comprehensive education and the closure of her prestigious selective school. Most of her fellow pupils shun her, and after a harsh rebuke from the headteacher, Ellen runs out of school—and far away, down to London, to find her grandfather.

Her situation doesn't improve, as she narrowly escapes the unwanted attentions of a stranger in Kings Cross. Yet, when she finds herself caught in the midst of a radical political rally led by a group of young women protesting for their rights, suddenly her world is changed. Although her grandfather is in the hospital, Ellen discovers new friendships as she joins the group and learns to stand up: for women and for herself.

Written to provide support, insight, and comfort for those younger readers dealing with parental suicide, Ellen Lives On also offers keen perspectives on long-term women's issues. An engrossing story of one girl's struggle for self and survival, Ellen Lives On will be enjoyed by anyone interested in an addictive tale of love, loss, and freedom.

Lynda Haddock has opted to use suffragette colors for her cover to further support the cause for women's rights.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 206 x 149 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789014617