The Old House on the Corner

Book excerpt: A moving contemporary novel set in Liverpool about the new residents of Victoria Square Victoria Macara lives in the old house on the corner. When the land is sold, she finds herself surrounded by new properties called Victoria Square. The newcomers include mismatched lovers, Kathleen and Steve; Rachel, who is attempting to forget a terrible tragedy; Sarah who is running away from an abusive husband, while Anna and Ernie are just after a quiet life. For Marie, Victoria Square is a refuge from the men who murdered her husband; for Judy, it means a fresh start after forty years of marriage to a man she'd thought she'd love for ever. But it is to Gareth - trapped in a hopeless marriage - that Victoria is particularly drawn . . .