An unforgettable historical tale
set in fifteenth-century England of a brilliant woman’s defiance, courage, and
ingenuity—from the author of The
Locksmith’s Daughter and The
Chocolate Maker’s Wife. 

1405: The daughter of a wealthy merchant, Anneke Sheldrake suddenly finds
her family bankrupted when her father’s ship is swept away at sea. Forced to
find a way to provide for herself and her siblings, Anneke rejects an offer of
marriage from a despised cousin and instead turns to her late mother’s family
business: brewing ale. 

Armed
with her mother’s recipes, she then makes a bold deal with her father’s
aristocratic employer, putting her home and family at risk. Thanks to her
fierce determination, Anneke’s brew wins a following and begins to turn a
profit. But her rise threatens some in her community and those closest to her
are left to pay the price.

As Anneke slowly pieces her life together again,
she finds an unlikely ally in a London brothel owner. Determined not only to
reclaim her livelihood and her family, Anneke vows not to let anyone stand in
the way of her forging her own destiny. 

“The daughter of a merchant flouts 15th-century English convention to start a brewery in Brooks’s illuminating epic (after The Chocolate Maker’s Wife). Brooks’s attention to historical detail instills the novel with authenticity by including many historical figures and events, while Anneke’s lively voice keeps a strong grip on the reader as she works to overcome societal prohibitions against women in business and find happiness and contentment. Brooks’s immersive page-turner does not disappoint.”