Annie's Turn

I developed Annie’s Turn from my previous novel, From Your Heart. In, From Your Heart, Pennie Berry happens upon a rare opportunity, that is, to leave her poor household in London and emigrate to America. Pennie's best friend, Annie Crawford, also wants to go too, but Annie's circumstances cause her to forsake an incredible opportunity-lost. Time passed and it’s three years later, 1863. Over the course of two days, a series of fateful events – dreadful by themselves – sweeps eighteen-year-old Annie Crawford’s world into oblivion. In her netherworld of rich and poor, those events leave her defenseless and helpless. But Annie receives an unexpected letter from Pennie. In her letter, she entices Annie to leave her home and emigrate to America. A job and a place to stay await her, and besides that good news, there is enough money enclosed to pay for her ship passage. Plainly dressed, Annie travels to the docks in Liverpool. There she plans to book passage on a ship headed to America. Unintentionally, she collides into a mysterious man. But instead of berating Annie for stepping on his shiny shoes, he invites her to dinner aboard the family’s yacht, (which is not good Victorian-like manners!). Rather than pay for a crowded packet ship to convey her to Boston, the man’s brother, and wife, consider hiring Annie to be governess for their three children. To quote Nicole Kidman, “Life has got all those twists and turns. You've got to hold on tight and off you go,” but will Annie marry Mr.“Right?”