One Girl Began: An immersive and riveting story of three women, one building, and a century of change, for fans of Kate Atkinson and Maggie O’Farrell

'A beautiful novel . . . reminds us that our streets are thick with history' ROWAN HISAYO BUCHANAN 'Both moving and addictive' JOANNA BRISCOE 'Terrific' FRANCES QUINN THREE WOMEN.ONE BUILDING. 111 YEARS . . . East London, 1909. When her family fall on hard times, Ellen finds work in a box factory and is drawn into a tight-knit circle of friendship, one that will transform her life and test her in unexpected ways. In 1984, the factory is now derelict. Eighteen-year- old Frances moves in with a group of squatters and activists who have taken over the abandoned building.As she tries to build a new life, an unsettling relationship develops, forcing her to question who she is and where her loyalties lie. In 2020, the squat is now a gentrified conversion in a fashionable corner of the city.Amanda feels trapped in her tiny flat, overwhelmed by the demands of new motherhood and unsure of what the future holds - until the possibility of an alternative life presents itself . . . From acclaimed a