Never Were Such Times by Nancy Livingston
Set in the nineteenth century, NEVER WERE SUCH TIMES is the moving story of one family's constant struggle for survival. Chas, Albert and Polly Unwin know nothing but love and security as they grow up in the close-knit atmosphere of a small Suffolk village, until, suddenly orphaned, they are forced upon their unwilling Aunt Sybilla, a cold, miserly woman who takes out all her frustration and bitter disappointment on her dead brother's children. As the children become adults and go their separate ways, their devotion to each other never wavers. Despite the pain and misfortunes they face, they never give up the fight to survive. And in this absorbing story of tragedy, love and courage you will mourn the losses and applaud the triumphs of the indomitable Unwin family.