Denise Reilly

For John and Lily, separated by law and distance, forced to leave Ireland to face uncertain futures, life will never be the same again. Let down by her husband, Lily is sent off with her two daughters to live in Scotland with her Uncle James - a man she's never met before. Life at the croft offers honest work, stability, a safe place for her daughters to grow up . but that new life comes at a cost.
She must forget John and move on as a widow. John, transported to Australia on the HMS Royal Sovereign to serve a seven-year sentence for theft, faces a grim journey by sea and years of hard work in a harsh, unfamiliar landscape. But when friendship comes from an unlikely quarter, could this devastating sentence lead to opportunity to hope for a better life - but one that he can never share with his family?As the years pass, Lily and John celebrate the small wins, adapting to their new lives.
But how do you move on, half the world away from the ones you love? And will they ever find each other again? Lyrical and heartfelt, With A Wink and a Smile by Denise Reilly is a touching story of resilience, hope, and family, drawn from the author's own family history.