The Love Child — Catherine Cookson

Unable to obtain a divorce from his alcoholic wife, Nathaniel Martell and his mistress defy convention and live together openly. They manage not only to feed, clothe, and educate their six children but to create a warm family life.

As Anna Martell grows into womanhood in the nineteenth-century English countryside, she is determined to overcome the legacy of her birth -- as one of six illegitimate children -- a goal aided by the love of wealthy Timothy Barrington.

However, the hatred of the nearby village cannot be ignored as children grow into young adults. Anna, the oldest daughter, suffers most after she is hired to teach a rich man's son. Jealousy, gossip, and physical attacks grind Anna down, and revelations of weakness in her adored father increase her sense of betrayal.

Only the support of an independent older woman and a wealthy man who suffers from epilepsy allow Anna to forge her own path.