A Legacy Forged: An unashamedly Brummie novel

A Legacy Forged is the debut series from Midlands author Sara Fox. Sara's first novel is a sweeping trilogy set against the beating heart of Birmingham’s Industrial Revolution. Inspired by ancestral stories handed down through her family, Sara brings to life a saga that is at once gritty, emotional, and unashamedly Brummie.

A Legacy Forged brings the authentic heart and history of Birmingham roaring to life. A tale of survival, resilience, and ambition, set in the back-to-back slums of Birmingham, a walk from the crowded canals of the Industrial Revolution. It acts as a stage for the many and complex stories of the people directly and indirectly affected by the feuds, turmoil and challenges of an everyday family business. A company with its foundations set in honesty and integrity that becomes a legacy to be held by future generations at all costs.

In 1822, ten-year-old Matthew Seller bravely escapes an abusive father and a punishingly hard life in Kemberton, Shropshire. Unaware of what the future holds, he trusts fate and embarks on his journey across a dramatically changing landscape to navigate his way to Birmingham along a new canal system. Gripped by the Industrial Revolution, it is in this great city that Matthew sparks a heritage that burns through the next five generations.

A Legacy Forged weaves the lives of the Seller family with the Irish immigrant Cahills, creating a rich tapestry of characters shaped by resilience and hope. From the squalid back-to-back slums of Birmingham, the story explores complex relationships between fathers and sons and the quiet strength of the women whose wisdom and courage shape their family’s fortunes for years to come.

Author Sara Fox says, “I have held this story for decades knowing that my parents wanted it written. At last, in my retirement from complementary healthcare, I have the time to weave the information curated by my father with my wild imaginings. I have loved learning the history of Birmingham and lacing it with fictional story-telling and my family story. My deepest joy has not only been in writing the book I promised to write, but in learning more about my home city and its extraordinary history. Birmingham was at the heart of the birth of transport and even the Irish political movement. It was the life force of the Industrial Revolution. I have given my heart to A Legacy Forged and I believe readers will feel that.”

A Legacy Forged is available through all good bookshops, and online retailers, and is the first novel in a three-part series, Sellers & Sons.