It's 1953, and big changes are in store for Mabel and those she loves. A life-changing decision, a surprise encounter, a jaw-dropping discovery, and a tragic death set the stage for this riveting narrative of life in a gritty coal-mining town, where secrets are hard to keep and rumours hard to contain.

In this, the sixth instalment in the popular Bread Maker series, the author once again takes you back to a time when the prevailing attitudes, expectations, and social norms of the day often conflicted with the desire for personal happiness. Sacrifices will have to be made, but by whom and at what cost.

While the MacDonald family has finally come together, the Toth family has fallen apart. Difficult decisions will need to be made as Luke leaves everything he ever loved behind and struggles to make a new life for himself in Halifax.

As she has in her previous works, the author places you at the kitchen table with a rich cast of memorable characters coping with the everyday challenges of life in the early fifties. You'll sit with them as they share their joys, their pains, their dreams and their fears. And like them, you will laugh and cry, and hope for a happy outcome. Sometimes you'll get your wish, and sometimes you won't. After all, The Heart of the Matter is a story about life, and life, as we all know, is totally unpredictable.