AUTHOR Emma Hornby has written about a subject she knows extremely well — her home town of Bolton.

The 32-year-old mother of three lives on what she describes as a “tight knit working class estate” in the town and it is her experiences here that have helped her to write her first novel “A Shilling for a Wife”.

She was inspired to write after researching her family history — her family has lived in Bolton since the 1920s.

Like the characters in her book many generations of her family eked out life amid the poor living conditions of Lancashire’s historic and feared slums.

The book begins in 1853 in a “dismal cottage in the heart of Bolton” when Bolton was in Lancashire.

The Lancashire dialect, with its twang pertinent to Bolton in particular, is scattered throughout the book.

There are fascinating references to places local people will recognise, such as Breightmet and Bradford Road but even if you did not recognise the areas and buildings indicated it could be recognised as a traditional Lancashire town — and you do not get more traditional Lancashire than Bolton.

Before pursuing a career writing Emma had jobs as varied as working as a care assistant and working in a Blackpool rock factory.

The book is published by Corgi and will particularly, although not exclusively, appeal to local folk.