Down on Her Knees (The Essex Scrubber, #2) by Christine Beedle

At the end of Book One, Christine makes a momentous decision that will affect the lives of her family, her friends and those upon whom she relies - namely her cleaners.
The story now continues as she rises to challenges, falls at hurdles and faces the inevitable events that occur over the years covered in this volume.
Alone, and yet always surrounded by people who need her, Christine has to balance work against family in a world she never planned for and with responsibilities she never imagined.
Suffice to say that by the end of this second volume Christine is once again at a crossroads, facing a decision that will affect her for the rest of her life.