Birmingham family secrets locked away for 30 years inspire new historical novel

A Birmingham woman has turned three generations of family history, hidden away in 10 deed boxes for 30 years, into a historical novel about ambition, betrayal and survival.

Sara Fox had always known the boxes were in her family’s attic, containing the story of Seller & Sons, the family business that once formed part of Birmingham’s industrial landscape.

But it was not until she turned 60 that she finally decided to open them and discover exactly what was inside.

For decades, Sara’s parents had urged her to tell the story.

“You’ve got to write it,” they told her repeatedly.

This year, Sara finally kept that promise with the publication of A Legacy Forged, the first book in a planned trilogy inspired by her family’s history.

The novel opens in 1822 and follows 10-year-old Matthew Seller, who flees an abusive home in rural Shropshire and arrives in Birmingham as the city stands on the brink of rapid industrial growth.

With little more than determination, Matthew builds a life, a business and eventually a dynasty, rising alongside Birmingham as it becomes one of the industrial centres of the British Empire.

But his success attracts the attention of the MacCarthy cousins, businessmen who make a living from engineering the downfall of other families and buying their businesses for a fraction of their worth.

The story also follows the intertwined lives of the Sellers and the Cahills, an Irish immigrant family, while bringing to life Birmingham’s back-to-back housing, factories and canals.

For Sara, the story is about more than her own family.

“The story of Matthew Seller is the story of Birmingham itself, raw, ambitious, bruised, and magnificent,” she said.

“Writing this novel made me fall in love with the city and the family businesses that made it great. In many ways, it’s become my love letter to Birmingham, its history, its people and its unbreakable spirit.”

Sara said the book explores the lengths people will go to protect their legacy and what they might be prepared to sacrifice along the way.

A Legacy Forged is the first instalment in a planned trilogy, with Sara saying there is more of the family story still to tell.

She has also promised a twist in the next instalment that will change how readers view what has come before.

Sara will discuss the book and her family’s history at an author event at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on Friday, October 9, at 1pm.

The event will give readers the chance to meet Sara, ask questions and buy a signed copy of the book.