Days Of The Week Books in Order

How to Read the Days of the Week Series

Rosie Goodwin’s Days of the Week series is one of the most successful contemporary British historical sagas. Published between 2017 and 2020, the series is set against the backdrop of historical Warwickshire (chiefly Nuneaton), London, and beyond, spanning from the mid-Victorian era through the outbreak of World War I, and concluding in the mid-1930s. The series is conceptually anchored to the traditional nursery rhyme 'Monday's Child,' with each book reflecting the traits and day associated with its protagonist.

Because the novels follow different central characters, readers often debate the best path. There are two primary ways to approach the series: Publication Order (which preserves the evolution of the recurring 'Treetops' children's home setting) and Chronological Order (which aligns the stories by their historical eras).

The Preferred Path: Publication Order

For the best experience, we recommend reading the books in their order of publication. While each book works beautifully as a standalone historical drama, the publication order allows you to see the growth and legacy of Treetops Children's Home and its founders, Sunday and Tom Branning. Reading out of order can occasionally spoil character fates or the development of Treetops itself.

1. Mothering Sunday (2017) – Set in 1884. Follows Sunday Small in the Nuneaton workhouse. (Associated with the Sabbath day).
2. The Little Angel (2017) – Set in 1896. Follows Kitty, who is left on the doorstep of Treetops Children's Home. (Monday's Child).
3. A Mother's Grace (2018) – Set in 1910. Follows Grace Kettle as she flees her abusive father to rural Wales. (Tuesday's Child).
4. The Blessed Child (2019) – Set in 1865. Follows Nessie Carson and her siblings as they face eviction in Victorian Nuneaton. (Wednesday's Child).
5. A Maiden's Voyage (2019) – Set in 1912. Follows lady's maid Flora Butler as she boards the ill-fated RMS Titanic. (Thursday's Child).
6. A Precious Gift (2019) – Set in 1911. Follows Holly Farthing fleeing an arranged marriage to become a war nurse in France. (Friday's Child).
7. Time to Say Goodbye (2020) – Set in 1935. Follows Kathy at Treetops Manor as she navigates family tragedy and the prelude to WWII. (Saturday's Child).

The Chronological Order Path

If you prefer to read the series strictly by the historical timeline of its settings, the order changes significantly. In this order, the fourth book, The Blessed Child, serves as a historical prequel, taking readers back to the earliest setting in 1865, before jumping to Sunday Small's childhood in 1884.

1. The Blessed Child (Set in 1865)
2. Mothering Sunday (Set in 1884)
3. The Little Angel (Set in 1896)
4. A Mother's Grace (Set in 1910)
5. A Precious Gift (Set in 1911)
6. A Maiden's Voyage (Set in 1912)
7. Time to Say Goodbye (Set in 1935)

Understanding the Nursery Rhyme Themes

Rosie Goodwin structured the series around the famous nursery rhyme, matching the character journeys to the classic verse lines:

• Mothering Sunday (Sabbath / Sunday Child): Sunday Small's journey from a workhouse orphan to a loving mother and matriarch embodies the 'bonny and blithe, and good and gay' spirit.
• The Little Angel (Monday's Child - 'fair of face'): Kitty's beauty and angelic nature are central to her journey from Treetops to the gritty streets of London.
• A Mother's Grace (Tuesday's Child - 'full of grace'): Grace Kettle faces extreme trials, yet maintains her grace, eventually fleeing to a Welsh convent.
• The Blessed Child (Wednesday's Child - 'full of woe'): Nessie Carson experiences tragic loss, the murder of her mother, and extreme poverty in the earliest chronological story.
• A Maiden's Voyage (Thursday's Child - 'has far to go'): Flora Butler takes this literally, traveling from London to Southampton and embarking on a voyage to New York on the Titanic.
• A Precious Gift (Friday's Child - 'loving and giving'): Holly Farthing sacrifices her personal safety to volunteer on the dangerous battlefields of World War I France.
• Time to Say Goodbye (Saturday's Child - 'works hard for a living'): Kathy works tirelessly training as a nurse, striving to keep her family afloat after a sudden tragedy.

Key Connections and the Treetops Arc

While the books are heavily promoted as standalones, they are bound together by geography and recurring themes of social justice, resilience, and adoptive family bonds. The most explicit narrative thread is the Treetops Children's Home arc, which links the first, second, and seventh books:

• In Mothering Sunday, Sunday Small and Tom Branning survive their hard beginnings to build a life together, eventually establishing Treetops to rescue vulnerable children.
• In The Little Angel, Kitty is left on the doorstep of Treetops in 1896, where Sunday and Tom raise her as their own.
• In Time to Say Goodbye, set in 1935, we follow Kathy, another child who grew up under the care of Sunday and Tom Branning, bringing the Treetops saga to a poignant, bittersweet close.

Because of this direct familial connection, skipping between these three books out of order will spoil major plot points, including character marriages, deaths, and the ultimate fate of the estate.

What to Know Before You Start

Rosie Goodwin’s writing is heavily inspired by the late Catherine Cookson. Readers should prepare for emotional rollercosters: characters frequently face severe hardships, including abusive parents, workhouses, starvation, epidemics, and war. However, Goodwin always balances the grit with a heartwarming resolution. If you are looking for cozy, comforting, yet emotionally substantial historical sagas, this series is a perfect fit.