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A rich, dramatic saga of murder and obsession set against the glittering backdrop of 19th-Century London. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Donna Douglas. What readers are saying about Lights of London 'What a lovely story...it totally had me gripped from beginning to end' - 5 STARS 'Brilliant - could not put it down' - 5 STARS 'Wow...a must read' - 5 STARS ************************************************************************************ AS A NEW CENTURY DAWNS, WILL HER LOT BE HARDSHIP OR HAPPINESS? The lights of London seem bright to Kitty Miller, but their sparkle soon fades when she finds herself alone and destitute, at the mercy of those that inhabit the fog-bound streets and alleyways of the East End. When the feisty young prostitute, Tibs Tyler, takes her under her wing, the two girls, one dark, one fair, set themselves up as a music hall act. As they desperately try to break free from Tibs's violent pimp, and to avoid the educated and wealthy yet sinister Dr Tressing, they also hope to make a new life for themselves as the new century breaks.
'Every page is a delight. Every chapter made vivid by a writer who has poured heart and soul into her book'. Val Hennessy, Daily Mail The East End of London - cockneys, criminals, street markets, pub singalongs, dog racing, jellied eels ... it is a place at once appealing and unruly, comforting and incomprehensible. Gilda O'Neill, an East Ender herself shows there is more to this fascinating area than a collection of cliched images. Using oral history and more traditional sources she builds up a powerful image of this community - bringing to us, with wit and honesty, the real story of London's East End
A gripping saga of love and loss on the eve of the Great War. The annual migration from London to the hop fields of Kent is normally a longed-for escape from the dust and grime of the East End. But this year Rose Fairleigh worries their departure will interrupt the slow-blossoming romance between her daughter Jess and postman Jack Barnes. Jack promises to visit and assures Rose he will keep an eye on her three sons, who are staying behind. Before he knows it, though, one of the boys is in trouble and it's up to Jack to bring him home. Meanwhile in Kent, Jess' life grows increasingly confusing as, full of promises and charm, the son of suffragette Lady Worlington turns his attentions to her... A heartwrenching East End family drama, perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry and Downton Abbey.
Step into the everyday lives of East End Londoners during the Second World War 'I wanted to write about a time and a place when living in such a street - or rather a community - would have been part of so-called ordinary working people's everyday experience, but when the circumstances couldn't exactly be described as normal.' What was life like during WWII? Away from the battles? On the street where you live? Gilda O'Neill's Our Street takes a look at the world outside of the war. Told through the daily rituals of those living in London's East End, it shares the concerns, hopes, fears and sense of community that grew during tremendous hardship. The perfect companion to Gilda O'Neill's bestselling My East End, this is an important book and an affectionate record of an often fondly remembered, more communal, way of life that has all but disappeared. 'A rich tapestry . . . a finely detailed examination of our not so distant past. Her book is as much a piece of history as the accounts it contains' Time Out 'Every page is a delight. Every chapter made vivid by a writer who has poured heart and soul into her book' Daily Mail
Gilda O'Neill has gathered together her memories and personal recollections of growing up in the East End of London. It was a timeof unbelievable hardship and devastating change; yet also of great pride, kindness, courage, resilience and humour.
'Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most' Emma Gannon, author of Olive 'So fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days Meet Gilda. She cannot stop thinking about death. Desperate for relief from her anxious mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local church and finds herself abruptly hired to replace the deceased receptionist Grace. It's not the most obvious job - she's queer and an atheist for starters - and so in between trying to learn mass, hiding her new maybe-girlfriend and conducting an amateur investigation into Grace's death, Gilda must avoid revealing the truth of her mortifying existence. A blend of warmth, deadpan humour, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration - and the expiration of those you love - is the only certainty.
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Outwardly Nella's life was probably seen as ordinary; but behind this mask were a lively mind and a persistent pen - a pen that never gave up over almost three decades, reporting, describing, pondering, and disclosing. Nella, 55 when the war ends, writes of what ordinary people felt during those years of privation, hope and the re-building of Britain, providing a moving and inspiring account of the years that shaped the society we live in today. Her diary offers a detailed, moving and humorous narrative of the changing experiences of ordinary people at this time, and thoughts on the aftermath of war and whether 'peace' really meant peace, for everyone.
When Bindra contracts leprosy, she is driven from her home in the Himalayan foothills with her two small sons and embarks upon a seemingly impossible course in search of salvation. David's first journey to India is driven by devastating loss, and yet he finds unexepected solace in the discovery of an exceptional family legacy, and insights offered by an unorthodox mountain tradition. As these individual journeys progress their stories are woven together, cultural differences are dissolved, and an extraordinary relationship is formed which forges unanticipated changes in both their lives. In the Shadow of Crows is a remarkable account of love and loss, a lyrical ode to the wonderful and terrible beauty of India, and a masterly meditation on the interweaving of separate lives.
A HEARTWARMING AND UPLIFTING TALE FOR FANS OF CATHERINE COOKSON AND LESLEY PEARSE On the dark, rough streets of London in 1913, can one girl find the courage to open the door to her destiny? Little Rose Webster's life has never been easy. Born in the slums of Bermondsey she has longed to escape her poor upbringing and violent step-father. But it's hard to escape these deprived streets . . . Thankfully she has a quick mind and her insatiable thirst for knowledge means she excels at school - so perhaps she has a chance at a brighter future. But Rose's dreams are shattered when she is forced to leave school and find work, leaving her with nothing to cling to but hope. And as a dark figure from her past threatens further turmoil, this winter's child fears she will never see the spring . . . PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE OPEN DOOR Praise for Beryl Matthews: 'A heartwarming and uplifting tale' Daily Express 'Catherine Cookson fans will love this' Woman's Own