Kirjahaku

Life as a WAAF in wartime England is not as glamorous as Sylvia Bishop had anticipated, although in letters home she tries to keep up the pretence for her sister Daisy. Then she is posted to a new RAF station and her work becomes more interesting. She is put in the Photo Intelligence unit and becomes very good at her job. Frustratingly, she cannot tell Daisy or anyone else what that entails as she has had to sign the Official Secrets Act. Her secret job is not the only thing that inhibits Sylvia from confiding in her sister. She has fallen in love with handsome Wing Commander Hugh Smythe, a forbidden love as he is married. If their relationship is discovered it will mean scandal and ruined careers for both of them. Sylvia desperately tries to forget Hugh and concentrate on her very important work. But how can she when she works so closely with him?

The Williams family have been living on the hulks, derelict warships moored alongside Sheerness dockyard, homes for the dockyard workers and their families. Still grieving for her mother, Emily is determined to make a home for her father and siblings. They move into a small cottage in Blue Town, the settlement just beyond the dockyard wall. Dismayed by the cramped conditions and lack of facilities, Emily determines to make the best of it, telling herself anything is better than the damp and mouldy hulks.Emily finds an escaped convict hiding in the woodshed and takes in the cold and wet young man. Harry is terrified of the gang who coerced him in to helping them. Emily and her father persuade him to turn himself in and he promises to go straight in future. It is love at first sight for the young couple and Emily is devastated when Harry is transported to Australia to finish his sentence.When her father is injured in a dockyard accident, a friend, Lenny, brings him home and helps to look after him. He wangles his way into the family home in the guise of friendship. Emily, although she can never forget Harry, is taken in by him and they marry.Meanwhile Harry finishes his sentence and works hard to save enough to return to England and find Emily. Will the young lovers ever be reunited or will Lenny stand in the way?

Rosemary Turner longs to leave the confines of her small Norfolk Village to engage in war work. But since the death of her mother, she has felt duty bound to stay at home to care for her father and help him with his parish duties. She meets Army Lieutenant Simon Spencer who is on convalescent leave after being wounded in the Dunkirk evacuation. He has come to the village with news of Rosemary's brother who he met at Dunkirk. She is immediately attracted to him but realizes she is unlikely to meet him again. She doesn't even know where he has been posted to. She tries to find contentment in looking after the London evacuee in her care, helping her father with his church duties and packing Red Cross parcels for prisoners of war. Things change for the villagers when the nearby air base is taken over by an American bomber group. Some call it a 'friendly invasion' but others are not so sure. Rosemary's friend Jenny is becoming more than friendly with a US pilot and flirtatious barmaid Maggie seems to be heading for trouble. And when Rosemary meets Master Sergeant Floyd Bowman, he makes it clear he would like to be more than friends. But she cannot forget Simon. Editorial Review by Victoria Chatham The setting is a village in rural Norfolk during World War II, the home of Rosemary Turner, the Rector's daughter, who would have liked to join the WAAFs, the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, and do her part for the war effort, like her friend Anne. Instead, Rosemary stays at home to look after her father, who is still mourning the loss of his wife. From this quiet beginning, we see Rosemary's character grow on every page as she navigates the hardships caused by the rationing of food and fuel supplies, her own hopes and fears, as well as those of her friends and neighbours. The arrival of evacuees from London adds another level of concern, as does the mixed emotions of the villagers when the Americans take over the local airbase. There is also her constant anxiety for her brother, Michael, not knowing if he is dead or alive. Similarly, Michael's friend and fellow officer, Simon Spencer, who has come to ask if there is any news of him. Simon remains in her mind until she is sure she is in love with him. In many small ways, Roberta Grieve has captured the essence of the era and woven it into a grand, inspiring story of resilience and hope for a brighter future.

Anna Grayson has been a dutiful, loyal and obedient daughter her whole life but her world is transformed when she meets the lively and outspoken Mitchell sisters, employees in her father's factory, who awaken her interest in the women's suffrage movement. Anna soon abandons her unfaltering obedience to her father to join them and attend a forbidden rally. This new world of excitement and freedom comes with risks. No longer sheltered by her father's protection, Anna is forced to grow up quickly when tragedy strikes at a rally and her beloved new friend Lily Mitchell is knocked down by a motorcar and killed. Anna suspects it is no accident. Suddenly the world outside no longer seems so enticing. Convinced of foul play, Anna enlists the help of young doctor, Daniel Peters. At first, he is dismissive of her claim that Lily was pushed into the road - who would want to kill her? - but she persuades him to join her fight to uncover the truth and find justice for Lily.