Showing results for "Deryn Edwards" in Historical Fiction

As the wife of a coal miner, Elin Edwards is no stranger to poverty, but when her husband squanders their last few savings at the betting tables, Elin's world begins to crumble. Determined to pay off her husband's debts, she finds herself making a deal with one of the worst sorts. The agreement is innocent, Elin's baking services to reduce the money owed, but the minute she steps into Morgan Griffin's pub, she fears trusting this man.

November, 1915. For young housemaid Anwen Rhys, life is hard in the Welsh mining village of Dorcalon. She cares for her ill mother and younger sister Sara, all while shielding them from her father’s violent temper. Anwen comforts herself with her love for her childhood sweetheart, Idris Hughes, away fighting in the Great War. Yet when Idris returns, he is a changed man, quickly breaking off their engagement. But when there is an explosion at the pit, Anwen and Idris put their feelings aside to unite their community. Can Anwen find hope again?

Ever since Jimmy was a boy, he’s known two things: the rough streets of Merthyr Tydfil and that one day he would marry Enid Hardcastle. But when Enid disappears without a word, his life takes a different turn. Determined to make something of himself, Jimmy pours his heart into his job at Mr Baxter's workshop, dreaming of the future he and Enid might one day share. Yet, just as his hard work begins to pay off, a man arrives claiming to be Mr Baxter’s illegitimate son, threatening Jimmy’s chance of inheriting the business he was promised.

Wales, 1943. Sara Lewis should be heartbroken when her husband doesn't return from war. But he was never the kind husband she hoped for. And now she's stuck with her cruel mother-in-law on the family farm. Sara must do what is best for her young son. So she leaves the farm for the safety of her sister's home. Despite herself, she begins to notice Carlo, an Italian prisoner of war. Longing looks soon turn into a connection neither of them can sever. But fraternization is forbidden. As their love grows, so does the danger all around them.

Every summer Bea, Marissa and Emma meet at Seastone, Emma's family home on the remote Suffolk coast, to retreat from their daily lives and take comfort in their friendship. Over the years, their paths have not been easy. For Bea, the aftermath of a broken-hearted love affair influences the decisions she makes. For Marissa, the fear that her traumatic past will catch up with her haunts her still. And, for Emma, the sacrifices she has made for her family leave her full of longing and regret.

A small Welsh town hosts a lively and varied community - and none more so than Nelly Luke, the cheerful Cockney widow who made a ramshackle cottage her cosy, if unconventional, home. Nelly's generosity and wisdom win her many friends: Fay, the young newly-wed; Amy, the glamorous shopkeeper whose private life is colourful indeed; and her dignified sister Prue, whose family cupboard contains more than a few skeletons. Against the mounting excitement of the Coronation summer, Nelly steers her friends and family through storms and sunshine alike.

July, 1916. In the Rhymney Valley, young mother Violet Jones is caring for four-year-old Clarice and baby Benjy on her own, while husband Charlie fights on the Front Line. When tragedy strikes, Violet’s life becomes even harder. Violet takes in a relative to help make ends meet. As the Great War takes its toll on the nation, Violet faces her own battle. Can she protect her children? And will she ever find joy out of the depths of despair?

Enid Hardcastle has always had a hard life, but when her family can’t make ends meet and are moved to the workhouse, it feels like things can’t get any worse. But luckily for Enid, her friendship with local boy Jimmy gives her the strength. Also from the cold, hard streets of Merthyr, Jimmy has made his name as an entrepreneur, repairing boots and hand-delivering them to the fine people of the town. Enid has seen for herself that you can make a better life for yourself, so with Jimmy’s help, she sets about trying to save her family. But there are even darker places than the workhouse...

Eva finds the letter in the Blue Room. She spent the happier days of her childhood here, in her grandfather's painting studio. After his death, she is responsible for his legacy - a legacy threatened by the letter. It is from the Jewish Museum in Berlin. They have found the testimony he gave after surviving the death march across Serbia and Hungary, and they want to exhibit it. But the famous Joseph Silk - who came to England as a refugee - remade himself long ago. As Eva unravels what happened to him and to the woman he loved, she is confronted by the lies that have haunted her family....

INTRODUCED BY HAZEL HOLT 'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym' Richard Osman 'I'd sooner read a new Barbara Pym than a new Jane Austen' Philip Larkin When Barbara Pym died in 1980, she left a considerable amount of unpublished material. This volume contains an early novel, Civil to Strangers, three...

1941. Annie Beynon has just become the first stable girl for the most powerful family in her Welsh village. Whilst her gift for working with horses is clear, there are some who are willing to make her life very difficult simply for being a girl. There are other secret ways Annie is defying conventions though, and as the war rages, it seems that it's only a matter of time before Annie's secret is exposed. It's 1963 before Annie is able to face up to the secret she chose to keep over 20 years before.

Spring 1919. WW1 might be over, but the inhabitants of Dorcalon in the Welsh Valleys still feel the pain of the war that took so many of their men. Polly Smith is trying to survive her own battle at home. After her abusive husband, Gus, was finally jailed, Polly has been raising her two-year-old son alone. But being a single mother isn't easy, and Polly finds it harder still as Gus's criminal activities leave her with a bad reputation. Lonely and struggling for money, Polly retreats as she becomes the subject of cruel gossip.

Seven years ago, Charlotte Russell's father walked out on her family. Ever since, the task of caring for her bitter mother and sick uncle have fallen heavily on Charlotte's shoulders. If only she had agreed to marry Joe Llewellyn the first time he asked. Unable to leave her family to fend for themselves, Charlotte is constantly delaying her own happiness, and fears that Joe may soon move on. Then, as 1950 begins, Charlotte's father reappears, bringing with him his brood of children from his mistress.

This charming series of Victorian murder mysteries features mild-mannered Inspector Witherspoon of Scotland Yard and, more importantly, Mrs Jeffries, his housekeeper. A policeman's widow herself, her quick wits allow her to nudge the Inspector in the right direction to solve the crime. Early in the new year, Mrs. Hodges attends her first séance and the medium foresees her death. That same night, the prediction comes true, and Scotland Yard's Inspector Witherspoon, is on the case.

1884 - When Betsan Morgan’s mother succumbs to a devastating illness, she doesn't think her life could get much worse. But then her father moves in his new beau, an unserious flitty woman and coincidentally also the bargirl in the pub he works in, and she soon learns her house is no longer a home. All she can do is sit in the attic and stare at the portrait of her mother. Her new stepmother, Elinor, couldn’t even let them have the grace of keeping it in the hallway.

It's August 1917, and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon try to keep hope alive, but every day brings fresh tragedy as more are killed on foreign battlefields. Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society's expectations. Falling in love with miner Gwilym Owen brings more joy to her life than she's ever known...until she's forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family.

Gilly Jenkins is the third generation to bake for her family firm. Also on Bread Street, in the same Welsh seaside town, is the rival bakery: Green's. As Gilly's grandfather falls ill, and facing the outbreak of the Second World War, things look tough for the Jenkins. Amidst the hardship of war they face an unexpected tragedy. Their feud with the Greens intensifies, and a new arrival in the town causes consternation. Yet, despite it all romance blossoms across the divide as Gilly falls for Paul, a dashing pilot and heir to the Green business.

Mari Evans has always known life would be hard, but nothing could have prepared her for how quickly things would fall apart. First, the devastating news that her father has a second family – and chose them over her. Then the tragic accident in the pit that leaves her eldest brother unable to work. It started as an off-hand joke, a comment by her brother. ‘Cut your hair, Mari. You could pass for a lad and work the pit in my place.’

The South Wales village of Hen Carw Parc is a haven of rural peace. But times are changing and, although Nelly Luke and the older villagers stick resolutely to tradition, the younger ones have caught tantalising glimpses of a world beyond their quiet valley. For Fay Cartwright the lure of a career strains her marriage to home-loving Johnny, while Amy, the happy-go-lucky shopkeeper, is saddened when her son is given Army leave but fails to return to his family home. And there are other, more serious intrusions, not least a spate of robberies.

Cockney born Nelly Luke is an essential part of the community. Yet not even Nelly, with her shrewd eye, can predict the surprises in store for her family and friends. A new year brings new faces: Maurice Davies is back from the army, and Sheila Powell, a shopgirl, is eager to help him make up for lost time. But for some there's no escaping the past, and widow Prue Beynon finds herself confronted by a legacy she'd rather forget. . .