by Rumer Godden (1956)
In post-war London, two street-tough children attempt to build a hidden garden, an act that awakens hidden courage in the children and profoundly disrupts the neighborhood.
[by] Naomi Jacob
The penultimate volume of the much-loved Gollantz saga. The Gollantz family experience both hope and heartbreak in the aftermath of the war. Meanwhile, Emmanuel and Julian's sibling rivalry reaches a dramatic conclusion. A poignant, compelling story of love and the family ties that bind.
Cathy Sharp
"When Lucy and her brother, Joshua, are orphaned, it falls to Joshua to provide for them both, but he is barely into his teens and in his naivety, falls prey to bad influences and drink. Lucy is desperate to avoid the workhouse, but when Joshua loses their meagre savings they are thrown out onto the street and, in dire poverty, it isn't long before Lucy finds herself at its gates - almost a fate worse than death. Inside the workhouse, Lucy meets with unkindness and cruelty and she knows she must dig deep within herself if she is to survive, let alone thrive. What Lucy needs is a friend and she is surprised to find one in the most unlikely place ..."--Publisher.
Mary-Beth Hughes
From the outside in, the Devlin family lead almost perfect lives. Dashing father Nick is a successful businessman long married to sweetheart Jean, who upholds the family home and entertains, while daughter Lily attends Catholic school and is disciplined into modesty by the nuns. Under the surface, however, the Devlins are broken by the death of their little boy, Cubbie. When Nick's older brother, Lionel, a man driven by callous and rapacious urges, inducts Nick into the cutthroat world of cosmetics, Nick's sudden rise to the top brings the Devlin family to a fresh start in London, where they join the ranks of the city's social elite. But as the veneer of their glamorous new life abroad starts to wear thin, the Devlin family are further fragmented by betrayals and become victims of the cruelest kind of hurt.
Rosie Thomas
Constance, a musician, composer & arranger of other people's music, has made a new life for herself in Bali. On hearing the news of her sister's serious illness, the last thing she wants is to leave the beaches & relaxed lifestyle & return to London. Especially as before leaving London, Constance had fallen in love with her sister's husband.