The Mothers of Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #3) by Pam Howes
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-WW2
Read: 16th July 2021
Published: 23rd July 2021
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes a heartbreaking and uplifting historical novel about a young woman trying to snatch her chance at happiness amongst the ruins of World War Two.
1946, Liverpool. Bella Harrison cannot believe the devastating war that stole the lives of her father and sister is truly over at last. She wonders how they will ever rebuild Victory Street with the city in ruins, and half their neighbours gone. But for now, she and her childhood sweetheart Bobby are happy newlyweds, doting on Bella’s little son, her child with black American pilot, Earl Franklin Junior.
With the other members of Bella’s wartime singing trio, The Bryant Sisters, busy starting families of their own, Bella focuses on recording and writing songs with her husband. Everything seems to be falling into place until they get a surprising letter: Earl is moving to England and wants to see them.
Earl arrives and is delighted to see that his son is well and happy. He joins them as a singer and together, they start recording songs. But one night as Earl leaves the recording studio, a racist gang brutally attacks him and sets the place alight, leaving Bobby trapped inside. Meanwhile, Bella is at home, waiting to tell Bobby a devastating secret…
With peace in Liverpool at last, Bella had hoped for a brighter future. But as she faces her life being ripped apart once again, can she rediscover the strength that carried her through the war?
A totally unputdownable, heart-wrenching historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' delightful third installment of THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET.
I have journeyed alongside the women in this wonderful historical fiction saga series from its beginning, having previously enjoyed "The Midwives of Lark Lane" by the same author. Whilst the first two take place during the war, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET begins post-war on Christmas Eve 1946 and thus following into 1947 and 48. It takes on a slightly different dimension as the war has ended so therefore so has ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) of which the Bryant Sisters were a part, travelling all over Britain to perform for the troops during the dark days of WW2. So what does post-war life look like for the girls now?
The previous book finished as all three girls - Bella, Edie and Fran - married their sweethearts in a triple wedding to Bobby, Stevie and Frankie respectively. Fast forward to 1946 and the focus is now on babies and motherhood as they begin the arduous task of rebuilding their lives post-war.
Bella Harrison lives in the house her husband Bobby grew up in with their respective mothers (Mary and Fenella), Bella's sister (Molly) and Bella's young son Levi, a product of a brief liaison with Earl Franklin Junior, a black American GI who was also a musician that sometimes played with the Bryant Sisters. The story begins on Christmas Eve in 1946 which happens to be little Levi's 5th birthday and a birthday party is underway at their home where a handful of Levi's friends from school are attending. It promises to be a busy day what with a dinner that evening with close family and friends and the excitement of Christmas Day tomorrow.
Bella and Bobby are still very much in love and adore Levi, Bobby having adopted him after their marriage, but Bella years for a baby with her childhood sweetheart and husband. However the war has its left scars on Bobby when he very nearly lost his life in a plane crash over London where he was seriously injured and his father was killed. The result was the possibility that he would never be able to father children and as heartbreaking that is for the couple, they are happy and content with their lives as they are. And then just as life is beginning to settle, Bella receives word that Earl has applied for immigration to the UK with his sister Ruby and daughter Dianna after his divorce. Bella and Bobby begin to fear what this means for their little family. Does Earl want to reclaim his son?
Edie Collins is pregnant with her first child and her husband Stevie has just presented her with the keys to a new house in Victory Street, right across the road from Fran, and a new puppy they call Max after she was left devastated with the death of her previous dog Rebel. Their new neighbours keep themselves to themselves but Edie has noticed the sour looks the wife gives her, Fran and moreso Bella...though why, she has no idea. But one day Edie finds that she relies on the goodness of those neighbours to come to her rescue when she takes a tumble down the stairs, her leg twisted under her body as contractions begin. Dragging herself to the shoe rack Stevie had lovingly made for them, she grabs one of her heels and bangs on the wall between the two houses calling for help. When Rita Jepson hears the sound thinking they are still banging away on renovations, her husband Charlie hear a cry for help. Edie is rushed to hospital with Fran and Charlie following in the car whilst newly friended Rita stays behind to look after Fran's baby Lorraine. Edie's baby isn't due for another few weeks yet...has her fall in some way done any damage to the child they have been so looking forward to?
Fran's life hasn't quite turned out as she had envisioned it when she and Frankie tied the knot in the triple wedding with their friends. All the time he was away fighting in the war, Fran treasured every letter Frankie wrote her but only now did their words begin to take on a whole new meaning. The times he told her that she wouldn't need to work when they were married or have any need for stage clothes, that she will be at home keeping house, that it will be just them as they won't need anyone else. Only now after his moods lead to his griping to his sitting around to his spending the money down the pub to her waiting on him hand and foot to him not allowing her to join her friends as the Bryant Sisters to the black eye and thumping he gave her for talking back...only now does she see those words in a different light. Frankie had meant to control her, to keep her at home and to have her do as she was told. He had no intention of letting her have her independence. As his wife, she belonged to him to do his bidding. She had so loved Frankie but he can't even stand to watch her breastfeed their 4 month old daughter. Now when he isn't at work, he is at the pub with his docker mates and then home to make her life a living misery. Is this to be her life for all eternity?
When Earl Franklin Junior stepped off the Queen Mary at Liverpool docks with his sister Ruby and daughter Dianna, he just knew that this was the beginning of a whole new life for them all. Ruby was a trained theatre nurse and Earl himself would love nothing more than to fly planes for the RAF. After arriving they soon find a place to rent on Victory Street on the other side of the Jepsons to Edie so therefore Dianna could go to the school at which her half brother Levi attends.
But when Fran sees Bella coming out of Earl's house one afternoon, both of them looking far too happy with themselves, and then again the following evening all smiles and kisses as they walked up the street together, she is livid that Bella would do this to Bobby who didn't deserve that sort of treatment. Fran, who had always carried a torch for Bobby, decided to find out if there was trouble in paradise because she sure wouldn't mind consoling Bobby in the aftermath as he licked his wounds.
But that's the least of their worries when a gang jumps Earl as he leaves the new recording studio Bobby and Basil have set up and attack him whilst hurling racist remarks before he blacks out. And then flames are seen coming from the studio...with Bobby and Basil are still inside! Since having his lower leg amputated as a result of his war injury, Bobby is unable to use the stairs should the lift be out of order. Is Bella and Bobby's happily ever after about to come to a tragic end?
With so much going on, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET (despite Bella and Bobby living on the more affluent Prince Albert Road) is a such a delightful read and fantastic addition to an already wonderful series. There is love, romance, tragedy, heartbreak and all the usual things that come with a saga such as this. But then that is what we love about them. With THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET taking place post-war and everything therein, I found it to possibly be the best of the three books thus far.
Love is in the air for many of Bella and Bobby's extended family in this installment, which does kind of round things off a little. Whilst book 2 saw Bella's sister Molly endure a horrific ordeal, THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET sees her overcoming the consequences and finding happiness at long last.
One thing I want to say is that the line in the premise "meanwhile Bella is at home waiting to tell Bobby a devastating secret" is misleading. I waited all book for this devastating blow...and it never came.
There is a lot going on within the pages despite it being a quick read, and it is rounded off perfectly at the end in such a way that it could spell the end of the series. I certainly hope not as I for one would love see what's next for the Bryant Sisters!
I would like to thank #PamHowes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMothersOfVictoryStreet in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Pam Howes is an ex Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.
That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; 'Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That'll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock'n'Roll band The Raiders.
Pam signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture with the first novel in her Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture - The Mersey Trilogy featuring The Liverpool Girls, The Forgotten Family of Liverpool and The Lost Daughter of Liverpool - is also available in E book, paperback and as audio books.
Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write the series. Pam has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren. She lives in Cheshire and as well as writing novels, writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published.
Social Media Links:
PUBLISHER:
Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Bookouture by following them on these social media accounts.
No comments:
Post a Comment