A New Dawn Over Mulberry Lane (Mulberry Lane series #8) by Rosie Clarke
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas
Read: 29th January 2022
Amazon
Published: 3rd February 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
London 1958
Life has moved on since the war and the youngsters of Mulberry Lane are growing up fast.
Peggy Ronaski’s family is struggling with growing pains but she is always there, strong, reliable and ready to help whenever a crisis hits.
Meanwhile, Maureen Hart has family problems of her own to contend with.
Together they will work hard to conquer all of what life has to throw at them…
Join Peggy and Maureen as their siblings embark on life’s new adventures and try to forge a partnerships for success.
What does the future hold for the families and friends of Mulberry Lane?
MY REVIEW:
It's 1958 and A NEW DAWN OVER MULBERRY LANE takes place eight years after the previous book in which the women and their families had overcome many obstacles...such as a devastating car accident leaving one of them in a critical condition, the death of a much-loved resident, attacks in the dead of night as well as the long-awaited pregnancy for one of them ten years after her first child...all while still dealing with the rationing of food that was still in short supply fives years after the war had ended. Now at the height of a decade nearing its end sees a new generation stepping up and out to embarks on their own lives.
The author takes us on a new journey of this new generation as we revisit some old favourites. Whilst the focus was on Peggy, Maureen and Pearl in the previous book, it's their children - Maggie, Fay, Shirley and even Freddie - that shine in this installment alongside Peggy and Maureen. Even Peggy's elder daughter Janet features a lot more as does husband Ryan when the child they had so longed for eight years ago is set to being them heartache once again. As always, there is a lot going on in and around Mulberry Lane and with it are plenty of challenges that each of the families face respectively.
One of the first hurdles is Maureen's husband Gordon struck down with serious health issues whilst their daughter Shirley has completed her training as a doctor in Durham, returning to take up a position she has always intended and trained to do - work with the poor who would never visit a doctor otherwise - and she gains the respect of those vagrants as well as her peers along the way. But what is even more surprising in the budding romance that comes her way when she least expected it. We also see a dawn of a new era in medical advancement with new promises coming their way.
Previously, Peggy's daughter Fay had worked hard to train as a figure skater but after a a health scare that would set her training back months, she decides what she really wants to do is bake. And not just the simple kind. Fay has always dreamed big - first with her skating and now with this new venture. Then when Peggy's granddaughter (and Janet's daughter) Maggie moves to London, she surprises everyone with her big plans to change the Pig & Whistle as they all know it. Together she and Fay devise a plan they both intend to pursue with grandeur and the promise of welcoming results.
Meanwhile, Janet is caught between a rock and a hard place. She loves Ryan but she's far from happy. She is discontent and is beginning to look elsewhere for something that will make her happy. Their young son Jon, whom they had longed for so long, has struggles of his own but tackles them in his own way in silence.
Throughout the story, Peggy and Able Ronoscki are one of the central couples alongside Maureen and Gordon. Now it's their children's time to shine as a new generation brings fresh ideas to Mulberry Lane. We see a little less of Rose and Tom Barton in this book but they are still there on the periphery and will more than likely pop up again in future tales. But the stories that surround the primary characters of this book have enough on their hands to deal with - struggles, loss, grief, health issues as well as hope and new beginnings as change is on the horizon for them all.
I have not been with the series from the beginning so therefore there may have been some key experiences I have missed but each book is written in such a way that you don't miss out, bringing the past back through a little backstory while telling the story of the present. I did find the beginning of this book a little slow to get going but once it did I enjoyed it immensely and find myself looking forward to the next installment.
Already I enjoy some of Rosie Clarke's other series - Harpers Emporium and the new Blackberry Farm - as well as some of her standalones. She has the ability to bring a sense of comfort to her stories that you can just see yourself settling into a comfy seat at Peggy's table to enjoy her delicious shepherd's pie with a helping of apple pie and cream for afters.
As always, Rosie Clarke's sagas are a pleasure to revisit even after some time with her warm sense of family and friendship. If you haven't already had the pleasure of the Mulberry Lane series, I definitely recommend it. Even if you start midway, the author brings enough backstory into the present to bring you to speed that you don't miss out. But of course, starting at the beginning is always the best option, if possible.
I enjoyed my trip to Mulberry Lane once again and I'm glad I made the journey. I look forward to future visits.
I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ANewDawnOverMulberryLane in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.
Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.
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