A Royal Visit to Victory Street (The Bryant Sisters #5) by Pam Howes
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-war
Read: 5th November 2022
Published: 8th November 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
From Amazon charts bestseller Pam Howes comes an emotional and uplifting saga about the power of family and a community trying to rebuild their lives after the terrible war that nearly destroyed everything…
1956, Liverpool. With the shadow of the war looming over them and bomb craters littering the surrounding streets, hope feels far away for the residents of Victory Street. When they learn that the Queen has chosen to visit them on a tour of Liverpool, the delighted neighbours bring back the wartime spirit. Can they possibly get the street ready in time?
Even a royal visit cannot take away Bella Harrison’s worries. Her son, fourteen-year-old Levi, has just told her he wants to move to America to join the rest of his father’s family. The news has so shocked Bella that she’s not sure she’ll be able to sing for the Queen, jeopardising all their plans for the big day.
Life has been hard for Levi, growing up as a mixed-race boy in Liverpool, but he’s the light of Bella’s life. The thought of losing him brings back the terrible memories of her father and sister dying during the war. If everyone pulls together to make the Queen’s visit an unforgettable celebration, perhaps she can persuade Levi that Victory Street is where he belongs.
But when Levi receives heartbreaking news from America and his move becomes uncertain, Bella starts to wonder if all her efforts to keep him in Liverpool have been for the right reasons. Can Bella find it in herself to sing for the big celebration, and make the right choice for her beloved son?
A totally unputdownable, heart-wrenching historical novel, packed with family secrets, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Diney Costeloe and Nancy Revell.
MY THOUGHTS:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Pam Howes' final installment A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET.
I have followed the lives and loves of the original Bryant Sisters through the war years and beyond since the beginning. I have watched them bloom and grow, fall in love, get married, have children and settle down. Now the series is coming to an end as we see their children bloom and grow...as life for them comes full circle.
It's 1956 and the shadows of war still linger eleven years after its end as the community continues to rebuild their homes and their lives. At a gathering of the Watertree WI (Women's Institute), Mary is made privy to the upcoming visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Given the task of organising the entire event, Mary then rallies her troops around she needs, all of them on a "need to know" basis. It seems Victory Street is to represent Liverpool on the royal couple's visit so Mary sets to organising a spruce up with all hands on deck. And they have just six weeks in which to prepare.
It seems Prince Philip was endeared by Liverpool's songtresses the Bryant Sisters so Bella, Edie and Fran dust off their frocks (or rather they buy new ones) and set to rehearsing a couple of numbers to entertain the royal couple. And Mary's granddaughter, Bella's 7 year old daughter Lizzie, is to present a bouquet to the Queen on behalf of Liverpool...and so rehearsals were underway for Lizzie to familiarise herself and know what she is to do. As Lizzie is deaf, though she can lip-read, she relies on sign mostly to communicate.
After the royals leave Victory Street, a party is then thrown for the entire community to come and enjoy as Bella's eldest son Levi takes to the stage with two of his friends to perform as a trio for the masses. It seems music is in his blood as he follows in his parents' footsteps to follow his dream of becoming a singer. He watches as local lad John Lennon begins to make a name for himself as well as the rising stars coming out of the USA with the likes of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, and he wonders if he has what it takes to make as they have.
Times have certainly changed since Bella and her friends took the stage in their break time and the Bryant factory, entertaining the co-workers at the beginning of the war. From there they joined ENSA where they met Basil Jenkins who later went on to marry Bobby Harrison's mother Fenella after the death of her husband. Now Bella and Bobby have Levi (though fathered by Earl Franklin) and their own daughter Lizzie whilst Edie is married to Stevie with baby Dennis and Fran is married to Sam with Lorraine and Gary. Mary has also found love again in Martin, Basil's former driver, while Molly (her youngest) married Earl Franklin and has twins Patti and Harry. Not to mention Earl's family he brought over from America with him when he emigrated wanting to spend time with his son Levi, what with sister Ruby, daughter Diana and I forget where Delores comes in. To anyone outside, this family tree would have them scratching their heads. I know I was trying to remember who was who and how they fit in...lol
A ROYAL VISIT TO VICTORY STREET brings this series to a fitting end with heartwarming tales set to delight the reader. Packed full with party planning, unforeseen news, singing, a royal visit, more singing, a startling surprise and a new venture in the works, this quick and easy read has brings a sense of nostalgia that makes you feel as if you are right there with them.
I have to say though, the description of the book is once again misleading, and I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen that was never going to! I may be niggling, but it's a pet peeve of mine when the description outlines something completely different from the story.
Overall, a compelling read that speaks for itself...as does the rest of the series.
I would like to thank #PamHowes, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ARoyalVisitToVictoryStreet 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.
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