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    Hattie's Home: After the war, London's in ruins. A story of love and laughter, against all the odds
    Unavailable
    Hattie's Home: After the war, London's in ruins. A story of love and laughter, against all the odds
    Unavailable
    Hattie's Home: After the war, London's in ruins. A story of love and laughter, against all the odds
    Ebook491 pages9 hours

    Hattie's Home: After the war, London's in ruins. A story of love and laughter, against all the odds

    By Mary Gibson

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    About this ebook

    A passionate and heartwarming saga from the bestselling author of CUSTARD TARTS AND BROKEN HEARTS.

    January 1947.
    The war is over. But London is still a wasteland.

    After eight years in the ATS, Hattie Wright returns to a Bermondsey she doesn't recognise. With so few jobs, she reluctantly takes work at the Alaska fur factory – a place rife with petty rivalries that she vowed never to set foot in again. But while she was a rising star in the ATS, Hattie's work mates are unforgiving in her attempts to promote herself up from the factory floor.

    After journeying across the world to Australia to marry her beloved, Clara is betrayed and returns penniless, homeless and trying to raise a child in the face of prejudice. While war widow, Lou, has lost more than most in the war. Her daughter and parents were killed in an air raid bomb blast and her surviving son, Ronnie, is fending for himself and getting into all kinds of trouble.

    The lifelong friendship these women forge while working in the fur factory will help them overcome crippling grief and prejudice in post-war Britain and to find hope in tomorrow.

    PRAISE FOR HATTIE'S HOME:

    'Mary transported me right into the heart of Bermondsey and the damage, heartache and devastation the war had left behind. The sights, smells, wreckage, the poverty, it was all so real. Yet even in such dark times friendship and the community shines through' Dash F, Netgalley reviewer.

    'If you want a real taste of East London life before 1914, and the horrors and occasional laughs the times could bring – this is a must read' Mark Ryes, Amazon reviewer.

    'This is an absolute joy from start to finish and it's clear that Mary Gibson has a passion for history and a good yarn! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the reality of life for women in the period leading up to the Great War without the safety net of the Welfare State to fall back on. It's one of the best historic fiction books I've read in a long time' History Geek, Amazon reviewer.

    'Gritty, heart-felt and very real. Gibson really gives you a clear understanding of what life was like... If you are a fan of Nadine Dorries you will love this' Rachel, Amazon reviewer.

    'I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters, in my opinion certainly worth 5 stars!' Shelley, Amazon reviewer.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHead of Zeus
    Release dateNov 2, 2017
    ISBN9781784973360
    Author

    Mary Gibson

    Mary Gibson is Professor Emerita of History at John Jay College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA. She is the author of Born to Crime: Cesare Lombroso and the Origins of Biological Criminology (2002) and Prostitution and the State in Italy, 1860-1915 (2nd Edition, 1999). MARY GIBSON is Professor of History at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate School, City University of New York.

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    Reviews for Hattie's Home

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    • 4/5
      Hattie’s Home by Mary Gibson sweeps you back in time to 1947 in Bermondsey, England. Hattie Wright is returning home after serving eight years as a sergeant in the ATS. Hattie received a letter from her mother, Cissie asking her to return because she was “almost blind”. Bermondsey was hit hard by the bombs during the war leaving devastation behind. Many homes were destroyed causing a severe housing shortage. After traveling two days from Belgium to get home and then being attacked by a gang of kids, Hattie discovers her mother is just fine and has a new beau living with her in the one habitable room of their house. Unable to find office work, Hattie returns to the Alaska-a fur factory (thanks to her friend, Buster). While working in the factory, she takes Clara and Lou under her wing. Clara is returning from Australia disgraced and with a child. She has no money and her parents will not welcome her in their home. Clara fell in love with an Australian soldier who was not white and hiding a terrible secret. Lou is a widow with a mischievous (and unruly) son and a new baby. She is grieving the loss of her daughter, Sue who died in the bombings along with her husband. Unable to take living on her mother’s couch, Hattie seeks out a new place to live. She discovers empty army huts that would be habitable with a few improvements. One is occupied by a chemist from the Alaska named Joe. Hattie and others move in to the dwellings, but then Hattie’s ex-fiancé (a dangerous man) decides they want them (and force people to pay rent). He will go to great lengths to get the tenants to vacate. Will the tenants be able to defeat the bullies? Hattie’s Home is well-written, and I was drawn into the book at the beginning. I thought it was an engaging story. The author captured the city and what it was like after World War II (the devastation—the bombed-out buildings). Rationing was still in effect for many years (on food and clothing) and housing was impossible to find (unless you had deep pockets). The author did her research for the book and incorporated the facts without overwhelming the story (or making it seem like a textbook). I thought Hattie’s Home was realistic. Life was hard for these people, but they had hope, love, family, resilience, determination, community and friendship. The author did not sugar coat the grim realities. I liked how people came together to help each other out (something we do not see today). Hattie was a great main character. She is strong, independent, intelligent and spunky. I liked that Hattie’s Home takes place after the war. It affected each person differently and we get to experience it from different perspectives in Hattie’s Home. The book has a slower pace, but it goes with the story (suits it). I found the children flats program creative and a wonderful way to get the kids off the street where they were wreaking havoc (and getting killed from unexploded ordinances). The ending is heartwarming and will have readers smiling. This was the first book that I have read by Mary Gibson, but it will not be my last.