Book number 11 is Goodnight Sweetheart by Annie Groves, published by Harper Collins. Available from amazon in paperback and hardback.
This book is set as the second world war looms it is about a family whose mother passes away when her daughters are only young. Molly the youngest of the two daughters is just seven years old. When June -her elder sister takes on the task of parent and does her best at bringing up Molly and dealing with their grief stricken father at the same time.
They live in the Edge Hill district of Liverpool, next door to Elsie. Herself a very kind woman, who from the time of their mothers death they depended on. For her for advice that she gladly gave. As the years pass Molly falls in love with Elise's nephew Eddie who is in the Navy the pair live for every precious stolen moment together.
With June her elder sister is being very protective over molly she does her best to sort through the conflicted feelings of caring and resentment. She feels it's time she had a life as well, after taking care of her sister and father for so many years. Which is when June meets and falls in love with Frank. Frank lives with his mother who is a well respected woman in the community when June and Frank decide to marry; She takes it for granted that they would live with her because she has more room. This does not go down too well with June who's been running a home since she was a teenager herself. Frank's mother grows a quiet resentful attitude towards June. In her opinion she doesn't feel any woman is good enough for her Frank let alone someone like June.
As the time ticks by June falls pregnant soon after she and Frank marry. After being a surrogate mother to her sister for most of her life she relishes in the thought's that this baby is hers to bring up. After reading a book for new parents about how to bring up a baby; June decides to do everything by the book which doesn't go too well with Franks mother, or Frank because when he's home on leave he is not allowed to be the father he wants to be. This causes great tension between the once very loving couple.
The story of this family unfolds over every page of this book I found it heart-warming and heart wrenching both at the same time. Annie Groves made this book so compelling that I could not put it down. Much like Silk and Steel by Catherine King I felt compelled to search out and buy more of the exellent work by Annie Groves,
