Book number 15 is Tuppence to Tooley Street by Harry Bowling published by headline and available to buy from amazon in both paperback and hardback
This is a post war tale about a close knit family in the south east of a recovering London,
When a young man fighting on the front line at Dunkirk is injured. He thinks he will never see his family or London again, but thanks to another soldier's bravery he becomes one of the few lucky ones and returns, To the family he loves and the city he grew up in. All the time he is away fighting for his country's very survival, he dreams of home and the regrets he carries around with him like not seeing his girlfriend before he left.
Like all men coming back from the front line his family did what they could to make his home coming special. All his friends meet up with him and he tries to put the time away out of his mind but being both injured physically and suffering mentally he doesn't find it easy. In the end the stark realization dawns on Danny that what hurt him the most is that his childhood sweetheart didn't wait for him. As much as he wants to resent her for not waiting he cant he knows why she couldn't and underneath it all he blames himself for her not waiting.
Because of Danny's injury he finds it hard to get work because all the jobs that are available are before the war began which were done by men are now being done by the women who stepped in to the breech at a time when they were needed.
Like many family's of the time Danny comes from a family that has its fair share of problems. His mother worries over him and nags at his father to do the same, which all his father has to say about it is “leave the boy be -he is old enough to make his own mistakes”
This book is not very fast paced, its certainly some what more darling buds of may, rather than frost. As books go all in all its a good read with plenty of things happening. Reading a book written in the cockney dialect is amusing to read, if sometimes a little confusing and tiring
During my link gathering for this post, Ive found out that Harry Bowling died in 1999. Although I didn't find his book's until a decade after his death, it speaks volumes that 10 years after his death and 20 years after the book was first released the book I read is still fresh and enjoyable
not only would I recommend this book I have done
