Kitty Kneale is onto a winner with this wonderful book, it is well constructed and was an absolute joy to read. Yes, there are some upsetting scenes, this is the 1960's and racial discrimination was rife, women were still expected to be seen and not heard. It shows how far we've come in society, the equality between men and women and the author has written with sensitivity; not just with these issues but with others that are highlighted within the story. Pearl will now have to take over Nora’s care and plans to take her to Winchester. However, when Bessie’s will is read, she has left the shop and premises to Pearl, yet with a proviso. Pearl not only has to take over Nora’s care, she must do it in Battersea, moving into the shop and premises and living there for the rest of Nora’s natural life. Then, and only then, can she sell up. I liked Ethel, the Burton Blake's long-standing cook, who has her own secret and regrets; I loved how she cared for Constance and I was hoping that the past could be laid to rest. Can people forgive and bridges re-built? Seventeen-year-old Constance has had a privileged upbringing in Clapham but her parents have always been cold and distant, never showing her love. Craving affection, Constance falls into the arms of Albie Jones, the cook’s grandson. But one fateful encounter leaves her ashamed and pregnant, and she is soon shunned from the family home. Heartbroken and threatened by scandal, Constance is forced to wed Albie and moves to Battersea, where she suffers unforgiving stares and cruel whispers from the neighbours. Trapped in a bitter and loveless marriage without a penny to her name, Constance has no choice but to stay and surrender. Will she ever find freedom – or happiness – again? Over time, her work began to take on a life of its own. Kitty found that she could take the people she had met over her lifetime and the experiences she had encountered and turn them into compelling stories.

The author does not know if she would have ever pursued her writing dreams if tragedy hadn’t come into her life. Kitty’s son was 27-years-old when he died. The occurrence nearly broke Kitty. Now 16 years old, she's finally managed to escape the cruel confines of the orphanage, and enter the real world. Finding work at a nearby café, Pearl is thrilled to start earning her own money, even if she must contend with sharp-tongued Dolly Dolby. This is an interesting look at a number of people and how they coped with life’s joys and problems amid the war. It was obvious once I started it that this was the second book in the series and I had not read the first Battersea Tavern book. But the author filled in the story enough to get the gist of what had gone before. Winnie, is a warm hearted character who is not judgemental and who mostly tries to see the good in people. Sometimes that leads to trouble. She is fiercely protective of Rachel and Martha. We also meet The Hampton siblings Errol and Cheryl. Cheryl is close to her father but Errol and Harry have always had an uneasy relationship.

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Jeremy’s arrival unleashes a tide of jealously and hate. He wants everything that belongs to Thomas – especially Amy. As Jeremy’s dangerous obsession for his brother’s wife grows, Amy must fight for her marriage, and her baby. A gritty tale of family and a love that holds no bounds, from the best-selling author of Nobody’s Girl and A Father’s Revenge Many of the author’s books are set in South London, in locations with which Kitty is intimately familiar. She writes a lot about dysfunctional families and tragedies.

A rich young girl – Constance – is devoid of love from both her parents. Her self-esteem is extremely low and her ability to judge people correctly is distorted due to never receiving any true affection. This causes her to be attracted to a seemingly sensible lad and soon she is outcast when the unthinkable occurs! When Celia's husband leaves her and Thomas announces he is to marry Amy, she is more determined than ever to split them up.Celia needs an ally, so she writes to her elder son, Jeremy, asking him to come home. Celia Frost has always thought herself a cut above the other residents of Lark Rise in Battersea. When her beloved son, Thomas, starts seeing Amy Miller, a girl from the bottom of the Rise, Celia disapproves, thinking her common. From the get go I couldn't put down this book, the beginning has a dark and forboding feel to it that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Kitty Neale's writing style is fast paced and keeps the reader interested.I think that the author has created a wonderful, varying mix of characters, some I liked but a few were unsavoury and I didn't like them at all. From there she began to master the craft, fixing her punctuation and gaining a basic understanding of the publishing industry. Writing was just a distraction at that time, a means of burying her grief by getting immersed in imaginary worlds.