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. 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. Abandoned on the cold stone steps of an orphanage, only a few hours old and clutching the object which was to give her name, Pearl Button had a hard start to life.

So guys these types of books often carry some trauma and sexual assault is featured, not in graphic detail but it is mentioned and more than once so heads up. Classism, relationships, friendships, alcohol abuse, poverty and manipulation so there is never really a dull moment.Neither Elsie nor Bert nor their children wanted to move to Candle Lane. The street in Battersea is modest but they all miss their home in Wimbledon, especially the kids, Ann and Arthur. 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. 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? She might have never recovered if it wasn’t for a bereavement group she joined, one that constituted women who had lost children in tragic circumstances. The group allowed Kitty to heal. 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.

Even though Kitty knew that she enjoyed telling stories, it wasn’t until she arrived at Tennyson Street Secondary school that the notion of pursuing a career in writing and publishing finally took root in her mind. 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. 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. The author married her first husband in 1966. Their son and daughter were born soon after. Then came the divorce, followed by a number of years during which Kitty struggled to survive as a single mother. But then she learned that she was adopted and she finally understood the true nature of her plight. Jenny would have loved nothing better than to find her real family and to finally understand where she came from.Seventeen-year-old Constance has had a privileged upbringing in Clapham, with staff to attend to her every need. But her parents have always been cold and distant, never showing her love.

Most modern authors would have used such affirmation as a reason to immediately make their mark in publishing. However, even though her writing talents were so clear to everyone who knew her, it would be years before Kitty Neale sat down to write fiction. I felt so sorry for Constance, my heart really went out to her, and she went from one bad place, into another. Then she hears two pieces of terrifying news – Kevin Dolby is up for parole and that her dear friend Bessie is gravely ill.Plain, but with a beautiful, caring nature, Constance Burton Blake is the main focus of attention throughout the book; an only child, born to Henrietta, a cold-hearted woman and a heavy drinker, and her Father Charles, who is often absent and carries a full-on condescending attitude. I didn't much care for either of them. Readers feel sympathy for young Constance and the story is so engaging that one desperately wills to advise her as they read along. However, as the story continues, Constance learns valuable lessons and as they say some lessons can only be learnt through experience. In the meantime, his ex wife Pearl Button has divorced him and remarried, determined to protect her son from knowing who his real father is. But it turned out that her mother died when she was born. As an adult, Jennifer has tried to fill the void in her heart. She married Marcos because she was convinced he would finally make her happy. 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.

When their marriage is upended, Jennifer must go on a journey with a young woman she just met to discover a truth that might be too much for either of them to bear. 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? 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 Jennifer Lavender never felt like she belonged. She was always working so hard to earn her parent’s love and attention but nothing she did felt like it was ever enough.

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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. 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. 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.