"Amidst the chaos of war, this spitfire girl will soar.
As Europe edges closer to war, Bella's world is focused on avoiding a future like her mother's. She doesn't want to go to secretarial school to become another proper young lady; standing by prettily waiting to be chosen as a wife by her employer or another suitable man.
Bella wants more than that life can give. And like many women, her first opportunity for a different future comes when war is declared and duty calls her to the skies. It allows her a proper escape from a father who is determined to keep her away from the one man she thinks she could love, Will.
But wartime brings the threat of pain as much as it does freedom. And Bella's tentative happiness is set to be risked by a secret much closer to home.
Can she escape the darkness at home and fly her way to liberty and happiness?
Praise for Karen Dickson:
'A compelling saga that will hold you fast from the first page to the last' VAL WOOD
'A gem of a read' FIONA FORD
'An exciting, fresh and talented new voice - a five-star read!' CAROL RIVERS"
"Summer, 1916
Despite the misery of war in the air, some things in the small hamlet of Strawbridge remain unchanged. The strawberry harvest is nearly ready and friends Leah, Alice and Dora still have each other.
Before the war, the three women had found a tentative happiness but now war has torn their lives apart. Each woman must learn to live with their new life at war, dealing with the absence of their loved ones and finding courage in the hardest of times…"
"The strawberry harvest is finally ready. The delicious fruit make up the main source of income for the small hamlet of Strawbridge. Good friends Leah, Alice and Dora are ready to spend their summer months working in Isaac Whitworth's farm.
But when Leah takes a fancy to young farm hand Harry and Alice catches the eye of the curate's son the two girls find themselves falling fast. This leaves Dora on the outside, struggling with the weight of being here family's sole breadwinner and caring for her sickly father.
But the summer months are long and the surprises are far from over…"
"A wartime family saga, perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin and Val Wood
Shaftesbury, 1936.
Mansfield House Hotel has been a refuge for Emily ever since she was orphaned at the age of 16. Not only did they give her employment as a chambermaid, but it's also where she met her fiancé Tom.
When theatre agent Roland stays at the hotel and hears Emily singing, he is determined to take her away to Bristol and make her a star. But knowing she'd never leave her fiancé, he hatches a plan to get Emily away from Tom.
Six years later, Emily has made a name for herself as 'The Bristol Songbird'. Her love for Tom is still as strong as ever, but she's not heard from him since that fateful night so long ago. And with the world enveloped in a war, it seems unlikely the two will ever meet again.
Will Emily and Tom ever find their way back to one another? Or will the war - and Roland - succeed in keeping them apart?
Praise for Karen Dickson:
'A compelling saga that will hold you fast from the first page to the last. Loved it' VAL WOOD, author of The Lonely Wife
'This rollercoaster of a novel draws you in from the first page… I devoured this in one sitting and look forward to more from this author. In short a gem of a read' FIONA FORD, author of Wartime at Liberty's
'A delight to read... Lily Hayter is a wonderful heroine whose resilience and integrity shine through as she struggles to claim a life of her choosing and find a family. At the heart of the story is a warmth and humanity that makes it a truly uplifting read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry when I reached the end because I wanted to linger in Dickson's world. I eagerly await more from Karen Dickson' VICKI BEEBY, author of The Ops Room Girls
'An exciting, fresh and talented new voice - a five-star read!' CAROL RIVERS, author of Molly's Christmas Orphans
'The characters in this novel are so believable that I cared deeply about them from the first chapter. A heartfelt, hopeful account of one young woman's fight to keep her child safe when all the odds are against her. Atmospheric and beautifully written' JAN CASEY, author of The Women of Waterloo Bridge"
"'A compelling saga that will hold you fast from the first page to the last. Loved it' VAL WOOD, author of The Lonely Wife
Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Gracie Hart, The Dressmaker's Secret is a moving and heartfelt family saga from the talented author of The Shop Girl's Soldier.
Dorset, 1876. When young Beatrice Cullen shows up in the local church with her illegitimate child in her arms, Reverend Michael Redfern takes it upon himself to help her.
He finds her daughter, Lily, a home with a kindly couple. But when, at the age of 9, Lily loses her adopted parents, she is forced to live with her awful Aunt Doris and cousin Jez, who treat her no better than a slave. Lily can only seek solace in her dream of one day escaping her aunt and becoming a seamstress.
Five years later, now aged fourteen, Lily makes a startling discovery: that her birth father is none other than local aristocrat Sir Frederick Copperfield. Lily is stunned. And when she gets the chance to work for the Copperfields, she can't pass up the opportunity to get to know her half-sister Eleanor.
But will Eleanor ever really get to know her, or will Lily's true identity forever remain a secret?
'This rollercoaster of a novel draws you in from the first page. Expertly researched and a fabulous storyline with real heart at the centre... I devoured this in one sitting and look forward to more from this author. In short a gem of a read' FIONA FORD, author of Wartime at Liberty's
'A delight to read... Lily Hayter is a wonderful heroine whose resilience and integrity shine through as she struggles to claim a life of her choosing and find a family. At the heart of the story is a warmth and humanity that makes it a truly uplifting read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry when I reached the end because I wanted to linger in Dickson's world. I eagerly await more from Karen Dickson' VICKI BEEBY, author of The Ops Room Girls
'The characters in this novel are so believable that I cared deeply about them from the first chapter. A heartfelt, hopeful account of one young woman's fight to keep her child safe when all the odds are against her. Atmospheric and beautifully written' JAN CASEY, author of The Women of Waterloo Bridge
'An exciting, fresh and talented new voice - a five-star read!' CAROL RIVERS on The Shop Girl's Soldier"
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