Jean Fullerton - Author
About the Author
Jean Fullerton is a native Londoner and was born in the East End within the sound of Bow Bells. Until she was five her family lived in Wapping, alongside the Thames, and then moved to Stepney. She is a trained nurse and teaches healthcare and nursing. No Cure for Love won the 2006 bi-annual Harry Bowling Prize for a novel set in London and written by an unpublished author. Jean's husband is a Church of England vicar, and his parish includes the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. She has three daughters.
Featured books by Jean Fullerton
A Ration Book Victory
Satisfying, convincing, and rewarding, the final book of the Ration Book series is appropriately set in the last months of the war. Even more appropriately the focus is matriarch Queenie (a particular favourite of mine), and we float between her early life in Ireland, and the Queenie in her 70’s of the Second World War. If you haven’t yet started, I would recommend going back to the beginning of this series with A Ration Book Dream as A Ration Book Victory is a coming together of storylines and characters. It is obvious that Jean Fullerton has a passion as well as well researched knowledge about this period. You can feel the life on the home front, the ploys to stretch your food, the fear for loved ones fighting, living life on the edge waiting for a silent V2 to explode into your life. As ever, the characters feel vibrantly real and the plot ticks along highlighting Queenie’s life. Her strength of will is apparent as we visit her in Ireland, and the feelings she still holds for her first love are heartbreaking. The trademark humour surrounding this character is very much on show, often coming out punching as a result of her fiery nature when protecting the people she loves. For those who have adored this series from the beginning, A Ration Book Victory is a fitting end to a compelling and poignant wartime family saga.
A Ration Book Wedding
Take a compelling step back in time to London of the Second World War, then stroll behind the obvious and meet a family full of rich, gossipy, vibrant life. Francesca Fabrino has intimate ties to the Brogan’s, she is best friends with Mattie, and has always held a torch for Charlie. As the Blitz rages, Francesca has a life changing decision to make. Part of the Ration Book series, we see the Brogan’s return, they really are a vividly dramatic group, almost larger than life, yet you don’t actually have to already know them in order to enjoy A Ration Book Wedding. Grandmother Queenie continues her reign (her ferociously wielding a cudgel made me blurt with laughter), while the rest of the family deal with relationship highs and lows, and some of them, the occasional wheel and deal. Jean Fullerton allows access to the seedier side of wartime London, with a visit or two to strip clubs. She also knowledgeably highlights life as it would have been for people living under bombing raids and rationing. A Ration Book Wedding is a simply lovely escape, full of drama and family intrigue, it really is a terrific addition to this series.
A Ration Book Christmas
A lovely, fascinating, proper treat of a read set during the Blitz of World War Two. The Brogan family sit at the heart of A Ration Book Christmas which is the start of a new saga series. Concentrating on sisters Jo and Mattie, we see their lives unfold as the bombing raids take their toll. Jean Fullerton brings to life the war on the home front, the small details and descriptions fully set the scene, supporting the storyline beautifully. I took this close knit family to my heart, from little rascal Billy through to unshakable Gran Queenie. Each and every character feels rounded, real, tangible. I let myself simply sink into the story, and it wrapped itself cosily around me. Romance, gossip, scandal, pain, friendship and love make their mark and I was left wanting to know more about this family. A Ration Book Christmas is food for the soul, it’s simply deliciously readable and enjoyable. Featured in the LoveReading Christmas Gift Guide.
A Ration Book Dream
What an evocative and vibrant series this is, Jean Fullerton has created fascinating characters and storylines, all set during the Second World War. Books in The Ration Book Series: 1. A Ration Book Dream 2. A Ration Book Christmas 3. A Ration Book Childhood 4. A Ration Book Wedding 5. A Ration Book Daughter 6. A Ration Book Victory Serial Reader? Check out our 'Fall in Love With a Book Series' collection to find amazing book series to dive in to.
Fetch Nurse Connie
For Nurse Connie Byrne the end of the war signals the beginning of a new chapter and as the revelries go on around the city, Connie's mind is on another celebration that she'll be able to arrange - the wedding to her sweetheart, Charlie, set to take place as soon as he arrives home. But when Connie meets Charlie off the train at London Bridge, she finds that his homecoming isn't quite going to go according to plan...Connie's busy professional life, and the larger-than-life patients in the district, offer a welcome distraction, but for how long? If nursing in the East End has taught Connie anything, it's that life is full of surprises...
All Change for Nurse Millie
Nurse Millie Sullivan is now Nurse Millie Smith, having married aspiring MP Jim Smith. The war has ended and the NHS has just come into action, so the nurses are busier than ever as the community realise that they no longer have to pay for the services. Minor ailments need attention, babies need to be helped into the world and some of the larger-than-life characters need keeping in line so Millie has enough drama to deal with without having to deal with more from home...and Alex Nolan, her ex-fiance, is back in town.
A Glimpse at Happiness
Shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2010. 1844: When Josie O’Casey returns to London after twelve years in America, she is overjoyed to discover that her childhood sweetheart, Patrick Nolan, who she believed to be dead, is alive and well. But her happiness is short-lived – Patrick now belongs to another. When the couple are finally offered a glimmer of hope, their happiness is threatened by Ma Tugman and her criminal empire. But will Josie forsake everything for the man she loves ...?
Call Nurse Millie
'A delightful, well researched story that really does depict nursing and the living conditions in the East End at the end of the war' Lesley Pearse 'Jean Fullerton's saga will delight her growing legion of fans' Dilly Court Can she deliver the hope they need? London is putting itself back together and twenty-five-year-old Millie is at the forefront of the effort as she tends to the East End community around her. While she witnesses tragedy and brutality in her job, Millie also finds strength and kindness as her training begins to pay off, helping her to bring her patients back to health and welcome babies into the world. But it's not only the patients that need Millie as matters of the heart bring both tears and joy for the young nurses. With grit and gumption, Millie and her friends do their best to find their way through first loves and heartbreaks, and balancing their duty of care with looking after each other. But when misfortune befalls her own family, it is the enduring spirit of the community that shows Millie that even the toughest of circumstances can be overcome. A heartwarming and gritty saga set in post-War London, perfect for fans of Ellie Dean, Donna Douglas and Call the Midwife
Other books by Jean Fullerton
A Child of the East End
A brand new uplifting, emotional and sometimes shocking memoir about life in London's oldest suburb, from the Queen of saga fiction Jean Fullerton . . . * One of my first East London memories is lying in bed, listening to the low boom of the barges as they nudged each other on the Thames, just half a mile away from our estate . . . Life in Cockney London was tough in the post-war years. The government's broken promises had led to a chronic housing shortage, rampant crime and families living in squalor. But one thing prevailed: the unbeatable spirit of the East End, a tight-knit community who pulled through the dark times with humour and heart. Drawing on both family history and her own memories of growing up in the 1950s and '60s, as well as her working life as a district nurse and local police officer, Jean Fullerton vividly depicts this fascinating part of London - from tin baths, to jellied eels, to tigers in a Wapping warehouse. ***Includes a bonus 8-page photo plate section!*** A Child of the East End is an eye-opening, heartfelt and atmospheric portrait of life in the East End after the war from 'the queen of saga fiction', perfect for fans of My East End by Gilda O'Neill and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth. - FIND OUT WHY READERS ARE FALLING IN LOVE WITH JEAN FULLERTON: 'Food for the soul, it's simply deliciously readable and enjoyable' LoveReading 'Charming and full of detail... You will ride emotional highs and lows... Beautifully written' The Lady on A Ration Book Daughter 'A delightful, well researched story' bestselling author Lesley Pearse 'A real page-turner with larger-than-life characters and convincing period detail' Daily Express
A Ration Book Daughter
Not even the Blitz can shake a mother's love. Cathy was a happy, blushing bride when Britain went to war with Germany three years ago. But her youthful dreams were crushed by her violent husband Stanley's involvement with the fascist black-shirts, and even when he's conscripted to fight she knows it's only a brief respite - divorce is not an option. Cathy, a true Brogan daughter, stays strong for her beloved little son Peter. When a telegram arrives declaring that her husband is missing in action, Cathy can finally allow herself to hope - she only has to wait 6 months before she is legally a widow and can move on with her life. In the meantime, she has to keep Peter safe and fed. So she advertises for a lodger, and Sergeant Archie McIntosh of the Royal Engineers' Bomb Disposal Squad turns up. He is kind, clever and thoughtful; their mutual attraction is instant. But with Stanley's fate still unclear, and the Blitz raging on over London's East End, will Cathy ever have the love she deserves? Jean Fullerton, the queen of the East End saga, returns with a wonderful new nostalgic novel.
Ration Book Christmas
In the darkest days of the Blitz, Christmas is more important than ever.With Christmas approaching, the Brogan family of London's East End are braving the horrors of the Blitz. With the men away fighting for King and Country and the ever-present dangers of the German Luftwaffe's nightly reign of death and destruction, the family must do all they can to keep a stiff upper lip. For Jo, the youngest of the Brogan sisters, the perils of war also offer a new-found freedom. Jo falls in love with Tommy, a man known for his dangerous reputation as much as his charm. But as the falling bombs devastate their neighbourhood and rationing begins to bite, will the Brogans manage to pull together a traditional family Christmas? And will Jo find the love and security she seeks in a time of such grave peril?
Perhaps Tomorrow
The 3rd novel in the East End Nolan Family series. The most talented voice since Dilly Court - an absorbing, thrilling and romantic historical saga with characters you'll fall in love with.Mattie Maguire is a twenty-six-year-old widow with an infant son. Since her husband, Brian, died three years before, she has struggled to keep the family's East End coal business solvent, as well as taking care of her troubled mother-in-law. But unbeknown to Mattie, life is about to get even tougher. Maguire's is in the path of the proposed Wapping to Mile End Railway extension that Amos Stebbins is trying to raise capital for, and he has his sights set on the deeds of the coal yard. Outwardly, Amos is a respectably married local benefactor. But he has a darker side and will stop at nothing to get what he wants...
No Cure for Love
The 1st novel in the East End Nolan Family series. The most talented voice since Dilly Court - an absorbing, thrilling and romantic historical saga with characters you'll fall in love with.Ellen O'Casey, an Irish Catholic immigrant, is struggling to support her ailing mother, her teenage daughter and herself. Washing other people's laundry in the day, and singing in bawdy pubs at night, Ellen is determined to make a better life for her family by saving enough for the passage to New York where the rest of her extended family have already emigrated. But Danny Donovan, a local gangster and the landlord of the pubs where Ellen sings, intends to make her his mistress. A widow in her late 20s, Ellen has refused to let another man in her life, least of all the brutish Danny, whose advances she doggedly resists. But when Ellen catches the eye of the new doctor in town, Robert Munroe, an intense rivalry is formed between the doctor and Danny. For not only are Robert's feelings for Ellen reciprocated, but the ambitious doctor also intends to investigate the appalling living conditions of the local community and Danny's own hand in it. But as Ellen and Robert become closer and aim to bring an end to Danny's reign of terror, their own chance at happiness seems suddenly to be at stake...
Glimpse at Happiness
The 2nd novel in the East End Nolan Family series. The most talented voice since Dilly Court - an absorbing, thrilling and romantic historical saga with characters you'll fall in love with.When Josie O'Casey returns to London after twelve years in America, she is overjoyed to discover that her childhood sweetheart Patrick Nolan, who she believed to be dead, is alive and well. But Josie's happiness is short-lived - Patrick now belongs to another. Heartbroken, Josie vows to forget about Patrick and settle back into life in the East End. But the East End that Josie knew as a child is much changed. While Josie can remember only too clearly her poverty-stricken upbringing, her family's social standing has vastly improved since they've been away. And there are some who resent that Josie left behind the slums of London to return as a lady. Torn between two worlds, Josie is still drawn back to her childhood haunts - and to Patrick.When the couple are finally offered a glimmer of hope, their chance at happiness is threatened by the all-powerful Ma Tugman and her criminal empire. Now Josie must decide if she is willing to forsake everything for the man she loves...
Hold On To Hope
The 4th novel in the East End Nolan Family series. The most talented voice since Dilly Court - an absorbing, thrilling and romantic historical saga with characters you'll fall in love with.Kate Ellis learnt the hard way that falling in love with the wrong man could be your undoing. It was nine years ago that she fell for the charms of Freddie Ellis, only to discover his criminal ways. With her husband in prison, Kate has fought hard to give her two children everything they could need. But now Freddie is back and threatens to destroy everything she has worked for.Captain Jonathan Quinn has resigned from the army after the needless death of too many of his men. But when his father disowns him and his fiancee breaks their engagement, Jonathan finds himself in desperate need of work. Accepting a friend's proposal of acting as headmaster at a local school, Jonathan is determined to leave the army behind and turn his life around. When Kate and Jonathan's paths cross, the attraction is instant. But with Kate still a married woman, they know it can never be. As Kate grows more distant, Jonathan finds solace in the arms of another woman, and Kate is left to wonder if she will ever find true love again...
Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie
East End saga queen Jean Fullerton returns with a delightful new novel in the Nurse Connie series It's 1948 and the nurses of the East End of London are making the most of life post-war. For Connie in particular, things are looking rosy as she looks forward to planning a future with her sweetheart, Malcolm. But, as many a young bride-to-be has proved, the course of true love never did run smooth and Connie finds herself having to grapple with interfering mothers and Malcolm's reluctance to set the date. But while there are many obstacles to overcome before walking down the aisle, at least Connie can relax in the knowledge that she'll soon be married to the man of her dreams, can't she? Life at work isn't all smooth sailing either. The newly-formed NHS is keeping the nurses of Fry House extremely busy and as ever in the life of a nurse heartbreak lurks at every turn. But there are some new faces to keep things interesting. And one in particular might be the answer to all of Connie's problems...
Easter With Nurse Millie
'Charming and full of detail about the work of a nurse in 1940s London, you will ride emotional highs and lows with each new birth and death. Beautifully written with some sharp dialogue' The Lady on Call Nurse MillieA charming and cheerful Easter story from the author of Call Nurse Millie.Spring is in the air for the nurses of Munroe House and as Easter approaches, Nurse Millie is playing matchmaker. Daphne Villiers, student nurse, is still suffering from the heartbreak of losing her fianc two years earlier. A new arrival to the East End has the potential to brighten her spirits and turn her life around, but will she be able to let herself love again? With the help of her friends, Daphne might find that Easter really is the time for new beginnings.
Christmas With Nurse Millie
A wonderfully moving Christmas midwife story from the author of Call Nurse Millie.Christmas is approaching - but for Nurse Millie and Nurse Annie babies are still being born, and in the East End of London, new mothers still need all the care and support they can give.Vividly summing up all the friendship of a close-knit community - both for the midwives and for the families - CHRISTMAS WITH NURSE MILLIE powerfully brings to life post-war London - with a heartwarming festive twist.