Today we are back in the late 1920's for a standalone historical novel by Rosie Clarke, A Mother's Shame. It was published by Boldwood Books on July 7th.
East End of London
Maggie Bailey has not had an easy childhood. Her father,
Michael, always too easy with his fists after spending the family’s rent money
down the pub.
Just sixteen, in love and blinded by promises, Maggie sees
marriage to handsome Jack as her great escape. However, she soon finds herself
abandoned with a beautiful baby when Jack disappears. Maggie is forced to seek
a new life away from the East End of London and finds herself a job at a hotel
in Eastbourne.
Here she must learn to fend for herself and also accept a
shocking discovery that she was fostered as a babe and nothing is known of her
real parents.
Her employer, Aunt Beth, is kind and her life improves – but
Maggie makes one mistake after another and, eventually, they lead to a terrible
tragedy that will bring her to the point of no return.
Will Maggie ever find true happiness and discover the secret
of her birth?
My Thoughts
This standalone story is starts in the East End pf London in 1925, when you meet its central character, Maggie Bailey. She has a difficult life, living in a family where her father is a violent drunk who dominates her mother at the expense of his children. Times are certainly hard but you soon see Maggie's determination to work hard and to make a better future for herself and her little brother, Robin. Maggie has always felt that there is something behind her family's attitude towards her, which can be sharp and as the story progresses, you begin to find out why she has always felt a little different. The bonds of family are strong, despite the poverty, and Maggie always feels the tug of family ties.
You realise from the beginning that something catastrophic has happened and throughout the book, Maggie seems to be confiding in a mysterious figure. You see both sides of humanity in this story, those who are kind and those who can be cruel and at times, rough justice is meted out. As Maggie's story develops, more characters are added who all p[lay a part in her future. You are always aware of the injustice shown towards women at the time and will Maggie to step out from under a man's thumb. The story certainly evokes the gritty side of life for some in the late 1920's and the deprivations and unrest which led up to the General Strike. Above all, you see life from the point of view of the mothers who have to try to work, keep house and raise their children. Marriage gives them respectability but can come at a price. Maggie is a young girl when you first meet her but by the end of the story, she has matured and sorted out her own priorities. Although it is a standalone story, I could see a follow up, full of possibilities.
In short: period detail and engrossing characters
About the Author
Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most
recent books include The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels
under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in
Cambridgeshire.
You can follow Rosie here:
Thanks to Rosie Clarke, Boldwood Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Follow the rest of the tour!
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