Andrea Burton - Oakland writes,

'I think the book touches on several modern themes, when Frances' relatives get to do things that they could never do when they were alive, it made me think about how humans will cope when we live till say, 120, would we all be happy about that and what we we do with ourselves.

Martin Cole - London, writes,

I found the letters from Ted and Alfie interesting, especially if they are true. The letter from Alfie to Frances where he talks about sharing Christmas with German soldiers from the trenches opposite was quite moving and put a human face on what it was like on both sides.

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Barry Marshall - Reading, Berks, UK writes,

that he remembers Wednesday, February 10th, 1943 when a lone German plane dropped bombs on the town centre and machine-gunned the streets. He was 10 years old at the time. He says that Wednesday afternoon was early closing day for a good proportion of the shops and that saved a lot of lives.  Wellsteads the department store, for instance, was empty at the time.

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Geraldine Kelly - Dubin,

I agree with Andrea about the modern themes but I also think it is about honour and duty, I'll admit I cried more than once.  The love story, or love triangle between Frances, Alfie and Hugh was really thought provoking and moving.

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Paul Cranley - Reading,

I moved to the area the book is set in a couple of years ago, it was really weird hearing about what it was like a hundred years ago, I know many of the places mentioned.  I didn't know much about the Suffragettes to be honest but I found that side of it interesting as it wasn't preachy and just told from ordinary people's point of view. Martha and George were good characters and I liked Uncle Bernard, I've eaten in Sweeney and Todd's, the pie shop in Castle Street, great pies!

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Arthur Shaw - Reading,

If anyone's interested in the barracks mentioned by Hugh Cawston in the book, their website is During WWI and II the barracks was called home for the men of the 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's).





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Mrs Healy - Reading, Berkshire

In Feb 1943 a lone plane offloaded its bombs on to Broad Street in Reading, destroying Grassteads Store, Wellsteads, People's Pantry and the Post Office - luckily on a Wednesday when the shops were shut though, even so, about 70 people were killed. I believe these were the only bombs ever to fall on Reading. I was staying with my grandmother in Wolseley Street. I was 4 years old and begged to be allowed to go to Coley Recreation Ground with the neighbours older children. We were playing happily when the sirens started and everyone ran to the shelter in the park. In the confusion, I was separated from the other children and found myself in this strange place with a bad smell and no light. I panicked and made such a fuss that after a few minutes the adults said "Oh, lether go"!
There was nobody around and an eerie silence. I ran towards my grandmother's house and was very relieved to see her running towards me. She dragged me past the big advertising hoardings (Margaret Lockwood - Lux soap) and threw me into the house as the plane went overhead. The plane was so close that my grandmother could see the pilot's face. He was grinning. The pressure of the plane blew the front door open. He fired at a neighbour who was hanging out her clothes. My grandmother was shaking. I didn't realise until long afterwards how close a shave I had had.
They put hoardings around the bomb site. You could peek through and see - bodies, no just shop dummies. 



 



Mandy , Atlanta

Hi, this book was introduced to me through a book club I belong to. I must confess I didn't know much about the subjects covered before I read the book.  What I liked was the wonderful characterisation, I have to admit I cried at one point.  It is such an unusual book and so interesting, I am just so glad it was brought to my attention through my club.