Tuppence to Spend by Lilian Harry (Orion, £9.99)
Some of author Lilian Harry's earliest memories are of nights spent in a Portsmouth air-raid shelter, so it is not surprising that she can write about families caught up in the effects of war with such insight.
Tuppence to Spend is a new instalment of her popular April Grove stories, which are set in wartime Portsmouth.
It focuses on Dan Hodges, a shipyard worker, who is devastated when his wife dies during the early days of the war.
One of his sons ends up in an approved school; the other, Sammy, is evacuated to Southampton and forms a close attachment with Ruth Parslow, the young childless widow who takes him in.
But with both Ruth and Dan needing Sammy's company, the child is torn between his new home and returning to his father.
This is a compassionate story, which blends some strongly-drawn characters with a vivid portrayal of the era.
Andrew Thomas
February 12, 2003 14:00
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