Delighted to be one of the blogs opening this blog tour today
on
⭐Publication Day ⭐
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| Hera Books 25 November 2020 My thanks to the publisher and Books on the Bright Side for my ecopy of this book and the invitation to this blog tour |
WW1 marches on, but Violet faces her own battle at home
July 1916. Young mother, Violet Jones, lives a tough life in the Rhymney Valley, caring for 4-year-old Clarice and baby Benjy on her own while soldier husband Charlie fights on the Front Line. But when tragedy strikes, Violet’s life becomes even harder.
While they may be far from the battlefields, the effects of WW1 take their toll on the small mining community of Dorcalon, with food becoming scarce and more and more of their young men losing their lives.
With very little money coming in, and two babies to care for, Violet takes in a relative to help make ends meet. But far from easing her burden, it might turn out to be the worst decision she’s made.
As the Great War takes its toll on the nation, Violet faces her own battle. All alone in the world, can she protect her children, and herself? And will she ever find joy out of the depths of despair?
A captivating, emotional saga set in WW1 – will tug on your heart-strings and bring a tear to your eye. If you like Nadine Dorries, Rosie Goodwin or Sheila Newbury you will adore this beautiful Welsh saga.
My thoughts..
We can never under estimate the poignancy of a community shattered when those who signed up as part of the PALS battalions failed to return home. Whole communities suffered the loss of a generation of young men who left their homes and loved ones behind to fight with boyhood friends in what they thought would be an adventure of a lifetime.
For the small Welsh valley community of Dorcalon, the newly appointed telegram boy is a regular sight as he delivers cream coloured envelopes to unsuspecting households, and for people like Violet Jones life will never be the same again for her and her two small children. However, it’s not just Violet who must learn to cope with life alone, there are others in this small Welsh mining village who are also finding life difficult, money is scarce and jobs hard to find.
Beautifully written, with a heartbreaking poignancy, War in the Valleys brings this war time era into stark focus and describes a dark time when life, for most people, was a real struggle. Violet does what she must to survive and then realises she has to live with the consequences, not just battling through her grief but also finding the strength to go on when someone around her seems hellbent on overpowering her natural good nature.
The other characters who flit into and out of the story are again typical of their time and social class, they pull together in tragedy and yet remain naturally wary of those whom they consider to be their betters. They’re not all likeable, there some are baddies amongst the community who deserve to get their comeuppance whilst others go above and beyond duty and that’s what makes the story so interesting.
Stalwart, stoical and steadfast the people of the Rhymney Valley are well portrayed in a story which tugs away at your heartstrings and which brings the place, people and time to life in a historical saga which captivates from first page to last.
About the Author
Several years ago, Francesca Capaldi pursued a childhood dream and joined a creative writing class. Lots of published short stories, a serial, and four pocket novels later, she’s now explored her mother’s ancestral history for a series of novels set in a Welsh colliery village. A history graduate and former teacher, she hails from the Sussex coast but now lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrissian.
Twitter @FCapaldiBurgess
@HeraBooks
@BOTBSPublicity
