Forgive and Forget

by Margaret Dickinson

Forgive and Forget is a heart-wrenching historical tale, from the much-loved Margaret Dickinson. Polly Longden's china-doll looks belie a strong and fiery personality. When typhoid strikes her home city of Lincoln, she needs every ounce of that strength in order to cope. With the death of her mother, thirteen-year-old Polly has to give up her ambition of becoming a teacher to care for her family. When their father, too, falls victim to the typhoid, his only hope is to go to hospital, leaving Polly to cope alone. Thankfully she has the support of her Bertha Halliday and her son, Leo, a young policeman.Through all the hardships that follow, Polly is sustained by her dream of becoming Leo's wife. But her father's hot temper leads him to the wrong side of the law during the railway riots of 1911, forcing Leo to take drastic action that Polly will surely never be able to forgive and forget . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

439 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape. Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. This was followed by many further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven Trilogy. She is also the author of Fairfield Hall, Jenny's War and The Clippie Girls. Margaret is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller.

Reviews

[Thebookdevourer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant, the story is told in such away that you're in the story. So much heartbreak in this book that I cried on many accounts and when it finished I was bawling my eyes out, even though the ending was a bit rushed. Nonetheless, I loved Polly's story so much, it was so real and authentic really giving me an insight of some of the hardships people went through a during that period in history. I loved it just as I've loved every other Margaret Dickinson book I've ever read.

[Carolyn Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love Margaret Dickinson’s protagonists - principled, strong, independent and moral women, who do the right thing and are rewarded for it … ultimately. A bit of romance 😘 and a bit of history. What’s not to love? Polly, you put the kettle on ☕️🫖 … multiple times …. but good on you, you didn’t just see this as your only aim in life! Thank you, Margaret! You never disappoint.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another good read by Margaret Dickinson.
A family saga in the true sense, loyalty and duty are strong themes.
Thirteen year old Polly has to take over the running of the house and looking after her father and four siblings when her mother dies of typhoid. Life for Polly becomes all about putting her family first and sticking up for them whatever they have done.
This scenario makes for a good story and although not my favourite book by this author, it's still an enjoyable read.

[Linda Leedham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The begining of the book held my interest from the 1st page , but then seemed to drag on with the same story line over the next chapters.which became monotonous. But not one to give up on a book, I continued to read it . It became more interesting when the 1st world war broke out , and the Spanish Flu was sweeping the country, especially after the Typhoid epidemic hitting the same family again. Well written history details describing family hardships feuds and illness

[Sarah Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Dickinson as usual has done a great job on the storyline, with a family saga that follows them over the years, following the devastation of an typhoid outbreak and the early 1900's. This is a lovely story but I did find it slightly drawn out compared to previous Margaret Dickinson books.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The pacing is incredibly slow, the author tells for the majority of the narrative and it's halfway through the novel before anything happens. Would not recommend.

[Coyney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again, an amazing book. Loved every one of her books

[June Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, starts before the first world war in Lincoln, poor loveable Polly, who's mother dies of typhoid after giving birth, leaving Polly aged just thirteen to look after the rest of her family. Would recommend.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Rounded up to three. I liked the book when I started it but as reviewers have said it got tedious and drawn out in the middle. So many books, so little time. I ditched it. I read the end. Time to move on.

[Gill Croker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that takes you back in time, showing what life was like 100 years ago. So much was expected of children in those days and a woman's place was in the home. Life has changed so much in those years.

[Alison Hydes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good family saga set pre and during WW1.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading

[Cathygillespie]

Always enjoyable, great storyteller and a wonderful period writer.

[Cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book, but a tad too much self-pity.

[Jo Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

[Shy · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Forgive and forget” is my second Margaret Dickinson’s book. I did enjoy the first, which was “sons and daughters”. I also enjoyed this book though not as much as the first one. In overall, it was a good book, very entertaining. I think I would recommend.

[Sadia G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgive and Forget wasn't really swoon worthy. No pulse racing, OMAGAWD HES SO HOT AND THEY'RE SO CUTE TOGETHER moments.
Nor was it the ughhh-I-HATE-THIS-STUPID-NOVEL *throws-it-across-the-floor* type.

It was simply an above average book, which had the potential to be waaayyy better.

The story is pivoted around Polly Longden, a wonderfully brave and strong heroine, who through all the numerous twists and turns of her life struggles for her happily ever after.
Polly is thirteen, when we first see her. A young little thing who has been pulled out of school to care for the family while her mother is at her death bed, suffering from typhoid. After her mother's death, we are shown how Polly struggles with managing the household chores, deals with her uncooperative siblings, has to go through loved ones dieing several times and has a really really horrible life- to put it bluntly.
The sadness of her life is brightened up by the presence of her one true love, Leo Halliday but, just when it seems Polly and Leo will get their happily ever after, Polly's father messes it all up and Polly, once again is forced to sacrifice for family.

It was good book I suppose, what with all the twists and turns and the whole true-love thing and the [SPOILER] happy ending [OVER, SPOILER].


But I hated the fact that the romance and ''love'' elements in it just did not make me feel at all!
First of all, the the love story needs to be way more developed than it is now.
I mean, WHO is Leo Halliday? What is he all about? Why does Polly love him so much? What makes them click? Yeah hes kind, polite and very, very fair in his dealings, but really Polly? That's it? What do you guys have in common? Wheres the RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT? And you can't even blame the book for being short.
It was really really long, a whopping pages!
It starts from when Polly is thirteen, and ends in her mid twenties.
I thought it would be a Judith McNaught type romance, with tons of breathless moments and sexy scenes, plus fun hero-heroine interactions, but what I got was a sweet, but very 'proper' romance which is really like an after thought.
So that just pulled the rating down a whole lot.

Forgive and Forget is supposed to be a historical novel, and over here it does not disappoint. The best part about the whole 20th century setting is that the history is woven in the story with such grace that you don't mind reading about it at all, it doesn't feel like a history lesson, and you get to experience it just the way Polly does. The railway riots and World War One both affect Polly's life and you can feel the frustration if the people in that day an age very clearly.


Over all, the history and Polly's sacrifice and strength through all the muck shes pulled through are what actually make this novel. The plot is good, so give it a read! [If you aren't too fussy with the gaping-holes-in-romance thing!]

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polly leads a quiet life until typhoid strikes her home city of Lincoln at the start of the twentieth century. Her mother dies and she has to leave school aged 13 and keep her family together. Her father works on the railways but strikes and loses his job. Her brother gets into trouble with the law and her sister gets into trouble of another sort.

Poor Polly keeps moaning to herself that she wanted to be a teacher, but got no chance. She should have upped and married the handsome young policeman who kept calling for her, but stubborn loyalty to her family keeps her single for too long. Finally she takes another offer and settles for a stable life. The Great War causes upheavals and losses to the town and Polly gets a chance to work.

I thought Polly had only ever travelled a few streets away from home and so the book felt static although the times changed. We never travel outside the city to see the new water pipe being built to bring typhoid-free water to the people; we never travel to the trenches or field hospitals. A change of scene would have helped in my opinion. I enjoyed several of this author's books and I am sure she has done a good job of research.

[V.E. Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romantic saga set in early twentieth century Lincolnshire. Teenager Polly Longden is left to shoulder the burden of caring for her siblings when her mother dies in a typhoid epidemic. Her father also contracts the disease, but survives it, although he emerges from the experience a different character. Two men vie for Polly's affection: he former employer Roland Spicer and local policeman Leo Halliday. Polly's heart belongs to Leo but the course of true love is not destined to run smooth. 'Forgive and Forget' is a good read, wrapped around a strong character, though I did find that the story dragged a bit at times.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good story. Right mix of intrigue and romance. A bit drawn out midway with repetitiveness... but on the whole good story of love, loyalty, pain and second chances.