Lights Out Liverpool

Pearl Street #1

by Maureen Lee

As Britain stands alone against a monstrous enemy, the inhabitants of Pearl Street face hardship and heartbreak with courage and humor. The war touches each of them in a different for Annie Poulson, a widow, it means neverending worry when her twin boys are called up and sent to France, and Sheila Reilly's husband, Cal, faces the terror of U-Boat attack. And Jessica Fleming, down on her luck, is forced to return to the street she'd hoped never to see again.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, Historical, British Literature, 20th Century, Romance

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Maureen Lee was born in Bootle, England, UK, near Liverpool during the World War II. She attended Commercial College and became a shorthand typist. She married Richard, and they had three sons, now adults. The last years the marriage lives in Colchester, Essex.

During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of what was a trilogy and now a series, Lights out Liverpool opens as England stands on the brink of war with Germany. Neighbours gather to bid farewell to the Flaherty family who is leaving for a new life in Canada the following week. Here we get a look at the characters who will shape this book. Sisters Eileen and Sheila, Sheila happily married and about to deliver her sixth child. Eileen who seems to have the perfect life and husband and a son she adores, but harbours a dark secret she dares to tell no one. Their father Jack, who is much respected and looked up to by many of his neighbours. Aggie the street gossip, Annie a widowed mother of two boys who are the perfect age for going off to fight in a war, Paddy who lost his sight in the last war and finally Jacob an elderly man who's daughter is in Austria and who he hasn't heard from in too long. Other characters who join the story are Jessica and Arthur, a once wealthy couple who lost it all and have to move to the much poorer Pearl Street and the Tutty family, Dicky and Freda and their mother Gladys who is pretty much the neighbourhood drunk. It is not long after this party that war is declared and everything changes. Women go to work, children are evacuated, secrets are revealed and in some cases created. For the most part you can truly relate to the characters in this book, they are all too human and you feel their pain and anxiety as they wait for news of loved ones at sea, or in battle. You also feel their joy as they fall in love, experience the birth of children and form new and unexpected bonds of friendship. You see them grow up and mature. Women who were happy to let others control their lives begin to take that control back. Others will better themselves wanting more than life in the slums, but as the war becomes all too real, they all begin to gain perspective of what is truly important in life. Overall the book is very enjoyable to read. It ends as the Battle of Britain is beginning to get more fierce, with the arrival of an unexpected and frankly unwanted character who it seems will be around to cause even more trouble in the next book in the series. I look forward to picking up book two and seeing what this cast of incredible characters is going to have thrown at them next and how they handle it.

[Deevena Jemima · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really nice..but I hated that it ended on a cliffhanger.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book,complete nostalgia of days past.
Keep this on my to read another day shelf because I loved it so much.
Highly recommended.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gritty-details story of how people in Liverpool lived during wartime. The blitz hit the shipping port as goods could be brought in and ships provisioned. Women were left to run businesses and war relief efforts, street lights and car headlamps were extinguished at night and people stumbled home in the pitch black.

The characters are good and the story is realistic and involving. We get a very good sense of place and of era. I recommend this as an involving read and it makes us grateful for some of our seldom-considered luxuries today.

[Lainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 496

Publisher - Orion

Source - Bought (I think ABE books )

Blurb from Goodreads

The first of the Liverpool Pearl Street novels set against the backdrop of the Second World War.

As Britain stands alone against a monstrous enemy, the inhabitants of Pearl Street face hardship and heartbreak with courage and humour.

The war touches each of them in a different way: for Annie Poulson, a widow, it means never-ending worry when her twin boys are called up and sent to France; Sheila Reilly's husband, Cal, faces the terror of U-Boat attacks; Eileen Costello is liberated from a bitter, loveless marriage when her husband is sent to Egypt and she goes to work in a munitions factory - and falls in love. And Jessica Fleming, down on her luck, is forced to return to the street she'd hoped never to see again.



My Review

Book one in the Liverpool Pearl Street series, I hadn't read (nor heard) of this author before but it was a bulk buy job. I got eight books for a bargain deal and just realised none of them are the next in the series lol, typical!

Set in Pearl Street we meet the families living there, Eileen and Sheila, sisters and both married, Eileen to Frank, Sheila to Cal. Their marriages could not be more different although on the surface it all looks fine. Set pre and just kicking off, World War Two we see the community as they are, gossiping, pulling together, judging all the usual in small communities. Some of the relationships are not what they seem and no matter how bad things are, a woman, especially a catholic one, must stand by her man, right?

I really like Eileen, she is strong and quite opinionated in a time when women were thought to be seen and not heard or only just to serve their men and have babies. Eileen has a strong personality and we see this throughout her personal choices and helping out with her family and friends. A good start to a trilogy and of course I will need to buy the others to see what is coming next for our people.

A different range of characters and issues, poverty, class divisions, grief, loss, violence, war, relationships, family, societal expectations, alcoholism and how things change as the war kicks off. 3.5/5 for me this time, hopefully not too long before I buy and get to read the next one.

[Dimitra Kabalouris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I surely don't know how women's married life was back then, especially in a state of war, but, some things just not make sense: Jessica had no idea what her husband was up to in the two generations family business? Eilein had no motivation to get rid of her disgusting husband earlier? Arthur, a man with a university degree, was such a weak - willed person that could engulf everything even a baby that wasn't his own? Nick was such a sex machine but prefered the army to women?

Finally,

a man in the train said to the little boy "things aren't as bad as they seem", what for? The boy's story was tragic told in half a line in the supplement book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, a warmhearted story about a family and mixed bag of friends living pre-wartime in Pearl Street, Bootle, Liverpool.
The friendships of those living in the street and the relationship between sisters and their father are skillfully crafted, it is a beautiful book but be warned have some hankies closeby whilst reading.
Life was hard but everyone shared what little they had and this is beautifully illustrated in this book.
I read this book on holiday and would recommend it to anyone about to go on their beaching hols.

[Jeannie C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this novel. Unexpectedly beautiful book and so excited to have stumbled upon Maureen Lee. I look forward to everything and anything she has written and will get my grubby li'l paws on all of her works. Highly recommend and excellent purview into the personal lives of the residents of Bootle in working class Liverpool before and during the onset of WW2.
I am looking forward to reading everything Maureen Lee has written and must have recommended Lights Out Liverpool about a 100 times while reading it!
I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
<3

[Stefanie]

Listen. I really enjoyed reading this. It reminded me of Coronation Street but in book form and like 20 years before it was out. But it has to be said - the ending sucked! Now I know there are 2 more books in this series so I hope it’s a continuation because I really want to see Francis just beaten to a pulp.

[MRS S PUSEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story

This is the second time I've read this book first time in paperback quite a long time ago so had to bring myself up to date with it,i didn't realise there was 2 more to follow now i can read the next book.I started my book reading with this author and think she is the best I've read.Thank you Maureen for all your brilliant stories.

[Daryl Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well prepared story even though I’m not sure a husband or wife would agree to forgive and move on bearing some one else’s child and infidelity.Anyroad the ending is the best part for me.Not quite a silly happy ending though.Very well describes te ww2 era munition workers background, factories 🏭, wages and many more.I know this because I have read some books related to this subject.Overall I would like to recommend this book 📚 to someone who would love to read ww2 nostalgic novels like me.

[Mindysue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not understand the high ratings for this series of books. At 1/3 of the way in on this one I am a DNF with no intention of revisiting it later. Every character was a caricature beyond reasonableness, 2 dimensional and most unlikeable. The history (WWII) was sketchy at best and obviously not well researched.

[Bernadette Firth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Just the sixth of book to sit and read with a coffee. Enjoyable and a great read, will be reading next in the series. Loved the characters can't wait to read more about life in Pearl street.

[fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lights out Liverpool

Another wonderful book by my favorite author.
It seems every book I read by Maureen Lee gets better. I hope she keeps writing and doesn't think of retirement

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is always my number 1 to get me out of a reading rut. This book is the first of hers that I read probably 20 years ago and I am going to go on to re-read the trilogy. Such an easy to read writing style, perfect for when you’re not feeling on form.

[Holly Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and all the little stories within the book. I’m just sad that Eileen didn’t get her happily ever after, I would love to know what all the characters got up to once the war came to an end.

[Lyndsey Gollogly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good saga! This one kind of hit home with the start of WW2 and in comparison to what we are dealing with now and it’s quite frightening to think of what they were facing and the loss that was felt. It was a little heartwarming to read and have a break from my usual reads.

[Rowlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this one down although I was a little disappointed with the ending as it left the reader wondering!

[Ruth Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put the book down. I grew to love all the characters who lived on the street, looking forward to reading the next 2 books to see what happens next in their lives.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Maureen Lees books and this is no exception

[Pradipna Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maureen Lee is my second favourite author. Set on the onset of the second world war, the story centres around many lives of Liverpool. It is a must to read book for fiction lovers.

[Tracey Carnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.Loved the characters who were all so believable.cannot wait to read book two which I've just purchased.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a scouse myself this resonated with me deeply. I laughed, I cried and at the end I bawled me bleedin' eyes out! To find out why you'll have to read it yourself!

[DLJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy read

[Laura Fitzsimons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love maureen lee books can never put them down

[Samantha Boylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. It’s the type of wartime drama I enjoy. Ended unexpectedly but with hope in the final sentence.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it gave me a feel of how it was during the war time living in such a tight knit area.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't like the ending on this one. It was a bit depressing to be honest.

[Michelle Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Maureen Lee book - she's a great storyteller, can't wait to continue on with the series.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another brilliant read first book of another ww2 series following all the people of Pearl street through the war