What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bells of Scotland Road
Would they finally find happiness in Liverpool?
In 1930, Bridget O’Brien, a young widow with two children, fled her brutal and bigoted father and headed for Liverpool and an arranged marriage with a man she had never met. Her destination, the famous Scotland Road, was noisome and terrifying and a far cry from the clean air and flowing rivers of the only country she had known, Ireland. When she met her middle-aged bridegroom, Sam Bell, whose twin sons were older than she was, her sense of isolation only increased. Anthony, one of her so-called stepsons, also held out the strong hand of friendship, but Liam, the favourite of his father, had the power to terrify her. Liam was cold, compelling, mysterious and antagonistic. He was also a priest.
In 1930, Bridget O’Brien, a young widow with two children, fled her brutal and bigoted father and headed for Liverpool and an arranged marriage with a man she had never met. Her destination, the famous Scotland Road, was noisome and terrifying and a far cry from the clean air and flowing rivers of the only country she had known, Ireland. When she met her middle-aged bridegroom, Sam Bell, whose twin sons were older than she was, her sense of isolation only increased. Anthony, one of her so-called stepsons, also held out the strong hand of friendship, but Liam, the favourite of his father, had the power to terrify her. Liam was cold, compelling, mysterious and antagonistic. He was also a priest.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
610 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
17 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Hamilton
52 books46 followersRuth Hamilton was one of North West England's most popular writers. She was the bestselling author of twenty-five novels, including Spinning Jenny, The Bells of Scotland Road, Mulligan's Yard, Mersey View and That Liverpool Girl. She was born in Bolton, which is the setting for many of her novels, and spent most of her life in Lancashire.
(source: http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/ru...)
(source: http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/ru...)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 29, 2014
The Bells of Scotland Road
By
Ruth Hamilton
The Bells of Scotland Road is talented novelist, Ruth Hamilton’s first novel based in Liverpool. She deserves congratulations for re-creating the poverty, squalor and cheerful vibrancy of Scotland Road in the years between 1930 and the Second World War, when Liverpool was bombed without mercy.
In her own words Ruth Hamilton describes past times: the wash houses, Scouse Alley, Paddy’s Market, The Scaldy where children swam, the Mary Ellen’s with their baskets of fruit, the penny-dip, cherry-wobs, molasses taken from a moving cart, Lascars balancing six bowlers on their heads while carrying a fireplace and several wind-up gramophones back to their ships.
The author cried and laughed while she wrote the well-researched saga and I cried and laughed while I read it.
The heroine, Bridget O’Brien, one of many characters in The Bells of Scotland Road, came to Liverpool to marry a much older man whom she had never met. A man who is the father of identical twin sons, Anthony and Liam. However, they are identical only in appearance. Anthony is a schoolteacher much loved and respected by his young pupils. Liam is a Roman Catholic priest whose cold eyes and harsh interpretation of the teachings of the Church send chills down the spines of his family and parishoners. (He also sent chills down my spine while I read the novel.)
Bridget and her young daughters slowly adjust to Scotland Road. The bride, whose marriage was arranged by her father, a bigoted bully, after the death of her first husband, transforms her bridegroom’s house into a comfortable home and wins his affection. She gets to know the clients who frequent, Bell’s, his pawnshop, and makes friends in the neighbourhood.
The Bells of Scotland Road, a well-researched saga with a cast of believable characters, is a page turner that I enjoyed.
I shall be reading more novels by Ruth Hamilton.
By
Ruth Hamilton
The Bells of Scotland Road is talented novelist, Ruth Hamilton’s first novel based in Liverpool. She deserves congratulations for re-creating the poverty, squalor and cheerful vibrancy of Scotland Road in the years between 1930 and the Second World War, when Liverpool was bombed without mercy.
In her own words Ruth Hamilton describes past times: the wash houses, Scouse Alley, Paddy’s Market, The Scaldy where children swam, the Mary Ellen’s with their baskets of fruit, the penny-dip, cherry-wobs, molasses taken from a moving cart, Lascars balancing six bowlers on their heads while carrying a fireplace and several wind-up gramophones back to their ships.
The author cried and laughed while she wrote the well-researched saga and I cried and laughed while I read it.
The heroine, Bridget O’Brien, one of many characters in The Bells of Scotland Road, came to Liverpool to marry a much older man whom she had never met. A man who is the father of identical twin sons, Anthony and Liam. However, they are identical only in appearance. Anthony is a schoolteacher much loved and respected by his young pupils. Liam is a Roman Catholic priest whose cold eyes and harsh interpretation of the teachings of the Church send chills down the spines of his family and parishoners. (He also sent chills down my spine while I read the novel.)
Bridget and her young daughters slowly adjust to Scotland Road. The bride, whose marriage was arranged by her father, a bigoted bully, after the death of her first husband, transforms her bridegroom’s house into a comfortable home and wins his affection. She gets to know the clients who frequent, Bell’s, his pawnshop, and makes friends in the neighbourhood.
The Bells of Scotland Road, a well-researched saga with a cast of believable characters, is a page turner that I enjoyed.
I shall be reading more novels by Ruth Hamilton.
June 17, 2025
Bought just as an easy read “holiday” book but turned out to be such a great book found it hard to put down.
So well written and the characters were brought to life in the period pre war 1932. Based in Liverpool with all the Liverpudlian humour. Loved it.
So well written and the characters were brought to life in the period pre war 1932. Based in Liverpool with all the Liverpudlian humour. Loved it.
December 12, 2009
An excelent book by an author from my home town of Bolton. Great plot and keeps ou flicking through the pages. I have read this book 3 times!!
November 8, 2025
I've actually read this before a good few years ago.
what a lovely book. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy historical sagas.
Nice to change genre, from my usual crime and thrillers every now and again.
what a lovely book. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy historical sagas.
Nice to change genre, from my usual crime and thrillers every now and again.
October 16, 2017
Another brilliant family saga from Ruth Hamilton
October 9, 2023
Quite liked it! The complexity of the characters was refreshing.
August 6, 2024
Loved this! Love a strong female lead as she conquers misogyny and sexism. Great story
April 5, 2013
First of Ruth's books I've read & this was purely by chance as I read a sample of the book and just wanted o ind out what was going to happen to this young widow & her small children.
Cried buckets at times throughout the book, as there was so many horrible things happening to Bridie O Brien,
what a monster Ruth created in Father Liam Bell.
Loved this book purely because Bridie O Brien, really got into my heart strings.
Will defforead more of Ruth's books,
Cried buckets at times throughout the book, as there was so many horrible things happening to Bridie O Brien,
what a monster Ruth created in Father Liam Bell.
Loved this book purely because Bridie O Brien, really got into my heart strings.
Will defforead more of Ruth's books,
April 12, 2015
This is what I call an old fashion read..Brought up in the area of Liverpool not far from Scotland road I can see in my memories Streets and Roads not unlike the ones in the book.
The story is full of too much drama unlike real life, but the feeling of closeness of the community is still what I remember to this day about Liverpool in those slum back streets we called home.
Enjoyed the book.
The story is full of too much drama unlike real life, but the feeling of closeness of the community is still what I remember to this day about Liverpool in those slum back streets we called home.
Enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews