Une éclaircie après l'orage

Cliffehaven #11

by Ellie Dean, Danièle Momont (Translator), Tamara McKinley

Nineteen-year-old April Wilton has just enlisted in the WRENs in Portsmouth, where she works servicing engines on ships. She finds herself immersed in dockyard life and surrounded by soldiers - from England and America. The atmosphere is one of spontaneity and impulsiveness, brought on by the unpredictability of war. So when April meets Daniel, a young American soldier, whose mother is Sioux and father is of African descent, she doesn't hesitate when she starts to fall for him. The attraction is immediate, and coming from strict racial segregation in South Carolina, Daniel finds the freedom he has in England overwhelming.

Daniel and April endeavour to spend as much time together as possible - every moment is precious with the threat of Daniel being sent to fight overseas looming over them.

But with war and race both involved, their relationship was never going to be simple . . .

Genres: War, Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

Published November 9, 2023

About the author

Ellie Dean lives in Eastbourne, which has been her home for many years and where she raised her three children.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 11th book in the Beach View Boarding House series. All the usual suspects are here.
Peggy the matriarch and stalwart of the house is still trying to sort everyone out and giving house room to waifs and strays. Ron with his secrets and his love for Rosie. Cordelia who still doesn't turn up her hearing aid when it suits her and then we have the boarders plus the new one who arrives in this book.
I love this series but didn't think this was as good as usual. There were too many secrets and times when I wanted to shake people and tell them to wake up and smell the roses.
I wasn't keen on the few chapters at the end. It got over sentimental and there was a lot of crying and wailing going on with everybody.
Also, Ron, who dresses like a tramp and smells of dog and ferrets most of the time, having a second woman fancying him was stretching things a bit too much I thought. I know there was a shortage of men at the time but come on.
However, it won't stop me buying the next one. This is a great series and I look forward to more.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book for me. It left me with mixed feelings especially reading it during this particular time during the huge BLM protests going on around the world right now. When put in today's terms the book is slightly cringy, when put in the 1940's context I'd have to say it's inaccurate, but at the same time it's a delicate topic, considering the author is white and she did a decent job considering. Our main character is April. She is in the WRENS alongside her best friend Paula. April isn't terribly smart and ignores her best friend when she tells her to go to the clinic with her to get some form of birth control after she meets and falls in love with an American GI who is half black half native American. Then the inevitable happens and April falls pregnant and again believes she can stay in the forces and keep it secret. Not too bright. Her sweetheart is a cheater who is married and also has a few girlfriends on the side besides her. An air raid the loss of Paula, and serious injury of April brings it all out. She is discharged and heads home. Her mother who is like Doris only worse, is furious and sends her to Cliffehaven to her uncle who is Stan the station master. At first April lies and says she's engaged and won't tell anyone about her relationship with Stan. The truth comes out eventually and people are okay with not only and illegitimate baby but a brown one, which seems wrong. My grandmother still wasn't okay with mixed race couples in the 2000's and she was around the same age as April during that time. Ethel and Mabel were the most accurate characters and both were painted as villains. I felt bad for Ethel to be honest. Why are they suddenly painting her as a bad guy? Peggy is still sanctimonious and holier than thou but it's not as bad as it was in the last book. She was especially hard on poor Bertie which pissed me off, and she just seemed to want to meddle in everyone's business, like she did with Sarah and the American captain. It's meant to make her seem like a caring person, but it just came across as I'm the only one who knows what's best for everyone. Ron went from slightly annoying to an bit of an a-hole in this book. He did redeem himself though so that was good. There was the usual trope of all mother's instantly falling in love with their babies which is not true. Most might but definitely not all of them. I mean if they did there wouldn't be any Susan Smiths or Diane Downs in the world. But it was a sweet book, very sugar coated but it dealt with sensitive topics in a decent way. To show the real story would be more problematic due to the use of certain words and imagery plus the British were more accepting of other races at least compared to America which isn't saying much. The last few pages had me in tears. It was sad and touching and why we love these characters. It was dramatic and gripping but had it's flaws, but overall a good entry to the series.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleased to be visiting Cliffehaven again and catching up with old friends. It's a bit like revisiting a favourite holiday destination where the familiar places are still there and so are so many well thought of friends but there's a few new people about to get to know too.
This is the eleventh book in the series, and it didn't disappoint, if anything the storyline in this book was stronger and more gritty.
The story focuses on April Wilton and starts in Portsmouth in 1942 . April and her best friend, Paula are in the WRENS and are enjoying their work and their social time. Without giving the story away, April is forced to leave the WRENS and eventually finds herself in Cliffhaven and Beach View Boarding House. As the story is told we also hear more about Peggy, her family, friends and residents of Beach View, as usual there are celebrations and tragedies together with the ups and downs of everyday life during the second world war. I can't wait for the next book (no 12) in this wonderful series, Ellie Dean is an author to treasure.
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[Pauline Haycocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant as usual. Can't wait for the next one.

[Sjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heerlijk als altijd, wordt een zwart gat na deel 18....

[Josee Corriveau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Même après le 11e roman de cette série, je suis toujours aussi embarqué. Cette fois-ci on suit April qui est dans la Royal navy. Après être tombé sous le charme d’un américain, elle se retrouve enceinte et abandonné de tous. Elle se retrouve donc à la Pension du bord de l’eau et près de son oncle. Mais sa grossesse ne sera pas la bienvenue partout. On retrouve les personnages de la pension qui sont devenus au fil du temps des amis et qu’on a toujours hâte d’avoir de leurs nouvelles. Déjà de lire la suite prévue au mois d’avril.

[Beulah Prasad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelter from the storm is a good comfort read.. it stirred up my emotions in many places.. the story of April mirrored me from the start..

April's life is a story to be told to many women, it empowers and help them to fight for life.. this is a story about a brave, innocent girl who fights for life and survival amidst the strangers, prejudice of inte-racial relationship, war time chaos, and many more..

Abandoned by her own mother, followed by the death of her only friend, being thrown out from job for carrying a baby with no father name.. it was really difficult, in those days where illegitimate babies and single mothers were treated like trash.. the life of an abandoned 20 year old was a struggle every minute..

The characters like Peggy, Ron, Stan, Cordelia, Ethel and many more were so warm with unconditional love, care and affection.. it made me wonder how can worlds best people live in one place? united by war but different in culture and beliefs..

I was overwhelmed in the hospital scene were April’s baby girl was born premature.. d prayers of strangers and their support made me believe that God works through strangers to safeguard His people.

In d end, in this imperfect world with too much hatred, negativity and selfishness.. it is important to love the imperfect, care the broken and tend for the lost.. because life is uncertain.. even a warm hug or a touch, with a kind smile can make someone’s day!
#ShelterFromTheStorm #EllieDean #MyBooks #Reading #BookCollections

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can always tell when I am busy, because that is when I visit my good friends at the Beach View Boarding House for a dose of "WWII Lite"...entertaining historical fiction that educates without taxing the brain. This is the 11th installment, so I feel I know the characters pretty well, and I often wish I could really visit Peggy and Cordelia for tea. This episode tackles a delicate subject, the inter-racial relationships that resulted from the presence of African-American GI's in England, and the babies that were born from these relationships, often out of wedlock. Of course, this series always approaches tough subjects with slightly rose-tinted glasses, and this book is no different, but it still provides a glimpse into the hardships the young women who found themselves in this predicament faced. I didn't always find the story believable, and I think it would have benefited from a bit more research in some subject areas, hence only four stars, but it kept my attention until the end and provided a delightful escape from my real life.

[Kaye Bleek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in two sittings because I couldn’t put it down. The story began immediately with drawing me into April’s life, and also the rest of the Beach View family’s day to day life.
April’s story was gripping and very emotional, had me close to tears towards the end, which never happens with books. Maybe I’m getting old🙄.
For me, this is probably the best book of the series so far, I loved every second of reading it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again another great read from Ellie about Peggy and Co. This book features a young wren who unfortunately got lead astray by a black American GI who lied and cheated on her and left her abandoned carrying his mixed race baby. Dismissed from the wrens and with an uncaring mother April moves to Cliffehaven to Peggy’s to be near her Uncle Stan. It’s a very emotional read with both happy and sad chapters which is just like life itself. Highly recommend this book.

[Mrs Jacqueline Tite · Rating 5 out of 5]

So gripping from the start.

Following on from the brilliant other books in this series, such a strong story. It made me smile and made me cry at the end. Can't wait to start the next one.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant as all the others so far have been
Has you read each one of the series you feel from the very start that your living within this family at Beachview run so beautifully by Peggy during the war

[Judy O'Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book finding it an easy read with a decent story. It contained quite a lot of detail and as such did portray April's dilemma quite well.
It gave a reasonable picture of Britain during the war, although sometimes the plot was a bit fanciful.

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great comforting read

[Yvonne Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical ellie dean read. A little to samey samey with the stories now

[dink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book from Ellie Dean

I loved this book,it was like returning to an old friend,definitely one to cheer you up on these cold winter months

[Sjoefn Larusdottir · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love these books

[Annette Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stjerner

[Steven Báthory · Rating 5 out of 5]

La Pension du bord de Mer est l’une des seules séries traitant de la seconde guerre mondiale que j’apprécie fortement retrouver à chacune de ses parutions. Et ce, grâce aux sujets évoqués et traités en douceur et bienveillance par Tamara McKinley et Une éclaircie après l’orage ne déroge nullement à la règle.

En effet et cette fois-ci, le sensible et délicat sujet des mères célibataires est à l’honneur et je dois bien admettre avoir été plus que ravi de rencontrer April dans son douloureux combat. Être une fille mère n’était que trop peu bien vu à l’époque et encore moins en ces sombres temps qu’ont été ces quelques sombres années bercées de conflits politiques. Pour autant et malgré les difficulté de sa situation, notre jeune demoiselle décidera de prendre son destin en main en attendant la naissance de son enfant à venir qu’elle désire voir adopté et chéri par deux parents. Le destin étant toujours aussi doux et tendre dans l’univers de l’auteure que les choses ne se déroulent pas comme prévu et malgré une certaine prévisibilité quant à la finalité de cette intrigue, j’ai adoré la parcourir et me laisser porter par l’ambiance si chaleureuse et familière de cette œuvre.

Ainsi, j’ai pris plaisir à retrouver Peggy mais aussi Ron, faisant le lien entre chaque tome ainsi que la pension dans laquelle bien des péripéties demeurent encore et toujours. De cette façon et avec légèreté mais néanmoins justesse, l’auteure m’a de nouveau happé dans ses filet et j’ai littéralement dévoré ce roman aussi délicieux et doux qu’un bonbon. D’autant plus que même si le quotidien de la guerre et ses conséquence sur la population reste la trame de fond, j’ai trouvé que Tamara McKinley laisse une part belle aux sujets et autres questions de sociétés. Quant à sa plume et habitué à sa prose maintenant, je l’ai de nouveau trouvée des plus touchante et sensible à la fois tout en se révélant d’une grande simplicité et fluidité. Ses œuvres ne sont pas les plus longues mais en sont tout de même toujours aussi prenante et captivante.

C’est pourquoi, je ressors conquis par cette nouvelle et dramatique aventure mettant en lumière le destin d’April, future fille mère dans une société qui, malgré des conflits plus importants, se révèle critique envers cette dernière dont seule la bienveillance de La Pension de bord de mer aider à trouver sa voie. Ainsi et tout en douceur et bienveillance, Tamara McKinley dresse un touchant et attachant portrait.

[Culturevsnews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dans "Une Éclaircie après l'Orage" de Tamara McKinley, les lecteurs sont transportés à Portsmouth en mars 1943, au cœur d'une Angleterre en pleine Seconde Guerre mondiale. L'histoire se concentre sur April, une jeune femme engagée dans les forces féminines de la Royal Navy aux côtés de son amie Paula. Cependant, sa vie prend un tournant inattendu lorsqu'elle est contrainte de quitter la base militaire et l'armée qu'elle avait appris à aimer, ainsi que l'amour d'un charmant GI.

Rejetée par sa mère et confrontée à un avenir incertain, April décide de se réfugier à Cliffehaven, une petite ville sur la côte sud-est de l'Angleterre, où son oncle Stan est chef de gare. C'est là qu'elle trouve refuge à la pension du Bord de Mer, dirigée par la chaleureuse et bienveillante Peggy Reilly.

Ce roman nous plonge dans l'atmosphère de la Seconde Guerre mondiale en Angleterre, et il le fait avec une grande finesse et sensibilité. L'auteure décrit de manière poignante les défis et les épreuves auxquels les personnes ordinaires étaient confrontées pendant cette période troublée de l'histoire. La vie à Cliffehaven offre une lueur d'espoir pour April, qui, malgré les blessures du passé et les incertitudes du futur, trouve une nouvelle famille dans les occupants de la pension du Bord de Mer.

Tamara McKinley explore habilement les thèmes de la résilience, de la camaraderie, et de la capacité de l'être humain à surmonter les épreuves. April, en tant que personnage principal, est un exemple de force intérieure et de détermination, tout en étant vulnérable et authentique.

L'écriture de Tamara McKinley est fluide et immersive, permettant au lecteur de s'immerger complètement dans cette époque et de ressentir l'impact de la guerre sur les personnages. L'histoire est bien rythmée, alternant entre les moments de joie, de tristesse, et d'émotion intense.

"Une Éclaircie après l'Orage" est une lecture captivante qui rend hommage aux personnes qui ont vécu pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et qui ont trouvé la force de se reconstruire dans des moments sombres. C'est un récit touchant qui rappelle que, même au milieu des pires épreuves, il y a toujours de la lumière et de l'espoir à trouver, souvent grâce à la solidarité et à la compassion des autres.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is 1943 and April Wilton is devastated when she is forced to leave Portsmouth and the WRENs where she has found friendship, fulfilment and love.Rejected by her mother, and facing an uncertain future, she travels to Cliffehaven. However, she carries with her a secret, one that could change her life for ever.
Can the warmth and support of Peggy Reilly and those at Beach View Boarding heal the wounds of April’s past, and bring her hope amid this time of turmoil?The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War, remaining active until integrated into the Royal Navy in 1993. WRNS included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics.At the beginning of the Second World War Vera Laughton Mathews was appointed as the director of the re-formed WRNS in 1939 with Ethel (Angela) Goodenough as her deputy. The WRNS had an expanded list of allowable activities, including flying transport planes. At its peak in 1944 it had 75,000 active servicewomen. During the war 102 WRNS members were KIA and 22 WIA.A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a telecommunications system used in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It interconnects telephone subscriber lines or virtual circuits of digital systems to establish telephone calls between subscribers.Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called dots and dashes, or dits and dahs.Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of the inventors of the telegraph.

[Alexandra D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://livresforfun.overblog.com/202...

Merci à Netgalley et aux editions l'Archipel pour cette lecture. Alors oui je l'avoue, je connaissais Tamara McKinley de nom mais je n'avais pas lu un de ces romans. Heureusement pour moi, chaque tome de sa série Cliffehaven, peut se lire indépendamment. Du coup j'embarque...

Et je me trouve aux côtés d'April, jeune anglaise qui voulant participer à l'effort de guerre s'engage dans la Navy et apprend à réparer avions et autres bateaux. Cédant aux avances d'un GI américain, April se retrouve vite blessée, et enceinte, rejetée par tous. Elle va donc rejoindre Cliffehaven où vit son oncle qu'elle ne connait que trop peu, et essayer de reconstruire sa vie.

Ce que j'ai beaucoup aimé dans ce livre c'est la place des femmes. Restée en arrière pendant la guerre, on les voit bien loin de du désespoir , mais au contraire, pleines de détermination, solidaires, et combatives pour tenir une société qui n'a plus qu'elles pour fonctionner. Que ce soit Peggy, April, Stan où les autres, ils ont su créer sensation de quiétude et de joie, en plein coeur d'une situation qui n'a rien d'évidente.

Mais finalement, les difficultés des unes et des autres, aussi réelles soient-elles sont gommées par l'espoir, la sororité, et la détermination qui lie tout ses caractères très forts. C'est d'ailleurs la marque de fabrique de l'autrice qui veut insuffler les bons sentiments et l'espoir plutôt que le drame. ça et une plume d'une grande fluidité et légereté qui rend la lecture très agréable et rapide. Impossible de s'ennuyer, ou de ne pas trouver un interêt dans ce récit tant les personnages divers et attachants sauront séduire chacun et chacune.

En tout cas, ce roman m'a donné envie d'en découvrir d'autres.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book along with all the others from the Beach View boarding house series are absolutely fantastic. I loved the themes that this book covered as they were very relevant to the period and an out of marriage pregnancy was totally considered taboo and very much frowned upon. I love how this title follows the story of April and her struggle. As usual the 'family' surrounding the story is an absolute delight to read about. I think I loved this one slightly more than the others.

[Trudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed the previous books in the beach view series but this was the best by far. I was completely hooked from the start and enjoyed catching up with all of the "family". sad that I've finished it and have to wait until next year for the next!

[A Red Headed Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Deans 11th book in the Beach view Boarding house series and she has done it again! A wonderful book given you updates in Peggys family and introducing you to her newest 'chick'.

[Marg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story by Ellie Dean. Between stories I miss this family so much.

[Carol B Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best yet

This is by far my favorite bok in the series to date. How a small baby can warm the hearts of many and change attitude s is wonderful

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was book eleven in the beach view boarding house series and like all the other books I absolutely adored this book and can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Liz Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Ellie Dean book. It wouldn't be my last.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable read. easy to read , loved the characters especially Uncle Stan. Ellie Dean did good.