Bright Day, Dark Night

Adams Family Saga #15

by Mary Jane Staples

It is summer, 1941, and the country is still at war. In the Devon village of Ashleigh, however, evacuees from the London blitz are living in an atmosphere of rural peacefulness, although Daisy Ricketts of Bermondsey isn't sure if she'll ever get on with carping Mrs Mumford, the subject of whispers because of her husband's mysterious disappearance. David, the elder son of Tommy and Vi Adams, meets Kate Trimble, a cockney girl from Camberwell who has just arrived in Ashleigh with her aunt. Kate is imaginative and precocious, while David is happy-go-lucky, and as the war is directly affecting the lives of so many other members of the Adams family, Kate and David establish a friendship in the summer sunshine of Devon. But as their friendship develops some exciting undercurrents, an incident occurs which brings home to them the darker intrigues of wartime and provides a devastating shock to everyone.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Mary Jane Staples is a pseudonym used by British author Reginald Thomas Staples (1911-2005). He is also published under the name Robert Tyler Stevens, R.T. Stevens, and James Sinclair.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright Day, Dark Night by Mary Jane Staples is part of the Adams family cockney war time saga which is my guilty pleasure.

These books all blur into one. In fact, on getting half way through Bright Day, Dark Night I realised I'd already read it!

I love the cockney language in these books and the wholesomeness of the characters. Those around me always know when I'm reading one of Staples' books as I get whole-heartedly involved - my fella wonders what I'm on when I start calling him a saucebox!

Set against the back-drop of the second World War, this book had the usual boy meets girl storyline alongside a slight mystery-to-be-solved storyline and the appearances from our regular characters, Boots Adams and the family matriarch, Chinese Lady. These characters are like my family - perhaps that is why I love the books so much!

Any of these books is an easy read so I definitely recommend giving one a go. If you're anything like me, you'll be laughing out loud all the way through!

[Rhona Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. Adams family book 15.

In this book we come across David, Alice and Paul Adams staying at a house in Devon during the war. It is still 1941. David has his father's looks ( Tommy) but takes after Sammy in saving every penny he can to start a business. He speaks like Boots though. We also meet others staying in Devon, Kate Trimble a Camberwell cockney who thinks all the time of putting herself as the heroine in silly stories. Her aunt looks after her in a fashion as her parents had died in an air raid. We see more of Helene and Bobby's training with the SOE. Jonathan Hardy is learning to walk on crutches after his operation. He will be sent to Somerset afterwards to train others. His wife Emma, will join him living on a nearby farm.
We see the first two children of Robert "Boots" Adams marry. Rosie and Matthew, and followed three months later by Felicity and Tim. Tim is then off to the desert with the LRDG. Eloise and Bill Lucas were due to marry but it was postponed due to his leaving for the LRDG. She arranges to get posted to Cairo, with the aid of her father and Sir Henry.
We see a little bit more of Polly's married life in Dorset.
Overall a good book. Kate by the way is auburn haired with green eyes, shades of Emily. We get to see all the Adams family. Rachel is working at the office as a General Manager. Her daughter is writing to Edward Somers. A bomb flattens Sammy's house. They were in the shelter.
Highly recommended.

[Jennsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series based on the Adams family of Walworth in south London. This book takes part during the Second World War and mainly follows the story of the children who are sent to live in Devon. It introduces new characters while keeping the story going about the older and familiar characters and story lines. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about people during WW2, families and evacuees. The story got a bit muddled with so many characters but still quite enjoyable

[Anki]

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