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The Running Years
Claire Rayner's epic saga of two jewish was born in 1893, in the slums of London. The daughter of immigrants, the descendant of exiles, she was part of a people doomed to wander, forever strangers in the lamds they had chosen as home. But Hannah Lazar was different. She was born and bred a Londoner, and London was where she belonged. As strong-willed as she was beautiful, Hannah would uproot herself from the gloomy poverty of her parents' lives to enter a world of elegence and wealth. As her ancestors had journeyed from land to land with only their own resilience and determination to help them survive, Hannah would move from the slums of the East End to the salons of Mayfair; to a life that she could call her own. THE RUNNING YEARS is Claire Rayner's most powerful and spectacular novel to date, a breathtaking testament to the human spirit - a richly dramatic and intricately woven story that traces the fortunes of two Jewish families from the razing of Jerusalem in 70 AD through two-thousand years of violence, love and change.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
13 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Claire Rayner
173 books9 followersClaire Berenice Rayner OBE (née Berk; born 22 January 1931) is an English journalist best known for her role for many years as an agony aunt.
Rayner is Vice-President (and former President) of the British Humanist Association, a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. She is also a prominent supporter of the British republican movement.
She was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to women's issues and to health issues.
In 1999 Rayner was appointed to a committee responsible for reviewing the medical conditions at Holloway Prison, London, at the direction of Paul Boateng who was then the Minister for Prisons. The recommendations of this committee led to far reaching changes in the provision of medical care within Holloway.[3:]
She is president of the Patients Association and is the author of a chapter in The Future of the NHS (2006) (ISBN 1-85811-369-5) edited by Dr. Michelle Tempest.
On 4 January 2007, she hosted an episode of the BBC Radio 4 quiz, The Personality Test.
Rayner expressed delight to be an Ambassador for Hearing Concern in the charity’s Diamond Jubilee year:
"I feel that this charity represents people like me who have been part of the hearing world for most of their lives and have suddenly found themselves having to cope with a hearing loss. It changes your perspective on things which is why I am so pleased to be able to help Hearing Concern raise awareness of this hidden disability and get rid of the taboo that surrounds the deaf and the hard of hearing once and for all."
Rayner also has a very personal reason for supporting Sense's Older Person campaign. she wears hearing aids in both ears and also has Age Related Dry Macular Degeneration, a sight loss common in older people. Rayner helped Sense to promote "The Good Life" campaign booklet, tips on how to cope with sight and hearing loss in older age.
Rayner is Vice-President (and former President) of the British Humanist Association, a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. She is also a prominent supporter of the British republican movement.
She was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to women's issues and to health issues.
In 1999 Rayner was appointed to a committee responsible for reviewing the medical conditions at Holloway Prison, London, at the direction of Paul Boateng who was then the Minister for Prisons. The recommendations of this committee led to far reaching changes in the provision of medical care within Holloway.[3:]
She is president of the Patients Association and is the author of a chapter in The Future of the NHS (2006) (ISBN 1-85811-369-5) edited by Dr. Michelle Tempest.
On 4 January 2007, she hosted an episode of the BBC Radio 4 quiz, The Personality Test.
Rayner expressed delight to be an Ambassador for Hearing Concern in the charity’s Diamond Jubilee year:
"I feel that this charity represents people like me who have been part of the hearing world for most of their lives and have suddenly found themselves having to cope with a hearing loss. It changes your perspective on things which is why I am so pleased to be able to help Hearing Concern raise awareness of this hidden disability and get rid of the taboo that surrounds the deaf and the hard of hearing once and for all."
Rayner also has a very personal reason for supporting Sense's Older Person campaign. she wears hearing aids in both ears and also has Age Related Dry Macular Degeneration, a sight loss common in older people. Rayner helped Sense to promote "The Good Life" campaign booklet, tips on how to cope with sight and hearing loss in older age.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 11, 2022
The story starts to come together after the first two hundred pages, and, once it does, it is amazingly well -written with all too human characters that really draw the reader in.
What made this book a five star read for me was that the author has very few villains, instead her characters are good people who make terrible choices, husbands who hurt their loved ones through misplaced anger, fathers unable to let go of their pride and hurt, a caring woman who betrays her best friend in a moment of grief and weakness. You become invested in them all and you feel for them, and, even if you don't agree with them, you understand them.
This book could be made into a great miniseries
What made this book a five star read for me was that the author has very few villains, instead her characters are good people who make terrible choices, husbands who hurt their loved ones through misplaced anger, fathers unable to let go of their pride and hurt, a caring woman who betrays her best friend in a moment of grief and weakness. You become invested in them all and you feel for them, and, even if you don't agree with them, you understand them.
This book could be made into a great miniseries
September 10, 2023
a long and slow read with a mammoth set of characters.
October 4, 2020
This book was beautifully written by an accomplished author. Takes the reader through WWars I and II as the lives of several generations of Jewish families navigate the ups and downs of their religion and the hard life of poverty or wealth. I felt invested in each character.
I did not want the book to end.
Well done!!
I did not want the book to end.
Well done!!
November 23, 2021
spelling mistakes throughout
Fabulous story line. BUT I HAVE NEVER READ A BOOK ON MY KINDLE WITH SO MANY SPELLING MISTAKES. It really ruined it for me and makes me loathed to buy another Clare Raynor. VERY SURPRISED
Fabulous story line. BUT I HAVE NEVER READ A BOOK ON MY KINDLE WITH SO MANY SPELLING MISTAKES. It really ruined it for me and makes me loathed to buy another Clare Raynor. VERY SURPRISED
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews