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April Grove, a Street at War #6
Under the Apple Tree
Portsmouth, January 1941. When the Luftwaffe unleashes its full fury on the city in the first of three major blitzes, the Taylor family are bombed out. Judy finds her job relocated from the gutted Guildhall to a hotel in Southsea, and home is now a small terraced house in April Grove, with one fewer bedroom and no bathroom or inside lavatory. And then there is the news she has been dreading: her sailor fiance has been killed. Judy and her young, recently widowed aunt Polly decide to turn their grief to good account, and join the WVS - running canteens, accompanying evacuee children, and helping the families of servicemen, often in the face of danger from air raids, flying bombs and V2 rockets. Gradually, Judy and Polly find their own grief healing as they take part not only in their war work but in the life of April Grove, and although both are at first convinced they will never know love again, they both find it in the least likely manner.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
8 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Lilian Harry
65 books71 followersaka Donna Baker, Nicola West
Donna Thomson was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth Harbour, England, UK. Growing up during the terrifying years of the Blitz in a two-up, two-down terraced house, the youngest of four, she aspired to be a writer from an early age.
As a young woman she worked in the Civil Service and moved to Devon to be near her sailor husband. They had a son and a daughter. When the marriage ended, she and her two children moved to the Midlands, where she happily married again to her second husband. After living in the Lake District for twelve years, she finally moved back to Devon, and now lives in a village on the edge of Dartmoor. She lost her son Philip in 2008, and has two grandchildren. A keen walker and animal-lover, she now has a dog and three ginger cats to keep her busy, along with a wide range of hobbies she enjoys.
She started signing her romance novels as Donna Baker and Nicola West, now she also writes as Lilian Harry (inspired by the first names of her grandparents). Among her works are historical novels, romances and even two books giving advice on how to write short stories and novels.
Donna Thomson was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth Harbour, England, UK. Growing up during the terrifying years of the Blitz in a two-up, two-down terraced house, the youngest of four, she aspired to be a writer from an early age.
As a young woman she worked in the Civil Service and moved to Devon to be near her sailor husband. They had a son and a daughter. When the marriage ended, she and her two children moved to the Midlands, where she happily married again to her second husband. After living in the Lake District for twelve years, she finally moved back to Devon, and now lives in a village on the edge of Dartmoor. She lost her son Philip in 2008, and has two grandchildren. A keen walker and animal-lover, she now has a dog and three ginger cats to keep her busy, along with a wide range of hobbies she enjoys.
She started signing her romance novels as Donna Baker and Nicola West, now she also writes as Lilian Harry (inspired by the first names of her grandparents). Among her works are historical novels, romances and even two books giving advice on how to write short stories and novels.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 23, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Recommended.
August 6, 2016
I have loved reading this book. Not knowing much about this time in history on the home front and what people's lives were like during the Blitz this book has really opened my eyes! I can't wait to find out more about the WVS and what they did during world war 2 in other towns and cities. I didn't know anything about Portsmouth and so I've been reading up about it since starting this book. I think the characters are all well developed and the tension between family members was spot on, absolutely true to life! I have a great respect for those men and women who did what they could to help the war effort from home. Hope to read more books from this author in future!
Highly recommend!!
Highly recommend!!
July 4, 2020
The introduction of background activities was interesting, but not LH's best. Events were dragging, with quite a lot of repetition, and definitely too many characters. Until around page 100 I had no idea who Cissie and Alice and Polly and Judy were (mum, grandma, sister, daughter). The romance line was lighter too, than usual.
July 21, 2025
Under the Apple Tree is a heartfelt historical fiction novel set during World War II in Portsmouth, England. The story follows a family that loses their home in a bombing raid and moves in with their grandmother, trying to rebuild their lives amidst chaos and loss.
Judy, a young woman working in the Women's Voluntary Service, has already lost her fiancé to the war. Her aunt Polly, also a volunteer, is grieving the loss of her husband. Their father Dick, a World War I veteran, suffers from chronic asthma and trauma caused by being gassed during the war.
Each character in the story is going through their own pain, yet they all show great courage and resilience. Judy loses her hearing during a bombing while trying to help Polly. Later, the family learns about the death of Judy’s brother, Terry. However, his fiancée Jean is expecting his child, and the birth of baby Hope brings emotional healing and even helps Judy regain her hearing.
Lilian Harry’s writing beautifully captures the spirit of a close-knit family during wartime. The book highlights themes of love, loss, strength, and the power of hope. It’s an emotional and inspiring read that shows how people supported one another during one of the most difficult times in history.
Judy, a young woman working in the Women's Voluntary Service, has already lost her fiancé to the war. Her aunt Polly, also a volunteer, is grieving the loss of her husband. Their father Dick, a World War I veteran, suffers from chronic asthma and trauma caused by being gassed during the war.
Each character in the story is going through their own pain, yet they all show great courage and resilience. Judy loses her hearing during a bombing while trying to help Polly. Later, the family learns about the death of Judy’s brother, Terry. However, his fiancée Jean is expecting his child, and the birth of baby Hope brings emotional healing and even helps Judy regain her hearing.
Lilian Harry’s writing beautifully captures the spirit of a close-knit family during wartime. The book highlights themes of love, loss, strength, and the power of hope. It’s an emotional and inspiring read that shows how people supported one another during one of the most difficult times in history.
June 5, 2022
3.5*
A good tale about family & survival during the Blitz (1941) in Portsmouth (aka Pompey). The city was smashed over & over, & the Taylor family were bombed out in January of that year. Cissie & Dick Taylor, their daughter Judy, & Cissie's sister Polly, were very lucky to be able to move in with Cissie & Polly's mum, Alice, in her tiny house. Not only did they lose everything during the bombing, but Polly's husband, Judy's fiance & her brother were all killed at sea. Such devastation.
Polly & Judy did their bit in the WVS, as so many women did. I can't imagine how anything was organised & done without them. The WVS took on just about any task from information-gathering to making camouflage nets. Quite amazing.
A very enjoyable tale.
A good tale about family & survival during the Blitz (1941) in Portsmouth (aka Pompey). The city was smashed over & over, & the Taylor family were bombed out in January of that year. Cissie & Dick Taylor, their daughter Judy, & Cissie's sister Polly, were very lucky to be able to move in with Cissie & Polly's mum, Alice, in her tiny house. Not only did they lose everything during the bombing, but Polly's husband, Judy's fiance & her brother were all killed at sea. Such devastation.
Polly & Judy did their bit in the WVS, as so many women did. I can't imagine how anything was organised & done without them. The WVS took on just about any task from information-gathering to making camouflage nets. Quite amazing.
A very enjoyable tale.
April 30, 2019
The book itself was very well written as it allowed me to visualise the effects of war. While reading, I was able to feel like I was able to relate even though I have never been in one. However, in my opinion, the storyline in the book was kind of all over the place. It made me a bit confused as to how I should feel when I finished it.
November 13, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters and learning more about the struggles people went through during the war. My mum was 3 years old when the war started and lived in Gosport. She has talked about the bombing and her experiences so it was interesting to learn more about the times.
July 9, 2020
Good book based in Portsmouth during WW2, 1941. It was nice to read about the families left behind and how they helped (and most importantly really wanted to help) the war effort from their homes. A few historical facts thrown in also. I would have liked more of a romantic finale at the end though!
May 20, 2022
again another favourite book from the series.
book 6.
book 6.
April 11, 2013
A charming tale of love and courage set against the backdrop of WWII.
The story pivots around the lives of the Taylor family and their experiences during the war.
When a bomb destroys the Taylor home, their lives are shattered and in chaos until Alice the matriarch grandmother of the family insist they move in with her but this is just the start of hard times to come.
Judy Taylor has recently lost her fiance and is challenged with a life of deafness after a bomb blast affects her hearing, Polly lost her husband and her daughter is evacuated to the country, her sister Cissie and her husband Dick face the trauma of losing their son Terry when his ship is bombed and the subsequent news his fiance Jean is pregnant out of wedlock.
The story is interwoven with great, believable characters and is told with empathy and feeling for the subject of the novel and is very graphic in its depiction and narration of the war.
Can they survive the frequent air raids hitting Bournemouth and overcome the personal tragedies endured and find happiness and love again?
Well worth reading and written with an obvious wealth of knowledge of the subject matter.
The story pivots around the lives of the Taylor family and their experiences during the war.
When a bomb destroys the Taylor home, their lives are shattered and in chaos until Alice the matriarch grandmother of the family insist they move in with her but this is just the start of hard times to come.
Judy Taylor has recently lost her fiance and is challenged with a life of deafness after a bomb blast affects her hearing, Polly lost her husband and her daughter is evacuated to the country, her sister Cissie and her husband Dick face the trauma of losing their son Terry when his ship is bombed and the subsequent news his fiance Jean is pregnant out of wedlock.
The story is interwoven with great, believable characters and is told with empathy and feeling for the subject of the novel and is very graphic in its depiction and narration of the war.
Can they survive the frequent air raids hitting Bournemouth and overcome the personal tragedies endured and find happiness and love again?
Well worth reading and written with an obvious wealth of knowledge of the subject matter.
February 19, 2015
When the Luftwaffe unleashes its full fury on the city in the first of three major blitzes, the Taylor family are bombed out. Judy finds her job relocated to a hotel in Southsea, and home is now a small terraced house in April Grove. And then there is the news she has been dreading—her sailor fiance has been killed. Judy and her young, recently widowed aunt Polly decide to turn their grief to good account, and join the WVS, running canteens, accompanying evacuee children, and helping the families of servicemen, often in the face of danger from air raids, flying bombs, and V2 rockets. Gradually, Judy and Polly find their own healing as they take part not only in their war work but in the life of April Grove, and although both are at first convinced they will never know love again, they both find it in the least likely manner
January 6, 2015
I absolutely adore Lilian Harry's books, especially the ones set in Portsmouth. This one centres on a family that are bombed out and go to live with their grandmother in April Grove, and whilst it is not part of the series that centres on the Budd family, they do feature in this book from time to time, as do other well known April Grove residents. I like it when characters from other books feature in a different story. Lilian is not afraid to be indiscriminate about which of her characters suffer in the bombings so it is quite upsetting at times, but of course that was the reality of the world wars.
March 7, 2014
This was a sweet book. But quite predictable as well. Don't expect to be stunned, but it is quaint and so very British. I couldn't help liking it.
The story dragged in some places and the ending was a little cut off feeling. This is a simple story. It doesn't really go anywhere character development wise or anything. But it is a nice traditional story and was a nice get away for me during school.
The story dragged in some places and the ending was a little cut off feeling. This is a simple story. It doesn't really go anywhere character development wise or anything. But it is a nice traditional story and was a nice get away for me during school.
October 18, 2008
Writing is a bit long winded for me but it is in keeping with the times so it is acceptable, (WWII). Some minor irritions/inconsistencies such as referring to relationship with main character being a neice one time and a cousin the next.
April 10, 2013
I loved this book!
September 28, 2013
Nice story. Historical facts chucked in, could have been done more smoothly
November 15, 2022
A very good book, worth reading
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews