A stirring novel of passion, lost loves and one girl's determination to conquer the odds from the author of ELLIE PRIDE. When Connie Pride finds herself alone and pregnant in the rough courts of Liverpool, she despairs. Deserted by her lover, menaced by his bullying uncle, and too proud to ask her estranged family for help, there seems no hope. Rescued from the gutter, she is offered the chance to train as a nurse at the Poor Hospital. Life becomes a whirl of hard work and long shifts, but also lively evenings at the music hall with her fellow nurses and the newly drafted soldiers. Finally Connie has a purpose in life -- especially when the wounded of World War 1 start to arrive in their droves on the hospital wards. With a roof over her head and a steady wage, if she can stay out of trouble, the future looks brighter. Even love seems possible again ...But then a face from the violent past turns up to disrupt Connie's new life and shatter her dreams. All she has built up is threatened -- and she herself is in physical danger. It will take every ounce of the courage she possesses to overcome the odds -- and a little help from old friends and new...
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 in a Preston, Lancashire, England. She had been a keen reader from the childhood. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction.
She has earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, she found an agent. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her name to Melinda Wright and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her present historical romance novels, she has adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70m of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide. Now Penny Halsall lived in a house in Nantwich, Cheshire. She worked from home.
I was drawn to this book for several reasons. It is set in Liverpool, which is where my grandmother was born, at a time shortly after she had emigrated to Canada.It features a heroine who becomes a nurse (something I recently retired from) and it runs through the time period of the Great War which I personally find fascinating.
At the outset of the story, the heroine Connie Pride, is an immature young girl who has made life choices which have irrevocably (as far as she can tell) ruined her reputation. Abandoned by her erstwhile "fiance", she is left pregnant and prey to his wicked uncle Billy Connelly. After suffering a severe beating and miscarriage that almost costs Connie her life, she is offered the chance to study to become a nurse at the Poorhouse Infirmary.
The rest of the book details that journey with all her mistakes and steps forward in a new direction. The reader meets her friends and learns of the devastation that war causes to individual boys, men and those who love them. Ultimately, Connie grows into a woman of maturity and strength.
This book is the second in a series about members of the Pride family, but it reads well as a stand-alone novel. There are descriptions of violence and rape in the novel. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to those interested in the early days of nursing, life in Liverpool and the Great War.
Loved this book haven't read the first book enjoyed this story about a woman's struggle becoming a nurse a love story and a war story well written book.
Second book in a series of two (first is Ellie’s Pride) about the Pride Family and mainly the two Pride sisters.
This second book focuses on Connie who finds herself pregnant by a man that beats & mistreats her. How can she get herself out of her dire situation & find happiness.
I found the book easy reading but quite predictable from the first couple of chapters. A recommended holiday or rainy Sunday read.
Another great Annie Groves novel. Connie has faced adversity since the death of her Mother when she was still a young girl. She suffers greatly until she turns her life around and embarks on a Nursing career which she loves. She finds the love of her life only for him to be taken from her and after more misery she is finally reunited with her beloved Harry.
518 pages Connie finds herself alone and pregnant in the rough courts of Liverpool. Things happen, that change her life, but always she thinks that the past will catch up with her. So this has a bearing on how she now lives her life. War happens and once again her life changes. Connie is a good read. I would read it again.
This is the second book of the trilogy that begins with Ellie Pride - this book centres on Connie, Ellie's younger sister. I enjoyed this book, mainly because Connie changed herself so much as the book went on, but then again, she needed to mature a little!
Connie's Courage, what a perfect name for this book and what a character!! She suffers so much heartache and terrible times! Time to finish this great book set with the last one, Hettie of hope street!