Una chica de barrio

by Maureen Lee

Una novela llena de emoción que nos dejará sin aliento.

Maureen Lee, conocida como «la reina de las sagas familiares», regresa con una fascinante historia de superación personal de una joven que debe empezar de cero.

Una emocionante historia familiar con ingredientes tan actractivos como la fundación de una editorial y la publicación de las memorias de una escritora de éxito, que hacen de esta historia una novela memorable. (Novela contemporánea)

La pequeña Joe Flynn debe irse a vivir a casa de sus tíos Ivy y Vince, tras la muerte de su madre justo al comienzo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. A pesar de las dificultades iniciales y de todos los obstáculos que debe superar, Joe se convierte en una hermosa joven llena de esperanzas e ilusiones. Su destino da un giro radical cuando por una casualidad entra a trabajar en la mansión Barefoot House como señorita de compañía de la anciana Louisa Chalcott. Joe entabla una sincera amistad con esta excéntrica escritora, y a la muerte de esta, recibe una herencia que le permite labrarse un futuro en Nueva York. Pero cuando cree que ha alcanzado la felicidad al lado del atractivo Jack Coltrane, su vida cambia de nuevo y regresa a Liverpool, donde se embarca en una carrera profesional que la llevará donde siempre había soñado.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, British Literature

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Maureen Lee was born in Bootle, England, UK, near Liverpool during the World War II. She attended Commercial College and became a shorthand typist. She married Richard, and they had three sons, now adults. The last years the marriage lives in Colchester, Essex.

During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[Leyendo con Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[Sophia Loves to read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished another Maureen Lee book, absolutely love Maureen's writing style. Would read this book again never wanted to put the book down . Looking forward to my next Maureen Lee book X

[Margaret Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you find an author and realise you have uncovered a treasure. I am coming in rather late in singing Maureen Lee's praises, having just read a trilogy of her earlier books, 'The Girl From Barefoot House', 'Laceys of Liverpool', and 'The House by Princess Park.' The author classifies her genres as historical, drama and romance. They all abound. These books cover the 20th century, especially the years of the 2nd World War as it affected Liverpool, and the casts of characters are huge. Maureen Lee moves them all around skilfully, presenting different perspectives and viewpoints. I feel she is a writer with a deep understanding of people, their desires and failings, their enduring loves and hurts.
To have read within a week or two a volume like a brick, just under 1000 pages in length, the reader must be engrossed. I was. Sagas which I might generally turn to for relaxation became more like a history lesson. Never preachy or teachy in style, the tales unfold to a final note of hope. Whatever the characters have endured, they have survived, and still seem to feel that life is good.
I will be reading as many of this author's books as I can find.
Her only shortcoming is the wording of her author profile. I don't know who wrote it, but fix it, please!

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for me.

I was hoping it will be historical drama and romance,but I got a lifetime of heartbreak.This book was a long read,and for me it shows how good choices and bad choices in the end leave main character with regrets.Quite depressing and sad.I guess it was not for me.

[Lillian Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read three books by Maureen Lee but this is my favourite to date. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. The characters are completely mesmerising as are the twists and turns in Josie's life. This book will haunt me for days. You can't help but love Jack and desperately want Josie to find her happy ever after but I just knew in the end this book would make me cry. This is a book I could read over and over again.

[Doremili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro super encantador, me encantan las memorias y esta a pesar de estar ambientada en distintas épocas no se pone a explicarte el tiempo, sino lo que ella vivió, y eso fue increíble.

Joe comenzó viviendo sola con su madre quien tiene un pasado y un presente turbio. Pero de esto Joe no se da cuenta al ser tan pequeña, cuando muere su madre tiene que vivir con su tía, pero en vez de ver una infancia por una tía maltratadora, como se pintaba, es una infancia mas o menos apacible gracias a sus vecinos los cuales terminan siendo su familia y la salvan mas de una vez.

La adolescencia y juventud es interesante sin ser fantasiosa y su adultez esta llena de la vida, de los que se llama decisiones y consecuencias

El final es divertidísimo en su ultimo párrafo, y quedas totalmente satisfecha, considero que Joe tuvo una vida plena, fascinante en su simpleza y encantadora en sus momentos.

Lo bueno: Un libro completo que te deja satisfecha

Lo malo: Demasiados hombres estaban detrás de ella.

Lo genial: Joe siempre fue fiel a si misma y solo se quedo con quien realmente amaba, pero disfruto de todos.

Lo extraño: SU mejor amiga, a pesar de ser un verdadero dolor de cabeza, es uno de los mejores y mas entrañables personajes del libro.

Recomendadisimo

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Josie, three years old at the start of the novel, is the daughter of a prostitute during World War II. She is much-loved and innocent, observing some of the horrors of life but basically quite content.

The book is mainly about Josie's growing up, falling in love, travelling, and finally finding a niche for herself in the world. I suppose it's a well-written look at social history primarily. Despite some appalling circumstances, Maureen Lee cleverly manages to give clear impressions of some of the terrible things that happened without being gruesome.

Unfortunately I found the characters a bit flat. Josie herself is at her most delightful at three years old. Once she becomes a teenager, and then an adult, she seems less realistic. I was interested in what happened, so I kept reading - but I was never gripped. I didn't find myself caring enough to be moved even when she felt things deeply.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Liverpool saga which starts in the war years with three year old Josie Flynn and charts her life until 1989. This is a typical rags to riches story in which the heroine is very beautiful, with few if any faults, and who marries a handsome man. It is well written with convincing dialogue but the theme doesn't do it for me.

[Tarantina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sin duda de mis tres favoritos de Maureen Lee. Esta mujer parece que siempre escriba sobre lo mismo y las mismas gentes, pero eso es precisamente lo que me gusta y por lo que me he leído todo lo que he han traducido de ella. Porque me reconforta.

Historias sencillas, humanas, personajes accesibles, fáciles de querer. No pido más.

[Andrew Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Maureen lee novel after deciding to read the well known author.

An interesting read, the girl from barefoot house tell the story and life of Josie. From her childhood with her mother through to her late 50s and her life, challenges and the people she meets and relationships and friendships formed.

Maureen lee captures the reader, and includes some great story twists to keep the readers wanting more.

A good read.

[Karla Samman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una muy buena historia.

Me gustó mucho acompañar a Joe desde sus primeros años de vida hasta casi sus 60. Empezando en tiempos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y terminando en los ochentas. Todo lo que he leído de esta autora me gusta, sus novelas se sitúan en Liverpool y en algún momento se desarrollan durante la guerra. Una lectura sencilla, pero muy agradable, con personajes bastante interesantes y bien definidos.

[Lesley Puncher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible and it is 14 hrs long. I really enjoyed the storyline and it spanned about 40 years. I was tempted to give it 3 stars but as always it was a good story. It lost a star for the use of the F word and some of the sexual description wasn't what I expected from Maureen Lee. (Maybe I'm showing my age).

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im usually a big fan of Maureen Lee, but something about this book just didn't work for me. Not sure that Josie really knew what she wanted from life - oh yes adventure. Definately not my favourite.

[Alison Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down.

Absolutely love the book. Twists turns and so much love from everyone in the book. Great start middle and end. Hope there's a follow up...... ..... .....
....... ..... .... .... .... Great read

[S. Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliantly all-encompassing book from Maureen Lee! Can’t put down her books once I start reading them. This one even made me cry at the end (which I rarely do!!) There was one section towards the end which felt a bit rushed but all in all a brilliant book which I would read again ⭐️

[Susana Lorenzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela en la línea de la autora, con grandes personajes bien desarrollados pero otros que pasan sin pena ni gloria. Demasiados saltos temporales que diluyen algo la historia, sin embargo muy entretenida

[Linda Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down I loved it

[Cecile Paddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very in-depth story of Josie’s life. Too long but enjoyable.

[Chris Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*. I love Maureen Lee books and this was just as good as all her others. The characters was warm. I don’t think more could have happened to one woman.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best Maureen Lee book I've read so far.

[Caroline Walpole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book couldn’t put it down

[Renee (Larimel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the story is a memoir of a girl named Josie Flynn. The reader travels with her from she was six and living in an attic with her mother, who is a prostitute until she is in her late fifties. It was the beginning of the WWII and her mother had died in one of the bombs. So Josie was sent to live with her aunt where she finds out about her mother's past and meet the Kavanaughs who treat her as part of the family (or a prospective part of the family because one of the sons Ben, is in love with her.) She finds out about the abuses her mother went through and she even experienced some of it as well.

I was wondering why it was called Barefoot House when she was there for a very short time, but that was the turning point in her life. That was when she realized that she was truly alone in the world.

I liked that it was all so realistic. The story didn't seem too far-fetched and unbelievable. My favorite character was Lily. I liked her sassy attitude and the way she would always happen to say something that would offend someone and she didn't even realize. My least favorite character was her brother, Ben. He was in love with Josie but he seemed too clingy and needy and pathetic.

Overall , it was a very good and fast read. If you are into YA books or stories that engage your emotions but aren't too touchy feely then you may like this one too.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maureen Lee writes great saga novels of Liverpool and the Second World War.

Back Cover Blurb:
For Josie Flynn, life with her beautiful, wayward mother in the heart of Liverpool was all she ever wanted - until Hitler's bombs ripped her childhood apart. But the War was just the start of a journey - a journey that began in heartbreak when Josie was sent to live with her miserable Aunt Ivy and over-friendly Uncle Vince; took her to Barefoot House as the paid companion of an elderly, cantankerous woman who eventually became her friend; and seemed to promise lifelong happiness in New York with the handsome, charismatic Jack Coltrane.
But once again, life is not turning out the way Josie imagines and she finds herself back in Liverpool, alone. As she renews old loves and former friendships, and reflects on her time at Barefoot House, she embarks upon a career which is as unlikely as it is successful.

[Anne Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starting from the time when our heroine, Josie Flynn, is a young girl in wartime Liverpool up to when she is in her fifties, we follow her progress through life. Losing her mother at a tragically young age, Josie goes to live with her aunt and uncle. Without the comforting friendship of the large Kavanagh family, she would have found it hard to survive. Going to work as a secretary/companion to an elderly lady is a milestone move for Josie and leads to marriage to the charismatic Jack Coltrane and, ultimately, to becoming a successful business woman. A deeply involving read with a neat and very satisfactory ending.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't progressing as fast as the last book by Maureen Lee that I read. (The house by Princes Park) So I liked it better. I am kind of starting to speak like the characters after all the Maureen Lee books that I have read! (They are all situated in Liverpool in the last century so they speak a little bit differently in them.)

[Sharon Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I have read quite a few of Maureen Lee's books, and while 'Dancing in the Dark' will always be my ultimate personal favourite, this was well worthy of a recommendation.

I felt like I was there personally on the journey from start to finish. I loved the relationship between Josie and the old lady from Barefoot house. Written very well and a great story.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

for quite a while this was one of my favourite books ever! it follows the story of a little girl whos mother was a prostitute. i loved the twists nd turns in the story, the tragedies and pain of this one woman.

[Joanna Warrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read a Maureen Lee book and now I am wondering what I was waiting for. The novel follows Josie Flynn from an early age in World War 2 Liverpool to the 1980's. Josie is a wonderful character and very realistic. I highly recommend both the author and this book.

[Vionna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not impressed with the same tired old tale of an illegitimate child being orphaned, being molested and goes on to a great life. This theme has been overdone.

[Paula Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

sad, hopeful story that brings tears but also joy, the joy of knowing the love of friends, family, partners and husbands.