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The Girl From World’s End
When tragedy strikes, there’s only one place she can go…
A captivating debut from a born storyteller.
When 8-year-old Mirren Gilchrist is orphaned after a tragic accident, she is sent to live with her estranged relatives deep in the Yorkshire Dales. She struggles to fit in, her town ways a mystery to the country children.
One day, fleeing school – and the cane – she takes refuge from a fierce snowstorm in the ruins of a stone cottage. Legend has it that World's End is haunted but Mirren has finally found somewhere she can call home and her love affair with this magical place begins.
It's the place she falls in love with Jack, the place she secretly hopes will one day become their very own. But the Second World War arrives and everything is thrown into turmoil. Jack returns from leave a changed man – violent and uncaring, a cruel streak shining though.
Mirren struggles to cope with the transformed Jack and new motherhood. Then tragedy strikes and history looks set to repeat itself. Is heartache here to stay or can Mirren find solace and inspiration in the only place she has ever felt truly safe?
A captivating debut from a born storyteller.
When 8-year-old Mirren Gilchrist is orphaned after a tragic accident, she is sent to live with her estranged relatives deep in the Yorkshire Dales. She struggles to fit in, her town ways a mystery to the country children.
One day, fleeing school – and the cane – she takes refuge from a fierce snowstorm in the ruins of a stone cottage. Legend has it that World's End is haunted but Mirren has finally found somewhere she can call home and her love affair with this magical place begins.
It's the place she falls in love with Jack, the place she secretly hopes will one day become their very own. But the Second World War arrives and everything is thrown into turmoil. Jack returns from leave a changed man – violent and uncaring, a cruel streak shining though.
Mirren struggles to cope with the transformed Jack and new motherhood. Then tragedy strikes and history looks set to repeat itself. Is heartache here to stay or can Mirren find solace and inspiration in the only place she has ever felt truly safe?
440 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
47 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Leah Fleming
33 books202 followersLeah Fleming was born in Lancashire and is married with three sons and a daughter. She writes from an old farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales and an olive grove in Crete.
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com.a...
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com.a...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 2, 2015
This book was unfortunately disappointing for this reader. I've not read a lot of historical fiction so I don't have a lot to go by, but this was a flat read for me. Very predictable, plot turns were just average and the writing quite dull. The blurb gave the story line away unfortunately, so I was left with not a lot to go on. I noticed this author has written other books that my friends have enjoyed, so maybe I chose the short straw with starting on this book, her others may be better. This story opened in 1926 and followed the lives of a girl left widowed after her alcoholic father lay down on train tracks. There wasn't much hope for Mirren after this, and we see her steer toward the same path as her poor old dad. This was a light read that may be right for some, unfortunately not me.
July 12, 2017
****4.5****
The one thing that kept flowing through the story was 'Alcohol'. Mirren Gilchris, is a girl who is orphaned by her father's death because of too much drinking. Her mother, baby brother long gone because of some sickness. She, at a small age itself, knows the effects of drinking and pledges to oppose it. When her maternal grandparents starts looking after her, slowly molding her to their farm, it becomes a soft,lovely tale.
Mirren falls in love with eccentric Jack but when he returns from war he turns towards alcohol for consolation creating dreadful consequences in his and Mirren's life. That again leads Mirren's life go kaput. But finally it ends well.
I don't know why I liked this story so much, for such a simple story which was almost predictable. The narration was very perfect. The characters which were well built and very much relatable.
Perfect reading for a Holiday...
Happy Reading!!!
The one thing that kept flowing through the story was 'Alcohol'. Mirren Gilchris, is a girl who is orphaned by her father's death because of too much drinking. Her mother, baby brother long gone because of some sickness. She, at a small age itself, knows the effects of drinking and pledges to oppose it. When her maternal grandparents starts looking after her, slowly molding her to their farm, it becomes a soft,lovely tale.
Mirren falls in love with eccentric Jack but when he returns from war he turns towards alcohol for consolation creating dreadful consequences in his and Mirren's life. That again leads Mirren's life go kaput. But finally it ends well.
I don't know why I liked this story so much, for such a simple story which was almost predictable. The narration was very perfect. The characters which were well built and very much relatable.
Perfect reading for a Holiday...
Happy Reading!!!
March 19, 2012
The Girl From Worlds End is exactly what you would expect. Orphaned townie girl, sent to the country to live with grand-parents we has never met...It's got to be good right?
And it was! (Well, i enjoyed it.)
Mirren's life goes from bad to worse in this book. But a well written ending i would say. I'm not a quick reader but i finished this fairly fast, as i wanted to know how Mirren's life would turn around.
VW XD
And it was! (Well, i enjoyed it.)
Mirren's life goes from bad to worse in this book. But a well written ending i would say. I'm not a quick reader but i finished this fairly fast, as i wanted to know how Mirren's life would turn around.
VW XD
November 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I could not put it down. Highly recommended.
April 6, 2010
The back cover of the book gives away a little too much...
The story is quite predictable but still a good story about what farm life was like in England during WWII.
I picked the book up while in Thailand and will leave it behind in Cambodia. Not a good enough read to drag around on my travels but if you ever come across it I would say it is a decent quick read.
The story is quite predictable but still a good story about what farm life was like in England during WWII.
I picked the book up while in Thailand and will leave it behind in Cambodia. Not a good enough read to drag around on my travels but if you ever come across it I would say it is a decent quick read.
March 30, 2013
really enjoyed this book, so easy to read
August 8, 2015
This was ok but I didn't get invested enough in the main character to really feel for her when tragedy struck as it did many times.
August 20, 2018
Really boring.
September 8, 2017
“The Girl from World’s End” is a stirring blend of heartbreak, tragedy and love that begins when eight-year-old Mirren Gilchrist, orphaned after a tragic accident is sent to live with her deceased mother’s parents at Craigside Farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Struggling to adapt, Mirren is bullied at her new school fleeing in a snowstorm and taking refuge in the ruins of a stone cottage believed to be haunted. Yet it is this haven at World’s End that will save her life more than once throughout the years ahead.
But tragedy is never far from Mirren’s life when Jack Sowerby, who she’s loved since childhood returns from WWII changed, and constantly drunk, his reckless actions causing the death of their daughter Sylvia as well as her miscarriage. Her husband committed, Mirren shuts herself off from family and friends, seeking solace in alcohol, only to be faced with another tragic accident that leaves her finally broken and suicidal. Yet through it all Mirren’s cousin Ben who’s loved her for years struggles to help her overcome the demons that haunt her even though he knows his feelings may never be returned.
Well-developed and emotionally -charged Leah Fleming brings to life the impact of WWII with its traumatic effect on soldiers and its repercussions on a rural farming community with its restrictions, regulations, rationing, shortage of manpower and lack of foodstuffs. In a landscape filled with hard work, fear of attack and daily uncertainty Mirren takes on a man-sized workload with her cousin Ben, loving the land and her daughter. With the return of her husband Jack intensity builds as the story heats up when his drinking and his jealousy of Ben makes him reckless. With every twist in the story as events unfold heartbreak plagues Mirren and she sets aside her vow of temperance while her happy nature spirals downward and happiness eludes her.
Leah Fleming has created complex, realistic and memorable characters that infuse the story with tension, depth, and high-emotion like Mirren Gilchrist the stubborn tomboy who grows into a smart, resilient, and hardworking young woman who falls in love with the wrong man. Jack Sowerby, a boy who is kind and caring to young Mirren, but hates farming grows into a cocky, wild, over-confident and impulsive young man. After the war, his genial personality changes dramatically, becoming cold, aggressive, and angry in his drunkenness. After the tragic death of his daughter he undergoes rehabilitation in a mental institution and dries out, but his recklessness never leaves him. In contrast Reuben (Ben) Yewell is conscientious, down-to-earth, loyal, and protective; his love for Mirren never waning.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Girl from World’s End” with its fascinating look at a family besieged with tragedy and despair during and after WWII. I highly recommend it and will look for other engaging stories by this author.
But tragedy is never far from Mirren’s life when Jack Sowerby, who she’s loved since childhood returns from WWII changed, and constantly drunk, his reckless actions causing the death of their daughter Sylvia as well as her miscarriage. Her husband committed, Mirren shuts herself off from family and friends, seeking solace in alcohol, only to be faced with another tragic accident that leaves her finally broken and suicidal. Yet through it all Mirren’s cousin Ben who’s loved her for years struggles to help her overcome the demons that haunt her even though he knows his feelings may never be returned.
Well-developed and emotionally -charged Leah Fleming brings to life the impact of WWII with its traumatic effect on soldiers and its repercussions on a rural farming community with its restrictions, regulations, rationing, shortage of manpower and lack of foodstuffs. In a landscape filled with hard work, fear of attack and daily uncertainty Mirren takes on a man-sized workload with her cousin Ben, loving the land and her daughter. With the return of her husband Jack intensity builds as the story heats up when his drinking and his jealousy of Ben makes him reckless. With every twist in the story as events unfold heartbreak plagues Mirren and she sets aside her vow of temperance while her happy nature spirals downward and happiness eludes her.
Leah Fleming has created complex, realistic and memorable characters that infuse the story with tension, depth, and high-emotion like Mirren Gilchrist the stubborn tomboy who grows into a smart, resilient, and hardworking young woman who falls in love with the wrong man. Jack Sowerby, a boy who is kind and caring to young Mirren, but hates farming grows into a cocky, wild, over-confident and impulsive young man. After the war, his genial personality changes dramatically, becoming cold, aggressive, and angry in his drunkenness. After the tragic death of his daughter he undergoes rehabilitation in a mental institution and dries out, but his recklessness never leaves him. In contrast Reuben (Ben) Yewell is conscientious, down-to-earth, loyal, and protective; his love for Mirren never waning.
I thoroughly enjoyed “The Girl from World’s End” with its fascinating look at a family besieged with tragedy and despair during and after WWII. I highly recommend it and will look for other engaging stories by this author.
November 28, 2021
Well, I’ve read worse. Having said that, I must add that I could not warm to Mirren. As a child she came across at times as sullen, at other times as a spoilt brat and an irritating know-all. As a young woman she struck me as shallow and not particularly intelligent. Not a person I felt comfortable with and whose fate did not interest me much. The author probably tried her best throwing some savage life events onto the pages but still failed to conjure up any emotions while reading. Unconvincing but not entirely wasted.
Life in rural Yorkshire during the war is pictured realistically though (I think) or at least believable and that makes up for the rather poor lovestory.
Life in rural Yorkshire during the war is pictured realistically though (I think) or at least believable and that makes up for the rather poor lovestory.
May 27, 2025
“Come to me in the silence of the night;
Come in the speaking silence of a dream;”
“Sometimes she felt as old as the hills with all the sorrows of the world on her back.”
You won’t want to put this book down until you discover how the strong-willed Miriam faces the upheavals that turn her world upside down—not once, but time and again—until she finally takes control and reclaims her old self.
Come in the speaking silence of a dream;”
“Sometimes she felt as old as the hills with all the sorrows of the world on her back.”
You won’t want to put this book down until you discover how the strong-willed Miriam faces the upheavals that turn her world upside down—not once, but time and again—until she finally takes control and reclaims her old self.
July 30, 2017
I've read two other books by Leah Fleming and really enjoyed them. This one, not so much. It was boring, so predictable and I honestly couldn't wait for it to end.
August 6, 2017
Love
Love always wins and all through the book I was wishing for Ben and Mirren to find each other. The story was superb
Love always wins and all through the book I was wishing for Ben and Mirren to find each other. The story was superb
October 19, 2020
I really enjoyed it. She went from sadness to sadness and it was tough to see her get out of it but she did in the end and even though that was predictable, i still read it like 3 times
February 15, 2021
Not my type of book. It was a historical romance. Very predictable and boring.
November 14, 2023
I absolutely loved this book , it was real escapism with each page turned. I would definitely recommend it.
November 29, 2016
I found this book quiet predictable with very little surprises, but heavily enjoyed the story. I really like post- war stories as it gives insight in to a time when I was not alive and the struggles and hardships that they faced.
I would recommend 'The Girl From World's End' to anyone who enjoys romantic war time stories and is ready to have their heart ripped out. It is definitely a novel for a more mature audience as it does have some minor sex references. The novel opens your eyes to how farm life in this time would have been and what challenges civilians in the country faced during war times.
I found Fleming's character easy to relate to, it felt like they were real people and I was watching their lives play out in my head. There was good use of imagery which I found help bring the setting to life.
See more reviews and an overview of this book at my blog:
http://shelvedtbrb.blogspot.com.au
I would recommend 'The Girl From World's End' to anyone who enjoys romantic war time stories and is ready to have their heart ripped out. It is definitely a novel for a more mature audience as it does have some minor sex references. The novel opens your eyes to how farm life in this time would have been and what challenges civilians in the country faced during war times.
I found Fleming's character easy to relate to, it felt like they were real people and I was watching their lives play out in my head. There was good use of imagery which I found help bring the setting to life.
See more reviews and an overview of this book at my blog:
http://shelvedtbrb.blogspot.com.au
June 20, 2011
A good summer read - very light and extremely predictable. The main character Mirren has many hardships in life most of them caused by alcohol and very bad taste in men. Mirren's father was an alcoholic who gets run over by a train leaving her an orphan to be raised by wonderful grandparents in the Yorkshire Dales, she marries Mr. Wrong who also becomes an alcoholic and causes the death of her daughter and her unborn child. Mirren herself becomes an alcoholic and her husband gives up drinking but cannot get her to stop and he ends up losing his life while trying to rescue her. She ends up with her cousin Ben who has been in love with her since childhood. Like I said very predictable but enjoyable all the same.
June 26, 2011
A very nice easy summer read. A couple of things happened that I didnt expect and I liked Ben more than I thought I would. Occassionaly the author could have used a thesaurus but generally, a very nice book.
May 9, 2012
This book was ok. I thought that it would be better and plot or outline was fine but I thought that it could have been delivered better. I got about half way through and was looking forward to finishing it just so that I could read something else
October 5, 2011
Another book I couldn't put down
October 31, 2015
Easy read and I enjoyed it.
August 17, 2013
Nice holiday read, easy to follow.
April 16, 2014
Good story but predictable.
July 2, 2014
So boring.....
July 22, 2014
Easy summer reading.
August 28, 2014
Enthralling, enjoyable and an easy read. Read it in a day. But I couldn't read a book the next day.
That's how I know I enjoyed a book-- when I have to mourn that it's over for a day or so after.
That's how I know I enjoyed a book-- when I have to mourn that it's over for a day or so after.
January 20, 2017
I gave this book 5 stars it was a lovely story and quite emotional in parts I always enjoy reading Leah Fleming's books
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews