Spoils of War

Hearts of Gold #8

by Catrin Collier

It is 1946 and the soldiers who have been away for the war are beginning to return to Pontypridd. But not all the reunions are happy. Bethan's lingering feelings for an American officer make it hard for her to readjust to married life. Tony's fiancee, a German refugee, arrives in Pontypridd to find herself shunned by all. And when she discovers Tony has lied to her, she must face the possibility that he is only marrying her to spite his family. Meanwhile, Alma and Charlie receive devastating news, which throws their whole world into confusion—and leaves Charlie to make an impossible choice. As the people of Pontypridd struggle to rebuild their lives, they discover that the end of war only marks the beginning of another more personal struggle.

Genres: Historical

432 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2006

About the author

Catrin Collier is Wales' most prolific and well-known author of historical, romantic fictions. The daughter of a Prussian refugee and Welsh father, she grew up in Pontypridd. Her first historical novel Hearts of Gold, was filmed as a mini-series by the BBC in 2003. Her crime book, By Any Name, written as Katherine John was filmed by Tanabi and released on Amazon Prime in 2017. She lives with her family on the Gower Peninsula, near Swansea. More information on Catrin Collier, Katherine John and Caro French's books can be found on her website www.catrincollier.co.uk

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, wanted it to carry on going. I prefer that they now don’t focus on one character but you get more of the spectrum of characters in the book.

[Ann James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this series of books. I've tried to read novels from various genres based in Wales (in English & Welsh), some I gave up on, some I managed to finish, but the lack of bringing across the Welsh culture was missing or very poor. This series captures the culture well and despite being from another area of the country, I could associate with the beliefs & attitudes of the characters.

The stories mainly revolve around two families in Pontypridd starting before WW2, tackling issues such the workhouse, the social divide & discrimination. The series then moves on through and just beyond WW2 with men going to war, the arrival of the 'Yanks', the rationing, the fear of not knowing what the future held.

The first four books focus on 1 or 2 individuals, heavily based on the romantic side of life, but not to the exclusion of those that live around them. By the fifth book, all the characters intermingle equally within a story, romance isn't to the foremost and the social aspect of living in Ponty comes to the fore. For this reason, I'd suggest reading the books in order. as it give depth knowing the background of each character in the latter half of this series.

[Liz Balaam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life begins to get back to normal in Pontypridd at the end of the war as its inhabitants struggle to come to terms with food, fuel and housing shortages. The women, who survived on their own, also have to come to terms with the return of their men - some injured, physically and mentally. Children must now get used to daddies who had been absent for the past 5 years. This is yet another excellent read of a village and its people during the late 1940's and we continue to read of the Powells and Ronconis and their extended families and friends. I have one book to go in the series, and I will be sad to leave them all as I feel I have been part of their lives in these 8 books.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HAVE NOW FINISHED THE FIRST EIGHT BOOKS OF THIS SERIES AND REALLY ENJOYED THEM. NOT USUALLY MY SORT OF BOOK, BUT THE HISTORICAL DETAIL OF PRE AND POST SECOND WORLD WAR WALES, PLUS GREAT CHARCTERISATION AND NARRATIVE MADE THEM AN EXCELLENT AND COMPELLING READ. THESE ARE FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES TO FOLLOW CHARACTERS OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. AS SOON AS I FINISHED ONE I WANTED TO GET ON TO THE NEXT. THERE IS ONE MORE TO GO WHICH IS SET 20 YEARS LATER AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING IT ASAP!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the continuing story that began in the book "A Silver Lining". I bought it as a 2-book paperback. It was great to be able finish one page and start the next book right there.
The author did plenty of research about the war and the after effects of it in the lives of those who went to war and those who waited on gone home front for them to come home. I looked forward to opening up the book each time to read the rest of the story...as I do with each and every book!

[ROSALIND ELLIOTT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

I have read all eight books in this series and they were all superb. After finishing one I downloaded the next one right away. They are impossible to put down once you start reading and think what a fantastic television series these would make

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been amazing, never wanted to leave the Powell & Ronconi families. A perfect family saga that I have feasted on, reading all 8 straight after each other. Loved it.