When One Door Closes

Eileen Gillmoss #1

by Joan Jonker

It's May 1941 and Liverpool is taking a hammering from the German bombers. For young Mary Bradshaw and her widowed mother life is full of rationing, blackouts and the wail of the air-raid siren. Despite the gloom, Mary's heart is light as she counts her blessings - she's got her loving mother and Bob, her soldier boyfriend whom she adores and hopes to marry soon. During the worst air raid Liverpool has ever suffered, fate deals Mary the first of many cruel blows it has in store for her. She is devastated as her whole world collapses. But Mary doesn't have to face the knocks alone. Her best friend Eileen has a heart and a sense of humour as big as her eighteen stone body - heaven help anyone who hurts her mate! Harry is the boy from up the road who's loved Mary since they were kids and he'll not desert her now. Soon Mary finds that when one door closes, another one really does open.

Genres: Fiction

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Joan Jonker was born and bred in Liverpool. She founded the charity-run organisation Victims of Violence and she lives in Southport. She has two sons and two grandsons.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book about Mary,Martha,Eileen and their lives during the war.Mary has loved her Bob since they were young and are to marry.Then war is declared and Bob is being sent out there mary is beside herself with worry and tries not to show it for his sake.As time passes life goes on untill Martha has a stroke while in the shelter then mary recieves the news that Bob is dead and her world falls apart.She then finds out she is pregnant and has no idea what to do but fate has a hand for her.well worth 5* Joan Jonker books are a pleasure to read.

[mr b j hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

One of the best books I have read for a while.
I hoped for happiness,but it doesn’t always happen.
As I say “ Great Book “

[Kirsty Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic I forgot how good joan jonker was. I loved this book

[Claire kitching · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love reading Joan jonker books never read a bad one

[Thersa Mclaughlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I absolutely love Joan Jonker. Her never fails to make me laugh. There's always a good read. Never ever fails to make me want to keep reading until the end.

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the slightly old-fashined books of joan jonker, reflecting life in Liverpool before, during, and after WWII, usually among the not so wealthy population.
This is one of the few I did not like as much, as unlike in the other books, the female protagonist, Mary, is, in my opinion, a quite immature and egoistic person, who needed a lot of growing up to do.
Even towards the end of the book, I did not really like her much better.
Still, the author described life during WWII in Liverpool in her usual charming way, and with lots of humour thrown in.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it was okay. The story had potential. Based in WW2 in Liverpool about a young lady who falls pregnant but the father of the baby is killed in action and so she marries for convenience. I felt the story was a bit rushed a few times and things were not being described as much as it could have been but then again, towards the end I was getting quite impatient with it and just wanted it to end!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to have a break from all the vampires/werewolves/ghosts/horror books and revisit Joan Jonker. her books are so easy to read and give you a much needed laugh in with the drama.The characters are likeable and I really enjoy reading about times gone by.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, whimsical tale set at the height of WW2. A classic love story told in the style of Catherine Cookson and Josephine Cox.

[carol kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read these books a long time ago decided to go back and read them all over again .