1964

Made in Yorkshire #1

by James Farner

Richard Warren, aged ten, is growing up in the North Yorkshire village of Ledder Bridge. Through verdant fields and meandering brooks, life is simple and easy, far from the turmoil of the Cold War world. When an adventure with his older brother Peter Warren goes wrong and Richard finds himself trapped in the dark depths of an abandoned quarry, it kick-starts a chain of events that brings him into contact with work, family conflict, and the dreaded English class system. Will Richard be able to persevere and become wise well beyond his tender years?

Part of the Made in Yorkshire saga:

1969 (Made in Yorkshire Book 2)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Historical, Amazon, British Literature, Novels

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2014

About the author

James Farner is a professional writer and draws upon his love of fiction and his love of stories that span generations. His signature series Made in Yorkshire was born out of a desire to find out ‘what happened next?’

At the end of every good film, book, or TV show the characters disappear and that’s the end of them. James isn’t alone in the desire to find out what happened to the characters afterwards.

This is how Made in Yorkshire appeared. Starting from 1953 and driving on to the modern day, James explores the different eras of Britain through his colourful cast of characters.

Prior to writing fiction, he enjoyed a career as a freelance writer. His writing has appeared online, in magazines, and in a variety of other publications.

When not writing, he can be found sketching, watching sports, and playing the tin whistle.

Reviews

[belinda banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok story

This book was ok to read and the storyline was ok but it didn't hold my attention for long. I only finished reading it because I make it a habit to finish any book I start reading. I think I have lukewarm feelings about this book because I kept hoping it would get suspenseful. It never did it just kinda meandered along with the story. This is definitely not my genre of book that I like.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got nearly halfway through before I gave up. I think there is a nugget of solid story in here somewhere but the writing is so very clumsy and artless that I can't bring myself to care. Desperately needs a good editor to work alongside the writer. He needs to learn how to set up each vignette. All his connective material is amateurish, but the scenes themselves--especially with old Albert--show glimpses of greatness. This book demonstrates the downside of epublishing: it is too easy to get yourself into print without having professionals vet your work.

[Lesle · Rating 4 out of 5]

1964 is about a young boy, his family, and the struggles of life. A lovely read, I got drawn into the characters and their lifestyle of struggle. Richard is trying to make the right choices so that his mother and father would not scold him like they do his brother. When Richard makes an adventurous mistake with Peter, time away, working at the pub lets Richard build his own character. Along with a new unexpected friendship. After a loss, Richards escape is writing fantasy. He learns his father's morals, that is instilled in him, go by the wayside when trying to save the family and family home. The story is well written from Richards point of view. Definitely leaves you wanting to read more in the series to see what other adventures Richards life brings him and is he destined to be an Author. Truly not a stand-alone read!

I gave the book 4 1/2 stars...In reality it deserves 5, but when I got to the end I was like..."Really" it left me hanging, wondering what happened to Richard and his stories. What about the family? What happened to Peter? So "1969" is a definite read!

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an e-book that I bought for something like 99 cents on "Book Bud." It is the first book in a series, "Made in Yorkshire." I bought it because I enjoy reading about lives in England, this one about a young country boy who experiences his first interaction with the wealthy gentry class. I assume he will grow up in subsequent installments, but I am not interested enough to read anymore about him.

[Dianne Ascroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel takes a realistic look back at a more innocent age that is often idealised today. The gently paced coming of age story centres around a young boy’s relationship with an elderly, grief stricken alcoholic. Living on an isolated farm Richard Warren has little contact with the wider world until he begins working a few hours each day in the village pub for his father’s old army mate. This triggers a series of events that leads him to meet and socialise with the son of one of the local gentry and befriend a lonely old farmer. Through these encounters he learns to judge character and discern who he can trust, think for himself and decide what really matters. He gets his first glimpses into the complexity of the adult world and matures in the process. The story reads like a memoir and I found it is easy to settle into Richard’s world. As I read, Yorkshire in 1964 became as real to me as the characters. I enjoyed making the acquaintance of both.
Note: I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book! The writing style reminded me a little of the Secret Garden which is one of my favorite books of all time. The plot kept wanting to read more and more. I finished it in a day because I couldn't stop reading it! I cannot wait for Book 2! I'm very glad this was recommended to me!

[Alex Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read of course but not up to my expectations. The story revolves around Richard's character and how he evolves as a writer from the happenings around him. Nothing specific about the aftermath of Cold World War. Glimpses of the English class system but not very well brought forth or highlighted. The book is a well-to-do as fiction but a little low on being a 'historical fiction'. Neither is there any urge to read further. Only questions left unanswered were who published Richard's work and how he came up? Apart from all this the book tries to explain the fine line between reality and ideals. Not everything one preaches about can be brought forth into the real world. Sometimes our ideals are sacrificed for the relations we hold onto life. Richard learns this by the end despite his efforts of being a good boy.

[Jackie O'sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

not great and I don't plan to follow Richard Warren any further. clumsy, formulaic, and didn't flow well. At first I thought he was only about 5 yrs old then realised he was a bit older than that. The year 1964 seemed to go on forever and real historic bits of the year like the 10 foot snow drifts didn't make an appearance at all.
I said Julian Fellowes meets Catherine Cookson and would like to add in a trace of Heartbeat. However not as well written as any of them.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story to be much more enjoying than I originally thought I would. I loved the chance I had to talk with the author and ask questions about his writing process for this book and the rest in the series. If you would like to know more, you can visit the link for my wrap up.

http://apopofjess.blogspot.com/2015/0...

[Judie Rose Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived through these times I found this story very interesting!

The book kept me reading to find out more about the life Richard and his family lived. Very interesting and informative. Having never lived in a class system it was informative to read about and even live it thru Richards eyes.

[Wijdan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun reading through the perspective of a child but the plot itself is a bit predictable. All the characters were well made except for the Camberwell's, I'm not sure what's the right word to describe them but they were too made up I think.

[Deb W · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author has potential, but needs to work more on his craft. I didn't make it through the 2nd chapter. How does one hoist laundry into one's hands? Does a nine year old even know the word "saliva"?

[Diane Wachter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made in Yorkshire Series, Bk 1, EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2016, Read 4/9/21. Fiction, Coming of Age. A novel about a 10 year old boy trying to find his way through the pitfalls of family life on a small farm in Yorkshire, England, and growing up. 2☆'s = Okay

[Mary Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre writing, predictable stereotypes, poor character development, weak plot. The story had potential, but was in need of a lot more time, effort, thought, and editing.

[Nancy M Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sophomoric

After you finish the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, this would be a similar read. Good for elementary school children. Vapid.

[Diane McGyver · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good effort that fell short
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t read the book, this review contains pieces of the story that may hamper your enjoyment if you decide to read it.
I had high hopes for the story for two reasons: 1) For some odd reason titles that use only a year intrigue me; 2) It was set in a small community in the UK. However, the lack of polish and editing of the story slowed the pace and, in some instances, confused me. Many sentences were unnecessarily wordy.
There were some scenes that were unnecessary for telling the story, and this too slowed down the pace. It was a struggle to complete the novel, but in my goal to write more reviews, I ploughed onward.
I wanted to like the main character, Richard, more, but I felt his parents were favouring him over his older brother Peter for no real reason. Richard was inquisitive and at times brave, but he was part of the reason his brother was treated poorly by their parents.
Speaking of the parents, there was no reason given for their lack of respect they had for Peter. Peter worked hard and deserved more than he got. I understand the use of the strap in 1964, but it seemed Peter was punished for little reason, whereas Richard was given a free ride. The home environment for Peter amounted to child abuse. Richard hinted to the fact that his father might be working Peter hard, so he could take over the farm, but that was not the reason. So why was Peter treated like a slave? I was not shocked he ran off. He had hinted as much earlier in the story.
While Peter was working hard, Richard was not even asked to help. At the very beginning of the story, Richard had done a little work in the field, but then he was off to play or write or wander. Richard, a boy of eleven, would have had chores on a farm that would have kept him busy for at least half the day.
Knowing all this made the story hard to believe. If the parents were so good and righteous, why did they treat their oldest son like dirt? I’m left with questions like: Why was Richard favoured? Where did Peter go? Did he send Richard’s story into the magazine? And if so, it proves Peter was more worthy than his parents’ gave him credit. His purchase of the pen for his little brother was a kind act that went unrewarded.
The cover was appealing, and that was a large part of the reason I downloaded the book.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a different read for me, and hey, different is nice sometimes. This particular book is rather like a combination of The Hardy Boys, Oliver Twist, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Young Richard, growing up on a farm, with his brother Peter and parents discovers many new things about life, the class system, sibling rivalry, and the fact that adults are not always who you think they are or should be. e.g. 'Richard remembered what Officer Hardy had said to his father whilst he was dozing. “Jim, law enforcement isn’t what you think it is,” Officer Hardy said. “It takes care of its friends and puts down anyone it doesn’t like. Do you get what I’m saying?” “Eh, not sure what you’re trying to say, but it sounds wrong to me,” Dad said back. “Not as bad as you think. It’s about numbers. You see, in Yorkshire we have more crimes than we do officers. Yorkshire’s too big for us to cover everything. The commander puts out a list of all the areas for crime in the county and we target specific areas. That’s why you’ll almost never see me in Ledder Bridge.'
'Richard knew he wanted to become a writer. He read and reread the stories he had, but there was always something wrong with them. It was times like this he hated writing and wondered whether he truly had what it took. Mum said he was good enough to do anything, but he wasn’t sure he believed it. Mothers always said things like that.'
Quotes from Farner, James (2014-12-08). 1964 (Made in Yorkshire Book 1) Farner Publishing. Kindle Edition.
An interesting read and I would definitely recommend James Farner to any age group from young teens and up.

[Chiyaa Pasal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Farner book and I find he is a good storyteller His characters come alive and are quite real. I was drawn into the story and liked all of the characters within it. Farner transported me into the small rural UK village and the lives of those around Richard, the 10 year old main character.

I was somewhat disappointed in the ending. I felt it was almost rushed and also left too many things hanging a bit (to make the reader want to continue with the series). This took away from what was, up to that point, a good story. I want my books to be standalone and, if I like the characters, for them to continue but I don’t expect them to be like an end of season tv show. Note, this did’t have a dramatic cliff hanger but things were left just a little too open for me.

All in all, I would recommend this book although I'm not sure I want to know more about Richard.

[Dawn Dorsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun story narrated by a little boy growing up in rural Yorkshire. Most of the action takes place when he is eleven in 1964, just old enough to explore the nearby village and countryside by himself. He gets to know the villagers, old and young, gossipy and taciturn, and makes friends with a few special ones: the pub keeper, a lonely old man, veteran of both world wars, the candy store lady, a police detective. He meets "the Quality" for the first time in his life, and is puzzled over what to make of them. As Richard's parents and older brother struggle to keep the family farm afloat, we follow him in his adventures as he learns about his world and a little about life beyond his own experience.

[Daniel Deitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Yorkshire story

I lived in Yorkshire for most of my younger years leaving when I was 19. This story reminds me of the hardships of the 1960’s when I was a young child during which the class war was a large part of our daily lives. I remember the joy of hearing how some rich person had gone bankrupt and the wonderful feelings on eating fresh baked bread on those dark mornings made worse by the Leeds smog. We did enjoy the long summer days and celebrated being able to wear long trousers in middle school in the early 70’s. It was a time of change and great hardships . Thankfully the days poverty and strikes for workers rights are now part of history and ,despite indications to the contrary, will probably stay that way.

[Ceh131973 · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Farner creates realistic charcters that are just trying to survive everyday life. Richard Warren is 10 when the book begins and like any boy of his age growing up in a pretty boring working class environment he can get into some trouble. This trouble leads him to some coming of age events.It has an interesting view of the class division in society and how that can effect someones perception. Farner does a great job of developing charcter and setting. They are what drive this story more so than the plot which at times seems choppy. Still a good read.

[Dean McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

1964 is the first in a series of MADE IN YORKSHIRE series by James Farner. I've read a couple of his books and enjoyed them. This one fell a bit short. A farming family struggles to survive, older brother rebels against taking over the farm, younger brother finds misadventures and gets into trouble while writing stories, mother sees after the house and doesn't hesitate to punish her boys when they fall short, and Dad works and drinks at the local pub. Somewhat interesting. I'll probably go on to #2 in the series, 1969, to see if it's an improvement.

[Bullman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read

Set in mid century Yorks hire about a blue color family and struggles they have enduring real life is not my typical read. It was a free book through Kindle unlimited and sounded like a good change. I am very glad I read it, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will continue with the series. It was very well written and edited without and discrepancies which I was very happy about. If your thinking you "might" like it then you will love it.

[Dan Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder of the coming of age

The book was a pleasant reminder of the days of my youth when days seemed to present perplexing events in an otherwise young boys play times. Anyone can associate with this rite of passage and will enjoy the subtleties of this young man’s discovery of a few of life’s realities. This four star rating is for the ease of reading, the captivating story line and its realistic plot.

[Colleen Whale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was a little slow to start, but the more I read, the more I loved Richard's character. I'm glad this is a series, because there are some unfinished parts of the plot that I'd like to hopefully find out about. Like what happened to Peter? I'm sure we'll find out in following books. I did find that the climax with the Camberwells to be a bit rushed, but maybe future books will touch on that as well. I'm really looking forward to reading more about Richard's life.

[Gini Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this book was free on Kindle. It’s a quick read and I enjoyed it in the beginning. But I didn’t understand why the main character, Richard, did some of the things he did. I guess I don’t feel the character is realistic and I couldn’t relate. And I didn’t feel the era was right. It seemed like it should have been earlier in the 1900s than 1964. Then I felt the ending was too abrupt. It was worth the price!

[Holly Smelt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently I read this book awhile ago and have absolutely no memory of it. Based on a recent review I read, i downloaded it on my kindle, and it said i had finished it. Started it again, but it didn’t hold my attention. It wasn’t that well written and nothing really happens. My measure of how good a book is is how memorable it is, and this one flunks that test.

[Florence Primrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Warren, 10-years-old, is growing up in Yorkshire where his father is a farmer. Richard enjoys the countryside. But he gets into an adventure with his brother, Peter, five years older. His brother fights a young nobleman who has been mean to Richard. Soon the family is in trouble because the Baron is preventing Richard’s father from selling his produce.

[Andrew Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely enjoyed this book! It has been a few years since I read a James Farner book and now I can remember what I.have missed. Only wish I did not wait so long between reading this one and the last one prior to it. Like I have stated in some of my previous reviews, Mr. Farner has a great talent in bringing his characters to life enough to make the reader feel like they are right there witnessing everything going on around them.

[Udara Madushanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a boy whose dream is to become a writer someday. The family bond and his relationship with each member and how they all shaped his life and how he started experiencing the life out of his family and how he found a new close friend along the way and the bond between these new friends. The way of changing the mindset towards the society and people and the values people hold on to