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The Colours of Love
Set in the tumultous times of World War II, The Colours of Love by Rita Bradshaw is a story of a capable and resourceful woman who proves that nothing is stronger than a mother's love.Can love survive when all is lost?England is at war, but nothing can dim land girl Esther Wynford's happiness at marrying the love of her life – fighter pilot Monty Grant. Their short honeymoon results in a baby, but on the birth of her daughter, Joy, Esther's world falls apart. Esther's dying mother confesses to a dark secret that she has kept to herself for twenty Esther is not her natural daughter but the result of an exchange of babies after her own child was stillborn. Esther's real mother was forced to give up her baby to an orphanage by her furious family who were incensed about the unsuitability of their daughter's lover, and Joy's birth makes the reason clear. Harshly rejected by Monty, and with the man Esther believed was her father breathing fire and damnation, she takes her precious baby and leaves everything and everyone she's ever known, determined to fend for herself and her child. But her fight is just beginning . . .
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2015
79 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Rita Bradshaw
48 books112 followersRita Bradshaw was born on 1949 in Northampton, England, where she was educated as a good Christian. She met Clive, her husband, at the age of 16 andnow the magic is still there. They have three lovely children, Cara, Faye, and Benjamin, and have always had a menagerie of animals in the house, whichat the present is confined to two endearing and very comical dogs who wouldmake a great double act on TV! The children, friends, and pets all keep thehouse buzzing and the food cupboards empty but Helen wouldn't have it anyother way. She still lives today in Northampton with her family. Althoughhaving enjoyed some wonderful holidays abroad she has never been tempted tolive anywhere else, although she rather likes the idea of a holiday homeclose to the sea one day.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming,and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in thesun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking ofcourse!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as sheapproached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babiesand hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latteran unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of purejoy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own bu tshe loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth isstranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 25, 2018
The colours of love
Another page turner. I love Rita Bradshaw.she never fails to capture me in her storys. I was born in Sunderland so her stories always appeal to me. Grat story teller.
Another page turner. I love Rita Bradshaw.she never fails to capture me in her storys. I was born in Sunderland so her stories always appeal to me. Grat story teller.
March 15, 2021
The Colours of Love by Rita Bradshaw.
This is the first book of Rita’s I am reading and I love her writing style.
My heart bled at the amount of racism and prejudice done to people with different skin colour.
The main character, Esther is so strong and resilient. I really enjoyed her roles in the plot.
From this book,I learnt that the colours of our skins are not to be used as yardstick to know the real us.
This is a book that expertly covered racism and world war in an interesting way.
The fact that the author is a Christian makes this book more spectacular. She wrote this book in a way that anybody is welcome to read it.
I voluntarily reviewed this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
This is the first book of Rita’s I am reading and I love her writing style.
My heart bled at the amount of racism and prejudice done to people with different skin colour.
The main character, Esther is so strong and resilient. I really enjoyed her roles in the plot.
From this book,I learnt that the colours of our skins are not to be used as yardstick to know the real us.
This is a book that expertly covered racism and world war in an interesting way.
The fact that the author is a Christian makes this book more spectacular. She wrote this book in a way that anybody is welcome to read it.
I voluntarily reviewed this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
October 23, 2024
When I first picked up ‘The Colours of Love’, I thought it was going to be a clean romance focusing on different kinds of love and relationships. I didn’t expect much, but the book provided much more than that—it was a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt hope, anger, love, misery, and everything in between.
There are a lot to point out but I’ll just focus on a few.
First, a brief rundown of the story:
Two pregnant women (Harriet and Rose) give birth, one who passed before birth and the other to a girl, respectively. Rose pleads with Harriet, who is a stranger, to take her child, as her child’s life is in danger. The secret is kept between them, and Harriet raises the girl, Esther, as her own. Esther grows up, marries Monty, and has a child named Joy, who is black from birth. This revelation shocks everyone, leading to Harriet telling the truth to a stunned Theobald, her nasty husband. It turns out that Esther’s biological father must have been black.
Monty, overwhelmed and unable to accept the child, distances himself, not wanting Joy, which causes Esther pain. After some time, Esther meets Caleb, who loves her and her child.
Now, ‘Prejudice’ which is the first theme comes in at the point where Monty refuses to accept his child. Ironically, he’s part of the soldiers fighting against Hitler’s regime, yet he harboured their racist views toward people not of his colour. He was fighting one form of prejudice while perpetuating another. The irony, again.
Then, we have the ‘secrets.’ The book is filled with them, making difficult situations worse. Like Rose who didn’t mention that her child’s father was black. Like Harriet, who kept the secret of Esther’s parentage away from Theobald because she wanted to bear him a child and was terrified of his wrath.
It was frustrating to read because you could see how things might have turned out differently if the truth had been said from the start. Immediately I read the scene where Harriet had a dream about Rose asking about her child, I knew the secret was returning to haunt her…and in an unexpected way.
Another theme is how people adapt after the war, like Monty and Caleb.
Monty clings to his old life which no longer exists, which is why, despite not liking Theobald or agreeing with his values, he joins him because of money, leading him to make terrible choices, like distancing himself from Joy. On the other hand, Caleb, tries to adapt to his new reality, even despite losing one of his legs. Their different paths show how trauma can affect people in different ways and how they move on from it.
Another theme is the different ways mothers in the book show their love to their kids.
Rose’s love for her daughter is perhaps one of the most heart-breaking examples. Knowing that her child will be doomed to live in the orphanage or worse, killed, she gives her newborn baby to Harriet, knowing that it’s the only way to protect her child. Harriet, in turn, shows another form of motherly love by accepting and raising a child that isn’t hers.
Then there’s Clarissa, Monty’s mother, whose love is far more controlling. Clarissa disapproved of Monty marrying Esther because she couldn’t stand Theobald. Though she loves Monty, it was tainted by her desire to bend him to her will, and unfortunately, Monty couldn’t stand up to her—even Clarissa’s husband.
In contrast, Eliza, Caleb’s mother, also has strong opinions about her son’s choices but shows a different kind of love. While she doesn’t want Caleb involved with someone like Esther because she’s scared of what people will say, she allows him to make his own decisions.
Finally, there’s Esther, who knowing what her mixed-race child will endure, determines to protect her at all costs. Even when Monty was trying to lure her back with money and gifts, she never once changed her stance to return to him. Divorce was a big deal then, but she knew that Monty didn’t want the child and she’d rather live in penury with her daughter than in wealth with someone who no longer cared for her or her child.
And it’s not surprising to see that Monty never returns to see his daughter.
The Colours of Love is not just a love story, but also about how love exists in every shade of colour, literally and figuratively. The story shows that love can be found in every person, regardless of where they come from or what they look like.
There are a lot to point out but I’ll just focus on a few.
First, a brief rundown of the story:
Two pregnant women (Harriet and Rose) give birth, one who passed before birth and the other to a girl, respectively. Rose pleads with Harriet, who is a stranger, to take her child, as her child’s life is in danger. The secret is kept between them, and Harriet raises the girl, Esther, as her own. Esther grows up, marries Monty, and has a child named Joy, who is black from birth. This revelation shocks everyone, leading to Harriet telling the truth to a stunned Theobald, her nasty husband. It turns out that Esther’s biological father must have been black.
Monty, overwhelmed and unable to accept the child, distances himself, not wanting Joy, which causes Esther pain. After some time, Esther meets Caleb, who loves her and her child.
Now, ‘Prejudice’ which is the first theme comes in at the point where Monty refuses to accept his child. Ironically, he’s part of the soldiers fighting against Hitler’s regime, yet he harboured their racist views toward people not of his colour. He was fighting one form of prejudice while perpetuating another. The irony, again.
Then, we have the ‘secrets.’ The book is filled with them, making difficult situations worse. Like Rose who didn’t mention that her child’s father was black. Like Harriet, who kept the secret of Esther’s parentage away from Theobald because she wanted to bear him a child and was terrified of his wrath.
It was frustrating to read because you could see how things might have turned out differently if the truth had been said from the start. Immediately I read the scene where Harriet had a dream about Rose asking about her child, I knew the secret was returning to haunt her…and in an unexpected way.
Another theme is how people adapt after the war, like Monty and Caleb.
Monty clings to his old life which no longer exists, which is why, despite not liking Theobald or agreeing with his values, he joins him because of money, leading him to make terrible choices, like distancing himself from Joy. On the other hand, Caleb, tries to adapt to his new reality, even despite losing one of his legs. Their different paths show how trauma can affect people in different ways and how they move on from it.
Another theme is the different ways mothers in the book show their love to their kids.
Rose’s love for her daughter is perhaps one of the most heart-breaking examples. Knowing that her child will be doomed to live in the orphanage or worse, killed, she gives her newborn baby to Harriet, knowing that it’s the only way to protect her child. Harriet, in turn, shows another form of motherly love by accepting and raising a child that isn’t hers.
Then there’s Clarissa, Monty’s mother, whose love is far more controlling. Clarissa disapproved of Monty marrying Esther because she couldn’t stand Theobald. Though she loves Monty, it was tainted by her desire to bend him to her will, and unfortunately, Monty couldn’t stand up to her—even Clarissa’s husband.
In contrast, Eliza, Caleb’s mother, also has strong opinions about her son’s choices but shows a different kind of love. While she doesn’t want Caleb involved with someone like Esther because she’s scared of what people will say, she allows him to make his own decisions.
Finally, there’s Esther, who knowing what her mixed-race child will endure, determines to protect her at all costs. Even when Monty was trying to lure her back with money and gifts, she never once changed her stance to return to him. Divorce was a big deal then, but she knew that Monty didn’t want the child and she’d rather live in penury with her daughter than in wealth with someone who no longer cared for her or her child.
And it’s not surprising to see that Monty never returns to see his daughter.
The Colours of Love is not just a love story, but also about how love exists in every shade of colour, literally and figuratively. The story shows that love can be found in every person, regardless of where they come from or what they look like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
I did enjoy reading this book. However, a couple of times I thought that the author had put a modern spin on things. You can’t put modern thinking into a book about the 1940s. I was disappointed that Theobald turned out to be a paedophile . That really wasn’t necessary. He could have just been a violent drunkard. Also the name Caleb would have been rare then. The story was a good happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2023
Love wins
Interesting, truth of the past ,sad but also joy .Hard times and difficult years that saw hardship and strength.Life was hard and cruel but not without good times and folk pulling together,
got through these years .It's love that matters enjoyed.
Interesting, truth of the past ,sad but also joy .Hard times and difficult years that saw hardship and strength.Life was hard and cruel but not without good times and folk pulling together,
got through these years .It's love that matters enjoyed.
July 1, 2017
Couldnt finish this book, bored me to tears!
December 17, 2017
I found it a great read and a very moving story
January 29, 2018
Fantastic book loved it!
February 11, 2019
A very good book.
I have really enjoyed this book. It is a book you couldn't lay down waiting to see what was happening next.
I have really enjoyed this book. It is a book you couldn't lay down waiting to see what was happening next.
August 10, 2019
Good.
This book didn't hold my attention as much as her previous books ...it is good but not excellent in my opinion.
This book didn't hold my attention as much as her previous books ...it is good but not excellent in my opinion.
August 18, 2019
Quite a good book to read Some very sad parts but a happy ending
Read
June 3, 2020Also writes under the pseudonym of Helen Brooks for Mills and Boon and writes family sagas under this name.
June 15, 2020
This book was really good but disappointed with the ending.
September 23, 2020
Read this. great book it was the second time I have read it.
February 7, 2021
really enjoyed reading this book although it could have been shorter.
December 10, 2021
Quite good but not the best I have read or the author. Good for light reading.
December 14, 2022
very good!
February 13, 2023
This book is a Fantastic read about a girl that didn't know she had a colored Father as she was white, and the prejudice she has all her life. Will she find the happiness she deserves?
August 10, 2023
A beautiful read
September 15, 2023
Excellent
The story was excellent. The characters wonderful. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. On with the next book. Cannot wait. Thrilling.
The story was excellent. The characters wonderful. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. On with the next book. Cannot wait. Thrilling.
November 11, 2023
Wonderful book, Rita never fails to write an amazing story.
January 21, 2025
Fantastic book
February 16, 2022
not for all, and that includes me...
September 9, 2018
I loved this book!!! This was my first Rita Bradshaw and it won't be my last. This is the story of Esther, who only leans of her true parentage when her baby daughter is born. I love books with an historical aspect in them and this ticked all the boxes. It was set mainly during world war 2, although the story starts with Esther' s birth in 1923. Esther is such a strong character that I found myself willing her to succeed. The issues surrounding the attitudes at the time to race and colour are delt with sensitively but with great realism and it certainly makes you think and even question how your upbringing shapes your opinions. I would recommend this book to everyone, a great story about a time in history that can teach us so much.
May 22, 2016
Not sure about some of the facts in this book- not terribly important ones within the story but a few things jarred.
Story was pretty good and I liked the main characters - and disliked the ones we are supposed to dislike!
Bought after an author talk and not totally sure it really addressed the problems of a coloured child in the 1940s as intended.
Story was pretty good and I liked the main characters - and disliked the ones we are supposed to dislike!
Bought after an author talk and not totally sure it really addressed the problems of a coloured child in the 1940s as intended.
March 6, 2016
enjoyed this book from start to finish heartbreaking story of esther bringing up her daughter joy through the trials of war time rejecting from her family and finding true love again with a happy ending loved it
November 12, 2015
always enjoy rita bradshaw,s books was not dissapointed
November 30, 2015
my first Rita Bradshaw, really really liked it.
February 3, 2016
Excellent read.
February 29, 2016
Excellent read. Hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews