Pins and Needles

by Rosie Harris

In this gripping new saga, set in Wales, twins Donna and Tanwen couldn’t be more opposite in looks and personality and, although their lives are entwined, the outcomes are very different.

Genres: Historical Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Rosie Harris was born in Cardiff and for several years worked in the City Hall. Her husband, Ken, was from Wallasey and after they married they lived on Merseyside for many years.
She has been writing since the 1950’s. In the 1960’s she ran her own agency, Regional Feature Service, writing articles for most of the provincial newspapers.
During the 70’s she became Editorial Controller for a non-fiction house.
In the 1980’s, after publishing a number of non-fiction titles she turned to fiction and during the 1980/90’s had a number of short stories published as well as five books by Sphere under the name Marion Harris.
Since 2002 she has had some 20 books published by Heinemann/Arrow. She sets her books in the 20’s because she has a great admiration for the women who were wives and mothers in those days. They had none of the current time-saving equipment – no washing machines or vacuum cleaners, no instant electric fires or cookers, and certainly no Internet. Their days were long and arduous and often they had to manage on very little money.
In 2005 she was one of the judges when Arrow and Asda collaborated in a major national competition to find the next big saga writer.
Her most recent titles are Love Changes Everything and The Quality of Love. The next, Whispers of Love, will be published in March 2010.

Reviews

[Silvia Yanuar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Rosie Harris for writing this book. It was excellent to read, I liked it very much and recommend it further on. Beautiful book.

[Roz Radmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Tanwen and Donna Evans are as different as possible . Tanwen is attractive with blonde hair and blue eyes . She is slim and bubbly , but selfish to the core .
Donna is shorter , plump and very shy . She spends most of her time covering up for her sisters misdeeds .
When the girls are fourteen in 1924 they become apprentices at the Cardiff Drapers , where their mother once worked . Mother Gwyneth insists the girls never go anywhere alone and Tanwen hates having her sister tagging along . Donna also hates playing gooseberry . Then she meets the tall , handsome Dylan and falls in love . Alas Tanwen wants him and what Tanwen wants she gets . This time however she gets more than she bargained for and Donna is left with the consequences . How can twins be so different ?

[Kay McChesney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet romance

I enjoyed the book, especially the happy ending. It’s a quick read. I agree with others that the two characters were written to be too black and white—Tanwen, all black, Megan all white. Most people are actually a mixture of both.

[Elsie A. Szablowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story of Love & Finally a happy Ending!

Great title for a story that you knew would end on a happy note and yet with all the twists & turns, you were never quite sure if it would ever happen for Donna. I will be reading more from this author. Good read!

[RJC · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not great. Setting the scene and character building at the start, which the characters seem to lose towards the end. Poor narrative.

[Bernie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dramatic and great characters