Many a Tear Has to Fall

by June Francis

"A young woman returns to Liverpool to rebuild her life and find new love in this engaging family saga"
1959. Her modelling career in tatters and her long-term relationship with her sailor boyfriend at an end, nineteen-year-old Maggie Gregory returns to her family in Liverpool to lick her wounds and decide what to do with the rest of her life. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger offers the possibility of new romance. But is the man who gives his name as Tim Murphy really all he seems? What secrets has he been keeping from Maggie? And will this new relationship only lead to more heartbreak?

Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2016

About the author

Although, June was born in the seaside resort of Blackpool, she has lived all her life in the port of Liverpool, home of the Beatles. One of four children, her love of stories began when her father told her 'The Little Match Girl', which left her in floods of tears, but also with a desire to make up stories, herself. As soon as she could read she was doing a three mile walk to the local library. She passed the scholarship to Liverpool Girls' College where her English teacher told her that she had a great imagination. Despite this, June did not believe she could ever be an author, so on leaving school, she became a cash clerk. She married at twenty-two, has three sons, ran a church playgroup for ten years and it wasn't until her youngest started school that she joined a Writers' Club and turned her hand to writing articles about What She Knew for a woman's magazine. But her first love had always been books and eventually she wrote her first two medieval romances for Mills & Boon. After doing another two, she had an urge to write a family story set in Liverpool during WWII. This was bought by another publisher. Since then she has had thirty-three books published.

Reviews

[sherry beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to slough through it

Nothing happens in this book. The writing is fine. Just way too many names to keep track of and too little action. I almost quit at 25% but I'm not a quitter. A peek into British life and language was what got me to the end of the book. I guess it was like Sex In The City, a show I have not watched.

[Mrs. Christine Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite.

I got confused, there were so many peoples names in this book, I couldn't remember who was who. I did read it to the end though. Wasn't my favourite book . Please make up your own mind if you want to read it.

[Barry Toone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring storyline. Characters not developed. The plot just petered out to a very lack lustre and predictable ending.

[Maureen Constable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could get confusing

But, it was a good story. Nice even though it lost me sometimes. I enjoyed the book even so. Couldn't put it down too.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay!

I found this book to be rather boring, it did not keep me interested. I feel very disappointed the story wasn't as I expected for the era!!!

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but too many relatives found it quite confusing which family the characters belonged to.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1959 and Maggie has always dreamed of being a model, but when she's nineteen years old and working as one she's being ordered to stop. Her career is over before it properly started. When she's also being left by the person she loves the most Maggie is heartbroken. She returns to her family in Liverpool with the plan to start over. On her way there Maggie runs into Tim and his son, who are taking the same train. It's a nice coincidence and she's glad to see a friendly face. They've already met once in London and Maggie didn't think she'd ever see him again. Tim is kind to Maggie and asks her out. Can Maggie trust him or is he another man with too many secrets?

Is going back to her family the right step for Maggie or will she have a difficult time ahead of her? Not everyone might be thrilled with her return and Maggie has to find a way to make a living. She has the chance to visit old friends and to catch up with family life. Maybe being back in Liverpool isn't so bad after all, but seeing something of the world remains alluring. What will the future bring, does it have more heartache in store for Maggie or will she have a real chance at happiness?

Many A Tear Has To Fall is a beautiful story about love, trust and family. I immediately liked Maggie. She's a talented and determined girl. She's strong and resilient as well and even though life can be unfair sometimes she never wallows or whines. I loved reading about her life and enjoyed getting to know her. Maggie is stylish and she can do anything she wants to do. She's young and has already lost a career, which makes her mature for her age. She has to discover what she likes besides modelling to be able to have her own life again and I loved reading about her attempts. She's a sweet sympathetic girl, which really makes the story.

June Francis has a wonderful warm writing style. She writes in a descriptive way that makes it easy to picture the scenes. I love how realistic her stories are. I felt like I was visiting Maggie and her family, having my own spot at their table which enabled me to see and hear everything. I like how June Francis describes both the time and setting, her writing is vivid and accurate and that makes the story very strong. I loved being taken back to the end of the 1950s and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the world from Maggie's point of view.

Many A Tear Has To Fall is a great novel with fantastic main characters. I was immediately fascinated by Tim and his family. There are a lot of fabulous secrets I couldn't wait to read more about. I was hooked from the start and loved every aspect of this story. June Francis manages to combine cozy family life with fascinating intrigues in a fantastic way. I liked that there are plenty of surprising twists and turns and the ending is unexpected and heartwarming. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it.