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Dance Your Troubles Away
Pam Evans' heartwarming London saga, DANCE YOUR TROUBLES AWAY, is set during the Second World War and is sure to appeal to fans of Katie Flynn and Cathy Sharp.
When Polly Pritchard learns that her husband has been killed in action, she brings up their young daughter Emmie alone. To make ends meet she gets a job at the Cherry Ballroom in West London and it is here that she meets James, a Canadian airman, and they fall in love. But then Polly's husband turns up, very much alive...
Life is even harder for Polly after the war; James has gone; her husband is involved in a criminal gang; and their daughter suffers from an illness that leaves her deaf. But Polly's spirit remains strong and with courage and determination she find the happiness she and her daughter deserve.
When Polly Pritchard learns that her husband has been killed in action, she brings up their young daughter Emmie alone. To make ends meet she gets a job at the Cherry Ballroom in West London and it is here that she meets James, a Canadian airman, and they fall in love. But then Polly's husband turns up, very much alive...
Life is even harder for Polly after the war; James has gone; her husband is involved in a criminal gang; and their daughter suffers from an illness that leaves her deaf. But Polly's spirit remains strong and with courage and determination she find the happiness she and her daughter deserve.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2017
34 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 9, 2018
An enjoyable story set during the second world war. Polly and her family get through the war years, but life doesn't settle down as the end of the war brings new difficulties. A light and easy read full of likeable characters.
February 5, 2019
A nice story but a bit slow. This is not the best Pamela Evans book. Although I enjoyed it as it was easy reading.
August 19, 2017
Fine. Had to read to end but nothing brilliant.
February 2, 2018
Nice story to listen to in the car about the life of people living through the war
September 25, 2022
When Polly Pritchard learns that her husband has been KIA, she brings up their young daughter Emmie alone. To make ends meet she gets a job at the Cherry Ballroom in West London and it is here that she meets James, a Canadian airman, and they fall in love. But then Polly's husband turns up, very much alive...
Life is even harder for Polly after the war; James has gone; her husband is involved in a criminal gang; and their daughter suffers from an illness that leaves her deaf. But Polly's spirit remains strong and with courage and determination she find the happiness she and her daughter deserve.
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is synonymous with spiv.The word "wide" used in this sense means wide-awake or sharp-witted. It applies to the wide-lapelled suits and broad ties, commonly called ' Kipper's ', after the similarly broad fish, which were worn.
Newspapers of the late 1940s and 1950s often use both terms in the same article about the same person when dealing with ticket touts, fraudsters, and black market traders. It has become more generally used to describe a dishonest trader or a petty criminal who works by guile rather than force.
From 1939 to 1945, hundreds of thousands of Canadian servicemen were stationed in Britain, some for as long as four years. They worked and trained while the Allied Command prepared for the final assault on occupied Europe. As a result, Canadian servicemen and women were living in areas throughout the United Kingdom. Chance encounters, local social events and dances ensured that Canadian servicemen met the young women in nearby cities, towns and villages all over the United Kingdom. Inevitably, many fell in love.
Parents were sometimes opposed: they foresaw that a marriage to a foreign serviceman would probably result in loss and separation from their daughters and grandchildren. In the 1940s, before transatlantic commercial air travel, this was a journey that few families could afford.
Dancing was a key part of maintaining morale through its very nature of bringing people together.
Life is even harder for Polly after the war; James has gone; her husband is involved in a criminal gang; and their daughter suffers from an illness that leaves her deaf. But Polly's spirit remains strong and with courage and determination she find the happiness she and her daughter deserve.
Wide boy is a British term for a man who lives by his wits, wheeling and dealing. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is synonymous with spiv.The word "wide" used in this sense means wide-awake or sharp-witted. It applies to the wide-lapelled suits and broad ties, commonly called ' Kipper's ', after the similarly broad fish, which were worn.
Newspapers of the late 1940s and 1950s often use both terms in the same article about the same person when dealing with ticket touts, fraudsters, and black market traders. It has become more generally used to describe a dishonest trader or a petty criminal who works by guile rather than force.
From 1939 to 1945, hundreds of thousands of Canadian servicemen were stationed in Britain, some for as long as four years. They worked and trained while the Allied Command prepared for the final assault on occupied Europe. As a result, Canadian servicemen and women were living in areas throughout the United Kingdom. Chance encounters, local social events and dances ensured that Canadian servicemen met the young women in nearby cities, towns and villages all over the United Kingdom. Inevitably, many fell in love.
Parents were sometimes opposed: they foresaw that a marriage to a foreign serviceman would probably result in loss and separation from their daughters and grandchildren. In the 1940s, before transatlantic commercial air travel, this was a journey that few families could afford.
Dancing was a key part of maintaining morale through its very nature of bringing people together.
April 26, 2025
The plot takes place during World War II. Polly Pritchard discovers that her husband has been killed in action. She has to bring up their daughter alone, working at the Cherry Ballroom where she meets James. They instantly fall in love. However, things start to get complicated when her husband shows up, very much alive. Her husband causes problems for Polly who is already under so much pressure and stress.
+ moving
+ appealing
Polly is a courageous, strong and determined woman who cares well for her daughter. The plot of the book was intriguing and well written. I enjoyed it. It was a fast read and emotional. It kept me guessing what will happen next. I truly wanted Polly to have her happily ever after, as I believed she deserved it. You have to read it to find out what actually happens.
You can find me on IG: book_by_book_reviews
+ moving
+ appealing
Polly is a courageous, strong and determined woman who cares well for her daughter. The plot of the book was intriguing and well written. I enjoyed it. It was a fast read and emotional. It kept me guessing what will happen next. I truly wanted Polly to have her happily ever after, as I believed she deserved it. You have to read it to find out what actually happens.
You can find me on IG: book_by_book_reviews
July 13, 2022
This is my second book by this author and it was another great read. I did find this one slightly slow in parts but just loved the storyline with the few twists and turns. I always find the characters this author writes to be so likeable and this book was just the same. The story was based on the Cherry ballroom and I just thought that was a lovely touch and I really enjoyed reading about it. Another lovely read by this author.
May 30, 2022
A great read
Pamela Evans novels don't disappoint. Dance Your Troubles Away, based during the latter years of WW2 and the immediate post war era, allows the reader to follow the ups and downs of everyday family life from a bygone era. Great characters that make this a good read.
Pamela Evans novels don't disappoint. Dance Your Troubles Away, based during the latter years of WW2 and the immediate post war era, allows the reader to follow the ups and downs of everyday family life from a bygone era. Great characters that make this a good read.
October 16, 2019
Lovely book
February 21, 2021
enjoyed every single page another book you just could'nt put down
August 4, 2021
Very slow-moving. So predictable that I felt as if I had read it before, but overall a sweet story.
February 18, 2022
Was enjoyable, but do not recommend
January 16, 2023
‘Light Read’ with a lot of character dialogue making it a predictable storyline. It is ‘ok’ and many people will enjoy this as a quick read.
April 6, 2025
Enjoyable enough family saga. Drags a little in the last quarter.
June 29, 2021
Brilliant story .
June 3, 2017
This was my first Pam Evans book and have to say I was not disappointed. As always with these wartime saga romances its predictable but there were a few twists along the way and I warmed to all the characters. I loved it too because of my own love of dancing and I would love to have worked at the Cherry Ballroom. A nice warm touching tale.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews