Wives and Mothers

by Jeanne Whitmee

Shy, seventeen year old Grace is swept off her feet when she meets Harry, an up and coming musician in a dance band.
With her father a strict Catholic, Harry is a breath of fresh air, giving Grace a taste of excitement outside the confines of her rigid upbringing.
But when her tyrannical father reacts with violence to their friendship, Grace runs away to London with Harry to begin a fresh start.
Her damaged past has scarred her heavily however, and she finds herself unable to open up to Harry.
Visions of her father haunt her with each romantic embrace, leaving Harry feeling rejected and undesirable.
When he meets a glamorous woman with similar interests to him, Grace is left to raise their only daughter, Elaine, on her own.
The separation does wonders for Grace’s own career, where she discovers that she has a flair for selling new fashion clothes.
Whilst her boutique business thrives however, her private life is lonely and void of excitement.
In order to protect her daughter from the same horrors she encountered, Grace is over-protective, resulting in Elaine unable to open up to her mother.
When Elaine meets the Carne’s, she is dazzled by their relaxed attitude to life, finding the freedom a sanctuary away from the small flat she shares with her mother.
Before long, Elaine falls deeply in love with the elder son, Patrick, but things go badly wrong, and Elaine is trapped in a loveless marriage, with her daughter Tricia, becoming her main and only focus.
Through Grace, Elaine and Tricia, a heartwarming family saga is revealed, reflecting the achievements and setbacks of three generations of woman.
The relationship between each character plays an important role in their lives, with each being given a second chance for love and friendship.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Amazon

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 1991

Reviews

[Enid Cavallaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book to curl up with in a patch of sunlight on a chilly afternoon, which is exactly how I read it.
I loved the characters, and for me, it felt real, as if these were my friends telling me their troubles over a cup of tea.
This surprised me as this genre is not usually one that holds my attention. This book however did.
It’s not a face paced read, everything unfolds slowly the way life does.
If I could change anything about the book it would be the end. I would have liked a neater more complete end.

[Renee Bosgraaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very slow going...

I can usually get into a good book. Sadly, this one was slow going. Some parts could have been omitted, and it wouldn’t have missed. Sorry to the author, this is just my honest opinion. Also the ending could have been better. Good luck with reading.

[Kay B. Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant read

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story but it was slow to unfold. This is the first book I have read by this author and I was appalled at the number of typos in this book.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute wonderful story of three generations of women. Each mother passing down the same trait of not knowing how to be in a relationship. All three carry their own baggage from their childhood and relationships with the men in their lives.

This book is filled with a lot of emotions that I think many women will find they can relate. These women had either violent or non existent relationships with their fathers which made relationships with the men in their lives so full of strife.

Throughout the generation, they find they can rely on each other and that they are worth more than what their childhood and relationships gave them.