Lost in Solway

by George Fairbrother

Solway is a tough industrial city somewhere on England's North Sea coast. The Great Depression laid waste to its proud engineering and shipbuilding heritage, creating poverty on a Dickensian scale, but the onset of World War Two offered the dying city a lifeline; moribund industry was resurrected for the war effort and thousands went back to work.But now the city faces a new threat, this time from above; docks, factories and military installations are prime targets for German bombers, turning long winter nights into hours of relentless, soul-destroying terror.Movie-obsessed Sylvia Bullock and easy-going Sidney Williams grew up together in the working-class terraced streets around Old Forge Lane. As young adults, they are now on the frontline, working the late shift on the buses, and facing dangers as real and immediate as many of their friends and family fighting overseas.One foggy night in the bleak January of 1943, with storm clouds and enemy bombers in the skies above them, life-and-death decisions confront many of Solway’s home front heroes and villains. That night, Sylvia and Sidney are brutally propelled into a strange and incomprehensible world, easily as terrifying and uncertain as the one they had left behind."...The tale spans two different centuries, characterized by distinct circumstances. The author vividly describes every scenario and builds all the characters brilliantly. It is a story that every ardent fan of historical fiction will enjoy. You will get as close as you can to a community adapting to times packed with uncertainty and stress due to war; from bomb shelters to nightmares visiting war veterans and black marketeers..." (Online Book Club)

Genres: Historical Fiction

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2021

About the author

George Fairbrother is the author of the Armstrong and Burton novels, and Lost in Solway, and is producer and host of the DEC4 Podcast. He is also an executive producer of The Bill Podcast, and the scripted audio series, Letter from Helvetica. His interests include cultural and working-class history, post-war British cinema, as well as classic rock and roll and early Hollywood.

Learn more at;

www.georgefairbrotherbooks.com

Podcasts at;

www.dec4podcast.com

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book certainly deserves its 5 stars and more...
I have enjoyed George Fairbrother's previous books, I liked his writing style and themes, so I went into this book blind, without reading the blurb. I wasn't disappointed. It felt a little slow to start with, but then boom, I was sucked into the story. I couldn't put the book down, on the rare occasion the book was put aside I was thinking about the two central characters. I've finished the book and I am still thinking about those characters, please somebody tell me there is a sequel. I am invested and my imagination is into overdrive.
A fantastic read, I would highly recommend to fellow readers.

[n Dalziel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining story of two worlds separated by time.

At first I found this story a bit odd, but reading further was fascinated by the concept of waking up to a very different world.

[Christine Weald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read especially if you could relate to the era and location. The descriptions were spot on. I liked the author’s style and enjoyed reliving the history, albeit it depressing.
I purchased the e-book and because it was so good went and purchased the paperback for my library.

[Kathleen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Such an enjoyable read. Left a lot of “food for thought.” It certainly spanned the generations very well and left you really wondering about the state of our world. Made you want to make it a better place.