The Leaving of Liverpool

by Lyn Andrews

At the close of the First World War, two sisters' battles are only just beginning...

The Leaving of Liverpool is a poignant saga about the friendship between sisters, the threat of dangerous men and the promise of true love in post-World War I Liverpool.

It is 1919. Liverpool has been devastated by World War I. But at last the war is over. Emily Parkinson goes back into service and enjoys the return to normality. But her sister Phoebe-Anne has ideas beyond her station. Working as a lady's maid, Phoebe-Ann hopes that one day she will be more than just a friend to her mistress's shell-shocked brother James Mercer.

When Emily is brutally attacked, the sisters' lives come close to ruin. Phoebe-Ann is forced to leave the Mercer household and falls into the arms of notorious Jake Malone. But as Emily recovers it seems that Phoebe-Anne might just be able to escape the mistakes of her past after all . . .

What readers are saying about The Leaving of Liverpool :

'Really enjoyed every moment of this book. It's a page turner right from the start'

' Excellent read - five stars '

' Enthralling to the end'

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance

416 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1992

About the author

Lyn Andrews is one of the the UK's top one hundred paper-back bestsellers. Born and brought up in Liverpool, she is the daughter of a policeman who also married a policeman. After becoming the mother of triplets, she took some time off from her writing whilst she raised her children. Shortlisted for the romantic Novelists' Association Award in 1993, she has now written twenty-one hugely successful novels. Lyn Andrews divides her time between Merseyside and Ireland.

Reviews

[Gillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale set in post-Great War times of two very different sisters and how the actions of one (Phoebe-Ann) impacts on the whole family in many negative ways and over a long period of time. Like a falling row of dominoes, tragedy after tragedy occurs following her attempts to befriend the ? shell-shocked son of the wealthy family for whom she and her sister work. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me page turning until the end.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book especially the first half, scene setting, post WW!, Liverpool and the age of the great ocean liners. I would have definitely scored it 4 if this had been sustained but the story seemed to loose something in the second half with a somewhat distorted timeframe and a contracted story packed with misfortune and lawless violence then quickly wrapped up at the end.

[Rahul Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that tells u the way u have to keep trust on your siblings, always pouring the rain of love over them that will help your family grow and cope with any unfavourable phase to come in future.

[Cherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this in two days because it was just so good!

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the launderette to read when I was waiting for my washing to finish & didn’t want to leave it so borrowed it to read. I really enjoyed Lyn Andrews writing style she gave her characters some real personalities. It felt like a real insight into Liverpool in days past a Northern answer to Downtown Abbey? I would definitely have watched this if it was made into a film.

[Alida Mulhall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just really like Lyn Andrews. A lot of her books are similar and I find them to be comfort reads. This one checked that for me!

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book by this author. She doesn't seem to write a bad book.

Back Cover Blurb:
Phoebe-Ann Parkinson was, according to her mum Lily and sister Emily, developing ideas above her station. In the Liverpool of 1919, still recovering from the effects of war, Emily was happy to go into service and be courted by the kind reliable Edwin. But Phoebe-Ann, working as lady's maid to Miss Olivia Mercer, dreamed of a much grander future, in which she was more than a servant to her young mistress and a confidante to Olivia's badly shell-shocked brother James. Then a tragic attack threatened to ruin Emily's life, and Phoebe-Ann was driven from the Mercer household and into the arms of Jake Malone, a member of the notorious, drunken Malone family. Abandoned by her family, loathed and despised by the foul-mouthed Ma Malone, she found her dreams turning to nightmares. But as Emily began to recover, Phoebe-Ann was able to start forging a new life for herself and to look forward to leaving Liverpool and her past behind her.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading lyn andrews books and this one didn't disappoint. This book a long with many others of lyn's works always transport me back in time. Her novels make you look back and wonder how difficult life must have been for people living in the slums and working tirelessly to make ends meet. I enjoyed reading the leaving of liverpool though I would say it's not my favourite lyn andrews book however it was a lovely spring read, easy to understand with a gripping story plot that left you hoping for a better life for the two main female characters. lovely little read for those who love a period book and a little bit of romance

[Emma J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a bit of a Lyn Andrews-A-Thon at the moment and can't get enough of her excellent books.
This one set just after the end of WW1 follows the fortunes of two sisters in Liverpool and their lives and loves.
It's full of family, feuding and tragedy...but has a happy ending. Standard Lyn Andrews formula which never fails to be thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sorry but I don't see how this became a Sunday Times No 1 Bestseller. There were moments of promise but they never blossomed.
A lot of the characters were caricatures and I found most of the events laughable in their predictability.

[Rhonda Sarantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another light vacation read by a prolific British author. It's fun when traveling to choose your next read by the random books left by fellow travelers!