It Had To Be You: A charming postwar family saga

by June Francis

Orphaned as a young child, Emma Booth was raised by her grandparents in a Lancashire village. Following her grandfather's sudden death, Emma assumes she is now without family, until she finds a letter written in 1940 from a woman to her widowed father. The letter reveals that before his death at Dunkirk, her father had fathered another child, and that Emma has a half-sister, Betty Booth . Determined to find Betty, Emma is drawn away from the countryside to the austere city life of post-war Liverpool. But building a relationship with Betty isn't easy, and Emma has to overcome dogged obstruction from Betty's aunt,  Elsie,  to be a part of her sister's life. Despite the challenges, the sisters discover common ground and get along well, until a secret threatens to disrupt their newfound relationship and life together. An engaging post-war family saga, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Kitty Neale.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2011

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

[Susie Helme · Rating 4 out of 5]

1952 Yorkshire. Two half-sisters are separated and, as adults, find out about each other.
Emma Booth is with her grandfather Harold, advising him not to go out, as it’s icy. Despite conditions, they go to the pictures. On the way out, the old man slips on the icy pavement and fatally hits his head, leaving Emma with only memories of her grandparents and her parents.
She finds a letter to her grandmother from a woman, Lizzie Booth, and discovers she has a half-sister. She decides to go to Liverpool to meet her. On the train, her bag is stolen, but a kind passer-by gives her some money to continue her journey. She arrives to find the house derelict, and furthermore, sprains her ankle at the door, but a young constable, Dougie Marshall, stops to help. Dougie and Emma make enquiries about her family, which end at Mrs Elsie Gregory, Betty’s aunt.
Finally, Emma gets a letter directly to Betty; the half-sisters meet and get along famously. Emma opens her tearoom on Whit bank holiday weekend.
Betty has a secret regarding Uncle Teddy, which the girls eventually find out about.
Betty is able to continue her studies in Liverpool. ‘Our Jared’ is home from Korea.
More nefarious behaviour on Teddy’s part prompts Elsie to confess to the youngsters the secrets of the past.
The dialogue in this post-war family saga is unnatural in places. The story is told linearly, as is the usual template for family sagas—first these people did this, then those people did that. This can get tiresome at times, when you’re having to read about every cup of tea and every scone and every cigarette. I know it’s Yorkshire, but are people really SO often referred to as ‘our So-and-so’? The characters are interesting and relatable, and the pacing is good.

[Alex Ankarr · Rating 2 out of 5]

nope.

[Elhara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lately I have struggled to find a book that I could relax with; especially over the holiday season.
In 1952 post war UK, a recently orphaned Emma Booth discovers a half sister she didn't know she had.
Set in Liverpool and the small village of Clitheroe, the sister's journey takes many turns as the girls get to know each other. Family secrets, deception and new found passions make for a bumpy ride.
Well written by June Francis, this is her latest book and a first for me.
Very enjoyable.

[Kay Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book

[Chery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving these old stories. The way it's written has me totally lost in another time.

[Haslina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the books that captivated me from page 1. Loved it!