A Penny A Day

by Lilian Harry

April Grove and Burracombe characters are linked in this touching new Lilian Harry novel. It is December 1952. A wedding is being planned in April Grove, Portsmouth, and Jess and Frank Budd want to bring together all their friends and neighbors, both from April Grove itself and from Bridge End, where the family was evacuated during World War II. They even invite Stella Simmons and her sister Maddy, who now live in the Devonshire village of Burracombe. Dan and Ruth Hodges attend, together with Dan's son Sammy, who immediately falls in love with his childhood playmate Maddy. But Stephen Napier, son of the Squire of Burracombe, proves a strong rival and Maddy is not yet ready to make such a momentous decision about her life. Meanwhile, Ruth's niece Lizzie and her husband Alec seem to have overcome the problems they encountered when Alec returned from the prisoner-of-war camp which almost broke him. But their happiness is threatened when a face from Lizzie's past reappears in her life and turns everything upside down.

Genres: Fiction

348 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

aka Donna Baker, Nicola West

Donna Thomson was born in Gosport, near Portsmouth Harbour, England, UK. Growing up during the terrifying years of the Blitz in a two-up, two-down terraced house, the youngest of four, she aspired to be a writer from an early age.

As a young woman she worked in the Civil Service and moved to Devon to be near her sailor husband. They had a son and a daughter. When the marriage ended, she and her two children moved to the Midlands, where she happily married again to her second husband. After living in the Lake District for twelve years, she finally moved back to Devon, and now lives in a village on the edge of Dartmoor. She lost her son Philip in 2008, and has two grandchildren. A keen walker and animal-lover, she now has a dog and three ginger cats to keep her busy, along with a wide range of hobbies she enjoys.

She started signing her romance novels as Donna Baker and Nicola West, now she also writes as Lilian Harry (inspired by the first names of her grandparents). Among her works are historical novels, romances and even two books giving advice on how to write short stories and novels.

Reviews

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and hard to put down.
Recommended.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realise I still had this book till I was having a sort out to make room for yet more books and I just can't bring myself to part with it.
So I will dust it down once again and put in my to read again pile of treasured books.
I am starting to wonder if I have become a hoarder and one day the postie will have to tunnel his way through to present me with yet another book.
Really need to refresh my memory with the book I have in my hand but I will tell you that I have not as yet been disappointed with a book written by Lillian Harry.
Storytelling at it's best. Recommended.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great book in the continuation of Lilian Harry's Burracombe series

[Terena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 3.5 out of 5 if I had been able to give it. This book features characters from three of Lilian Harry's saga series' - April Grove, Sammy, and Burracombe, who are joined together to attend the wedding of the somewhat unfortunately named Rose Budd, daughter of Jess and Frank from April Grove. The story relegates Rose to almost unmentioned after her wedding and concentrates on other characters, mainly stating how past secrets can come back to haunt you and which also leads to a shocking ending of the book too.

[Stacey Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange book to get into
roughly the first quarter very good, lovely start to the book with the wedding
second quarter was slow very repetitive with the Napiers part of the story.
third quarter starts to pick up again which at this point I couldn't put it down then finally in the last part and ending I didn't see coming at all. A character dies and it's not till the last but few pages you realise who has actually died.

Very gripping ending. Best read after A Storm over Burracombe I think

[Tina Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

Lillian Harry never disappoints. I always enjoy her books. Well crafted writing with real characters you care about. I cried at end. Her books are clean reads. It refreshing to have an author that does not need sex to sell her books. The story flows well and while characters appear in previous books it can still be read as standalone.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usual good book from Lilian Harry, really sad twist at the end.

[Andra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, gentle, warm, well written characters and heartbreaking end well handled.

[Ayny · Rating 4 out of 5]

suspenseful

[Jo Buckingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Lilian Harry but so sad at the end