At the Mile End Gate

by Sally Worboyes

It’s 1945, the war is over and the soldiers are coming back to the bomb-ravaged East End. Tom Smith is one of the thousands who are returning home. He can’t wait to see his wife, Jessie , their son, Billy, and the new baby daughter he hasn’t even laid eyes on. But life back home wasn’t easy, especially once Jessie’s army pension was stopped after Tom deserted. So when she was told to put her infant daughter Emma-Rose into a home for her own good, she thought it was for the best. But how will Tom take the news? And how will he react when he learns that Jessie’s old boyfriend has been helping her during the war? A compelling family drama set in London, perfect for fans of Katie Flynn and Mary Collins.

Genres: Historical Fiction

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2001

About the author

Sally Worboyes was born and grew up in Stepney with four brothers and a sister, and she brings some of the raw history of her own family background to her East End sagas. She now lives in Norfolk with her husband, with whom she has three grown-up children. She has written several plays which have been broadcast on Anglia Television and Radio Four. She also adapted her own play and novel, WILD HOPS, as a musical, The Hop Pickers.

Reviews

[Maureen Farrugia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Down Stepney Way | First book of war trilogy
Over Bethnal Green | Second book of war trilogy
At the Mile End Gate| Third book of war trilogy

Published 2001 | Set 1945

The edition I read dose not seem to be a choice on here.

Sally Worboyes dose not get too hard hitting on the mental devastation of war, nevertheless, the subject is still very Much present, and your own emotion reads itself into the storyline.

From this trilogy I gained information that during the years these books were set in, there was a community of Germans in East London, from my visits to the area, I never picked up on that fact. Now thinking back, I definitely Noticed many blonde, blue eye fair skinned young ladies. (The young lady working in the designer chemist - wow)

A story in the trilogy concerning the main female character and her first boyfriend was a bit topsy turvy, as like, why!? Did he not make a show after his sister threw a spanner into the couples relationship. The true magnitude of his love For his ex girlfriend he declared later.

Fashion:) Women had put glamour to one side. They were wearing turbans, dungarees or slacks, and stout crepe-soled Shoes.
During the war years, or shortly after, there was a fashion of structured pointed hats and shoulders in jumpers, like Architecture/buildings which looked to be worn as a defence mechanism against the bombs.

The cockney spoken in this book got a little too much.

The End

[Ruby Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, a brilliant read, i liked the era that it was set in and the characters within the story. Having read the last 2 of the trilogy and now finished the third i feel there might be another chapter in this familys life that could be written.

[Daisy Mawdsley-hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be looking for the rest of the series so I can find out what happens next

[George McLay]

Great read and a wonderful ending

[Jane]

Easy reading but the ending a bit far fetched

[Mrs Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

So disappointed with the unbelievable ending in this trilogy. I really enjoyed the first two books but unfortunately felt let down by this final one!

[Asmaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than other 2 in series good read not as gripping as some but good