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Love and Laughter
Lilian Harry's warm, delightful tale of the rebuilding of lives in Plymouth after the Second World War.
Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
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About the author
Lilian Harry
65 books71 followersaka 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 26, 2014
A very touching story that gives you an insight to what the British went through before, during and after WW II.
December 17, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Recommended.
June 29, 2022
Beautiful heartfelt journey of love, loneliness and survival through the war, showing the strength of a womanly, Lucy, who kept the family together and successfully rebuilt their family guest house into an amazing hotel. Losing first, the husband she loved so much, who had returned from the war in constant torture and then her son who was sent to Korea. She kept fighting for survival and the ending made everything worthwhile. Really enjoyed this well written book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2023
I get the reason behind the title, but I don't think it fit the book at all!
At first, I was really rooting for Lucy and Wilmot. I hoped so much that they would be happy and he'll get better.
Lucy had gone through so much during the war. I'm not used to these kinds of books to be so dark, but it was really well done.
But near the end, when Lucy I stopped liking her and hoped she had an unhappy ending.
At first, I was really rooting for Lucy and Wilmot. I hoped so much that they would be happy and he'll get better.
Lucy had gone through so much during the war. I'm not used to these kinds of books to be so dark, but it was really well done.
But near the end, when Lucy I stopped liking her and hoped she had an unhappy ending.
June 29, 2023
It's a good story and would have been three stars but for the numerous errors in historical facts and wrong character names and dates which prove very confusing (especially early on).
August 18, 2023
An interesting tale of the problems caused for people returning from prisoner-of-war camps to their families.
October 26, 2023
where’s love and laughter 😔
October 15, 2024
I loved the history and the feel of how it was to actually live through these very real events, dealing with things that would be astonishing in peace time - but became the ‘normal’.
August 29, 2025
interesting book set during world war 2, the history was interesting .
August 7, 2016
I love Lilian Harry's stories but the protagonist annoyed me so much in this one.
This book highlights the lack of care and attention soldiers faced regarding their mental health on returning from an incredibly traumatic experience.
Lucy's husband returns from a Japanese POW camp a shadow of the man he was when he left for the war. The only member of the family who seems to care at all about him on his return is their daughter who is confined to a wheelchair.
Wilmot's eventual suicide is not grieved by Lucy; instead she sees it as a blessing as he can now marry the man she cheated with during the war.
Lucy also neglects her children. She treats her son and his finacée terribly, slut shaming the girl who had been nothing but faithful to her lover. She more or less ignores Patsy, and hardly pays her attention after the raid which left her wheelchair bound. Lucy only grieved after her favourite child who died, leaving her other children to cope alone.
Aside from the protagonist, the story and writing was very good and provided a good insight to the aftermath of the war.
This book highlights the lack of care and attention soldiers faced regarding their mental health on returning from an incredibly traumatic experience.
Lucy's husband returns from a Japanese POW camp a shadow of the man he was when he left for the war. The only member of the family who seems to care at all about him on his return is their daughter who is confined to a wheelchair.
Wilmot's eventual suicide is not grieved by Lucy; instead she sees it as a blessing as he can now marry the man she cheated with during the war.
Lucy also neglects her children. She treats her son and his finacée terribly, slut shaming the girl who had been nothing but faithful to her lover. She more or less ignores Patsy, and hardly pays her attention after the raid which left her wheelchair bound. Lucy only grieved after her favourite child who died, leaving her other children to cope alone.
Aside from the protagonist, the story and writing was very good and provided a good insight to the aftermath of the war.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2016
I love Lilian Harry's stories but the protagonist annoyed me so much in this one.
This book highlights the lack of care and attention soldiers faced regarding their mental health on returning from an incredibly traumatic experience.
Lucy's husband returns from a Japanese POW camp a shadow of the man he was when he left for the war. The only member of the family who seems to care at all about him on his return is their daughter who is confined to a wheelchair.
Wilmot's eventual suicide is not grieved by Lucy; instead she sees it as a blessing as he can now marry the man she cheated with during the war.
Lucy also neglects her children. She treats her son and his finacée terribly, slut shaming the girl who had been nothing but faithful to her lover. She more or less ignores Patsy, and hardly pays her attention after the raid which left her wheelchair bound. Lucy only grieved after her favourite child who died, leaving her other children to cope alone.
Aside from the protagonist, the story and writing was very good and provided a good insight to the aftermath of the war.
This book highlights the lack of care and attention soldiers faced regarding their mental health on returning from an incredibly traumatic experience.
Lucy's husband returns from a Japanese POW camp a shadow of the man he was when he left for the war. The only member of the family who seems to care at all about him on his return is their daughter who is confined to a wheelchair.
Wilmot's eventual suicide is not grieved by Lucy; instead she sees it as a blessing as he can now marry the man she cheated with during the war.
Lucy also neglects her children. She treats her son and his finacée terribly, slut shaming the girl who had been nothing but faithful to her lover. She more or less ignores Patsy, and hardly pays her attention after the raid which left her wheelchair bound. Lucy only grieved after her favourite child who died, leaving her other children to cope alone.
Aside from the protagonist, the story and writing was very good and provided a good insight to the aftermath of the war.
January 25, 2008
A war-time story about a family whose mother holds them together despite hardships and tragedies. Moving in places, occasionally shocking (though never gruesome). Took a while to get going, then quite gripping.
August 4, 2011
Interesting book which really gives you a feel for the time, on another note the front cover of the book is awful.....very cheesy.
June 22, 2014
Easy read about a family during World war 2 based in Plymouth.
May 16, 2013
really enjoyed book, always kept me gript to the storyline.
November 17, 2014
Great read from start to finish. Everyones life intermingles as you watch the ups and downs, sadness and happiness and the changes of the family during the 2nd WW and afterwards.
November 30, 2014
Nice light reading
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews