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Caldwell #1
Taking Heart
After their father's haberdashery store is taken over, the three lovely Caldwell sisters are free to make their own way in the world. Elsie finds romance, and Daisy discovers her true vocation in nursing, but Immy feels left behind. Then her would-be-suitor James enlists in the army, and she is faced with some important choices . . .
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
64 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Rowena Summers
39 books19 followersJean Innes was born on 8 February 1932 in London, England, but she have lived in the West Country almost all her life. She married with Geoff Saunders, her childhood sweetheart, and they have three grown up children. She lived in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, where she wrote full time. She passed away on 3 August 2011, after contracting an illness, after being rushed to Weston General Hospital.
Jean began her career as a magazine writer and had published around 600 short stories. She start to published gothic romance novels under her married name Jean Saunders and her maiden name Jean Innes in the 1970s. In 1980s, she created, to wrote historical romances, two pseudonyms, her most popular, Rowena Summers and Sally Blake. In 1991 her novel, "The Bannister Girls," was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of Year award. In 2004, she began to used the penname Rachel Moore.
She was an active member and enthusiast of Swanwick, the Writers' Summer School, which takes place in Derbyshire, England, every August, she was a committee member several times, and also Vice-Chairman. She was elected the seventeenth Chairman (1993-1995) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. As a member of the Romance Writers of America she had given talks at conferences in various venues of the USA. She was a member of the Crime Writers' Association. She also was a member and past committee member of the West Country Writers' Association.
Jean began her career as a magazine writer and had published around 600 short stories. She start to published gothic romance novels under her married name Jean Saunders and her maiden name Jean Innes in the 1970s. In 1980s, she created, to wrote historical romances, two pseudonyms, her most popular, Rowena Summers and Sally Blake. In 1991 her novel, "The Bannister Girls," was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of Year award. In 2004, she began to used the penname Rachel Moore.
She was an active member and enthusiast of Swanwick, the Writers' Summer School, which takes place in Derbyshire, England, every August, she was a committee member several times, and also Vice-Chairman. She was elected the seventeenth Chairman (1993-1995) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. As a member of the Romance Writers of America she had given talks at conferences in various venues of the USA. She was a member of the Crime Writers' Association. She also was a member and past committee member of the West Country Writers' Association.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 25, 2022
Quentin owns Caldwell Supplies, the premises he rents has been bought by a larger company and he has to tell his family the business that supports them all is about to close. He has five children that depend on him, Imogen, Elsie, Daisy, Baz and little Teddy and his wife Frances is extremely unwell.
Mr. Caldwell doesn’t want to lose his childhood home and the family come up with various ideas on how they can save the house and stay in Bristol. Daisy and Teddy move to the country to live with Aunt Rose and Uncle Bertie. Quentin and Elsie both are employed at Penton’s Emporium and no way will Imogen work for the company that ended her father’s business.
The Caldwell family have had their share of tragedy and misfortune and they know if England’s involved in anther war things will only get worse and people are busy installing air-raid shelters in their backyards. The Caldwell girls have to navigate their first crushes, heartbreak, the fear of another war, watching the men they care for leave to fight and without their mother’s guidance.
I received a copy of Taking Heart (The Caldwell Girls Book 1) by Rowena Summers from NetGalley and Agora Books in exchange for an honest review. You’re given a glimpse into a middle class English families daily life in this quaint historical saga, I look forward to reading the second book in the series Daisy’s War and three and a half stars from me. Please note this book was originally published in 2000 and it has been released for the second time.
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Mr. Caldwell doesn’t want to lose his childhood home and the family come up with various ideas on how they can save the house and stay in Bristol. Daisy and Teddy move to the country to live with Aunt Rose and Uncle Bertie. Quentin and Elsie both are employed at Penton’s Emporium and no way will Imogen work for the company that ended her father’s business.
The Caldwell family have had their share of tragedy and misfortune and they know if England’s involved in anther war things will only get worse and people are busy installing air-raid shelters in their backyards. The Caldwell girls have to navigate their first crushes, heartbreak, the fear of another war, watching the men they care for leave to fight and without their mother’s guidance.
I received a copy of Taking Heart (The Caldwell Girls Book 1) by Rowena Summers from NetGalley and Agora Books in exchange for an honest review. You’re given a glimpse into a middle class English families daily life in this quaint historical saga, I look forward to reading the second book in the series Daisy’s War and three and a half stars from me. Please note this book was originally published in 2000 and it has been released for the second time.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KarrenReadsH...
May 24, 2019
What a great book. I loved it. It’s was just right for a holiday read, bright and cheerful and very readable. I will be looking for more like this.
August 17, 2019
A great story about Love and loss during war .
Really enjoyed this book , Loved the characters and the writing style .
It has all the elements of a great historical fiction novel .
Really enjoyed this book , Loved the characters and the writing style .
It has all the elements of a great historical fiction novel .
June 30, 2019
Review to follow.
June 14, 2019
When their nice cosy life is unexpectedly turned upside down with the crash of the family business, Imogen being the eldest is forced to take on the responsibility of her ailing mother who is in the early stages of senility and two younger sisters. Her father is totally blown away by the loss of his business and a huge loss of confidence in himself as a provider. Then the family is dealt another huge blow by the tragic death of their mother leaving them all rudderless. Though Frances was ineffective in dealing with the day to day lives of her family, she was very much loved and her loss affects them all badly.
Imogen comes up with the idea of taking in paid lodgers despite it being anathema to the society they live in. The youngest Teddy is sent along with Daisy to their aunt's house till they sort things out and Elsie and Imogen decide how they are going to manage not just their finances, but their personal lives and their father who has now become ineffective.
When the firm which took over their business offers their father a job, it is a life saver for him but for Isobel she feels the family are not being loyal to the Caldwell name. When her sister also joins the firm she is appalled but she is holding out but for what she doesnt know. The fact that everyone seems to have found some niche for themselves, along with boyfriends and a purpose whereas she seems aimless and jobless is enough to create tension for Imogen.
The onset of WWII is also imminent but the girls do not seem to want to acknowledge that it is going to happen. Whether reading about it in the newspapers or listening to the news is not the "done thing" for young women of the era I don't know but in this family they all pretended to be deaf and blind to what was happening in the world outside their little town, until it blew up in their face.
The family story of the Caldwells in the setting of just pre WWII was a good one. It embodied family values of the time, along with the position of women and what was expected of them. Family tension and rivalries were also seen - the way women took over the working world had still to come with the actual out break of the War. Characterization was interesting because we had all kinds of people in the book - from the flighty to the serious, from the domineering to the more submissive types.
Imogen comes up with the idea of taking in paid lodgers despite it being anathema to the society they live in. The youngest Teddy is sent along with Daisy to their aunt's house till they sort things out and Elsie and Imogen decide how they are going to manage not just their finances, but their personal lives and their father who has now become ineffective.
When the firm which took over their business offers their father a job, it is a life saver for him but for Isobel she feels the family are not being loyal to the Caldwell name. When her sister also joins the firm she is appalled but she is holding out but for what she doesnt know. The fact that everyone seems to have found some niche for themselves, along with boyfriends and a purpose whereas she seems aimless and jobless is enough to create tension for Imogen.
The onset of WWII is also imminent but the girls do not seem to want to acknowledge that it is going to happen. Whether reading about it in the newspapers or listening to the news is not the "done thing" for young women of the era I don't know but in this family they all pretended to be deaf and blind to what was happening in the world outside their little town, until it blew up in their face.
The family story of the Caldwells in the setting of just pre WWII was a good one. It embodied family values of the time, along with the position of women and what was expected of them. Family tension and rivalries were also seen - the way women took over the working world had still to come with the actual out break of the War. Characterization was interesting because we had all kinds of people in the book - from the flighty to the serious, from the domineering to the more submissive types.
June 28, 2019
TAKING HEART: poignant and heart-felt story of love, loss and war.
Written by Summers- a pseudonym for Jean Saunders- Taking Heart was originally written in the 1980s but has recently been re-issued, and I’m so glad it was! Based on the Caldwell girls in the build up to WW2, the story follows the likeable, strong and independent protagonist Imogen Caldwell (Immy). Her character was powerful and well-written and I was genuinely interested in her story: she reminded me so much of the character Emmy from Dear Mrs Bird. Characterisation was strong and whilst there is a large number of supporting characters Summers did a great job at making them integral to the story and the bigger picture- I was definitely invested in the other characters stories alongside Immy’s and they added more depth to the story and helped you understand more about Immy. Whilst I would have loved it if the story was told in first person, the way it is written allows you to see snapshots of Immy through the eyes of her family and friends, something that further contributed to my love of the book.
The book itself is largely focussed on the romantic lives of the Caldwell girls but it also showcases the denial of the people and how they failed to believe and admit the war was coming. This historical fiction aspect was particularly well-written and I personally felt it was an accurate representation of what we know today- a great feat as often this genre can have holes or errors around periods of history. It was also a refreshing take to pitch the storyline from the perspective of the girls left behind during the war- it’s always great to hear different perspectives on events that help build a bigger picture (albeit fictional).
Overall I loved this book; it had the history, romance and great characterisation which meant it was easy to devour! Likewise it had its fair share of unexpected tragedy which took me by surprise and left me emotional to say the least! Personally likened to Dear Mrs Bird, If you love historical fiction then it’s a great read!
Rating: 4 stars
This book was gifted by Agora in exchange for an honest review.
Written by Summers- a pseudonym for Jean Saunders- Taking Heart was originally written in the 1980s but has recently been re-issued, and I’m so glad it was! Based on the Caldwell girls in the build up to WW2, the story follows the likeable, strong and independent protagonist Imogen Caldwell (Immy). Her character was powerful and well-written and I was genuinely interested in her story: she reminded me so much of the character Emmy from Dear Mrs Bird. Characterisation was strong and whilst there is a large number of supporting characters Summers did a great job at making them integral to the story and the bigger picture- I was definitely invested in the other characters stories alongside Immy’s and they added more depth to the story and helped you understand more about Immy. Whilst I would have loved it if the story was told in first person, the way it is written allows you to see snapshots of Immy through the eyes of her family and friends, something that further contributed to my love of the book.
The book itself is largely focussed on the romantic lives of the Caldwell girls but it also showcases the denial of the people and how they failed to believe and admit the war was coming. This historical fiction aspect was particularly well-written and I personally felt it was an accurate representation of what we know today- a great feat as often this genre can have holes or errors around periods of history. It was also a refreshing take to pitch the storyline from the perspective of the girls left behind during the war- it’s always great to hear different perspectives on events that help build a bigger picture (albeit fictional).
Overall I loved this book; it had the history, romance and great characterisation which meant it was easy to devour! Likewise it had its fair share of unexpected tragedy which took me by surprise and left me emotional to say the least! Personally likened to Dear Mrs Bird, If you love historical fiction then it’s a great read!
Rating: 4 stars
This book was gifted by Agora in exchange for an honest review.
July 1, 2019
Taking Heart is the first book in a four part series titled The Caldwell Girls. The Caldwell Girls are three sisters growing up in a village near Bristol, there’s an anxious air all around with the constant talk of war beckoning. The girls, along with their two brothers, lives were fairly privileged until their father announced financial ruin with the family run shop. This sadly wasn’t the only bad news to hit the family and when tragedy strikes the children’s lives were to change irrevocably. Dreams were changed, hearts were broken and independence beckoned. A family at crisis were slowly making their mark in their lives in directions that surprised them all.
With the rumblings of war talks ever present life felt like it was precious and especially the young and in love who wished to grab any happiness they could before the inevitable.
Taking Heart is a lovely, gently family saga were formalities of the heart were entertained. The author’s style of writing flowed well and fitted with the era in question. Reading the novel felt like a trip down memory lane walking through a typical English country village waking up to the sound of birdsong and children’s laughter that would soon be replaced by the echo’s of the machinations of war.
Taking Heart was first published back in 2000 and Agora Books have recently republished the novel, with a brand new cover. Sadly the author passed away in 2011 but I’m delighted to hear that her stories are reaching out to new readers and her fiction is bringing history to life. I look forward to continuing the journey of The Caldwell Girls with more stories to come later this year.
With the rumblings of war talks ever present life felt like it was precious and especially the young and in love who wished to grab any happiness they could before the inevitable.
Taking Heart is a lovely, gently family saga were formalities of the heart were entertained. The author’s style of writing flowed well and fitted with the era in question. Reading the novel felt like a trip down memory lane walking through a typical English country village waking up to the sound of birdsong and children’s laughter that would soon be replaced by the echo’s of the machinations of war.
Taking Heart was first published back in 2000 and Agora Books have recently republished the novel, with a brand new cover. Sadly the author passed away in 2011 but I’m delighted to hear that her stories are reaching out to new readers and her fiction is bringing history to life. I look forward to continuing the journey of The Caldwell Girls with more stories to come later this year.
June 24, 2019
A pleasant old fashioned read about a plucky young woman- Imogen- whose family falls apart in the years just before WWII and how she pulls things together. Her father's lost his firm, her mother's died, her brother is sent away and life is just in a knot. Then her father and her sister both get jobs at the company which took over their father's company and she feels at sea. Thanks to Netgalley for the DRC. This is a reissue but the story is timeless.
June 22, 2019
If you've ever suffered the loss of a close family member, you know how profound of an impact it has on your life. What I enjoyed most was the author exploring the individual responses and family dynamic post-tragedy. It's really a turning point in this book. There are those who cannot move on, others who run away, others who try to do what they think is best but are fulfilling their own personal motives among other reactions. Everyone has their own way of dealing with loss and whether there is a "right" or a "wrong" way, we all have to do what's best individually. These young ladies also exhibit such inner strength that it's beautiful to watch as they find themselves. It's a roller coaster of a journey for the Caldwell girls full of love, heartbreak, determination and a looming war!
September 18, 2019
A bit boring
A nice book but it was boring you knew what was going to happen and the ending was abrupt disappointing
A nice book but it was boring you knew what was going to happen and the ending was abrupt disappointing
March 3, 2023
Set in Bristol just before the outbreak of WWII the Caldwell family have had there own share of misfortunes and tragedy will the outbreak of war make things even worse
April 21, 2023
Looking forwared to the next books in the series
June 25, 2024
Very enjoyable read, especially as it's one of the few novels based in Bristol. Really interesting to get the feel of those months building up to WW2
Read
March 20, 2025Nice easy read - I enjoyed Rowena Summers writing
August 2, 2025
A great read.
August 31, 2019
I was confused at the difference in the book covers. I looked on Goodreads and I didn't think it was the same book!! I seen where another reviewer said that this was an updated version so don't get confused like I just did!
This author is a new to me author and she did a great job in keeping my interest through the whole book. I love it when authors can do that!
This is about how a family pulls together in uncertain times. I really admired Imogene who kept her head together through some tough crises.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to hold things together. I considered Imogene my true heroine. She's very courageous!
If you like going back to the close of the 1930's then you'll like this book! It has all the elements of a wonderful story and the ability to take you back on time to the good old days before ww1.
I recommend this book
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own.
This author is a new to me author and she did a great job in keeping my interest through the whole book. I love it when authors can do that!
This is about how a family pulls together in uncertain times. I really admired Imogene who kept her head together through some tough crises.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to hold things together. I considered Imogene my true heroine. She's very courageous!
If you like going back to the close of the 1930's then you'll like this book! It has all the elements of a wonderful story and the ability to take you back on time to the good old days before ww1.
I recommend this book
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own.
July 1, 2019
Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews