The Scarlet Sisters: My nanna’s story of secrets and heartache on the banks of the River Thames - Softcover

Batten, Helen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0091959691 ISBN 13: 9780091959692

Publisher: Ebury Press, 2015

Synopsis

‘Oh my goodness – another girl Mrs Swain!’
Clara’s normal iron composure broke and she screamed, ‘No! That’s not the bloody deal!’
And that is how my nanna, Bertha Swain, entered the world.

When Helen Batten’s marriage breaks down, she starts on a journey of discovery into her family’s past and the mysteries surrounding her enigmatic nanna’s early life.

What she unearths is a tale of five feisty red heads struggling to climb out of poverty and find love through two world wars. It’s a story full of surprises and scandal – a death in a workhouse, a son kept in a box, a shameful war record, a clandestine marriage and children taken far too soon. It’s as if there is a family curse.

But Helen also finds love, resilience and hope – crazy wagers, late night Charlestons and stolen kisses. As she unravels the story of Nanna and her scarlet sisters, Helen starts to break the spell of the past, and sees a way she might herself find love again.

About this title

Review:

"Fascinating ... a moving account of survival" (Yours)

"This fascinating delve into family history reveals the ways in which women’s lives have – and haven’t – changed" (Readers Digest)

Book Description:

A granddaughter’s search for her nanna's secret past - a story of love and loss, poverty and survival.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ebury Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0091959691
• ISBN 13: 9780091959692
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384