It’s Dover, in 1939, and the big question of the day is – could there be another war brewing? Though dreaded, it seems inevitable. If so, Nellie Castle’s husband suffered enough in the 1st World War, and perhaps it is best that he is not alive to see the start of another.
So, is Nellie all alone to face what is to come?
Certainly not, for within the circumference of the Dover Cafe is formidable Nellie Castle’s six off spring, who help to run the cafe – for now. On the whole, the Market Square community is supportive of the widow and her family, and use the cafe, but there are some who turn their noses up at Marianne, Nellie’s eldest daughter, and mother of an illegitimate son, Donny.
While Marianne in her turn is thankful that she has the cafe kitchen in which to hide from the gossips, though ten year old Donny her ten year old son, has to on occasions run the gauntlet of his friend’s father, intolerant of the fact that Marianne is, in his opinion, a woman of easy virtue..
Though staunch in defence of any of her family Nellie’s tongue lashes her own children too. She is rescued as a character by her strength in adversity and the humour she brings to the story.
But who is Donny’s father? Or was his father, for he is dead – isn’t he?
And who is this mystery man wooing Evie, Marianne’s younger sister.
Then there are the brothers. What about Jimmy whose love for someone is about to prove dangerous? And Rodney, working at the castle, but on what. And as the war clouds gather and drift into the phoney war, and then Dunkirk, will Jasper ever take Nellie into his arms, and give her a smacker?
So many questions and hopefully a raft of more books in the Dover Cafe series to provide answers, though probably a great many more questions too, as the family storm through life.
This novel has a great cast of characters, and somehow new author Ginny Bell keeps all the balls in the air, never faltering, never missing even one of them as she powers through the lives and loves of the Dover Cafe offspring in this beguiling panorama of a family facing the well researched trauma and challenges of war, not to mention the razzmatazz of their own lives and loves.
A triumph. Just wish I could take a trip to Dover, and sit in the cafe, and chew the cud with the cast. It should be a film. Bagsy me the part of Nellie. Bravo.
The Dover Cafe at War by Ginny Bell – the first in the series: available in pb, audio and eBook.