Three Sons (Timeless Classics Collection)

by Ursula Bloom

  Dear Luke! I have hurt him so terribly, for his heredity is all my fault; I would never willingly have harmed him, but I have been blind too long.

  James had no part in this boy. I can see it plainly, and Arthur knows it too. I cannot think how we have missed it for so long. I am proud that he is not James’s son. That, I suppose, is wrong, but I cannot help it. I am proud, yet so ashamed that this misery should lie behind it.

  My little ’Ukef’ancis …

  AFTERMATH

  ‘Well, Mother, it is the big show.’

  ‘Yes, Luke.’

  ‘What are we going to do? We haven’t so much time to decide, I imagine?’

  ‘The professor says that you ought to stay on here for at least another year.’

  ‘He’s possibly over-anxious.’

  ‘I think he’s right.’

  ‘You want to go back, Mother?’

  ‘No, Luke. It’s a dreadful confession to make, but I don’t want to go back. I don’t like war. I want to stay here, and if I am to die, I think I’d rather die here.’

  ‘What about Dad?’

  ‘Oh, they’ll be all right.’

  ‘Yes, of course they’ll be all right. Because France goes down, it doesn’t say that we shall. It’ll be a hell of a dog-fight though.’

  ‘Yes, Luke, it’ll be a hell of a dog-fight.’

  ‘There are three of them there, Mother, and there’s only one of me here.’

  ‘I know.’ Then after a moment, ‘You see, Luke, all these years have been wasted. Your father does not need me. Marty and Adam will fight their own war in their own way. For the first time in my life I have the chance to be alone, perhaps for years, with the one person I love most. I’m not missing that chance, Luke, I’ve missed too many in my life, but this time I’m taking it and holding on to it.’

  ‘Because I’m different, Mother?’

  ‘Because you are the only one that matters. I want to see you well and strong. If we are not over-run and conquered, when it is all over we go home, you marry Elma if you wish to, and anything may happen. But we have this handful of years for ourselves.’

  He said, ‘I love you very much. You know that I wouldn’t have it work out differently …?’

  ‘Yes, darling, I know.’

  He took her hand and they stood there staring out across the valley to the Jungfrau rising above her snowy sisters linking white arms about her. The storm was enclosing this little country until it became one small marooned island of peace in a war-ridden world. But its full fury would never touch them.

  Wonder Cruise by Ursula Bloom

  Thirtysomething Ann Clements takes a Mediterranean cruise which opens her eyes to the wider world, and to herself.

  London, 1934. Ann Clements is thirty-five and single, and believes nothing exciting will ever happen to her. Then, she wins a large sum of money in a sweepstake and suddenly can dare to dream of a more adventurous life. She buys a ticket for a Mediterranean cruise, against the wishes of her stern brother, the Rev. Cuthbert, who has other ideas about how she should spend her windfall.

  Ann steps out of the shadows of her mundane life into the heat of the Mediterranean sun. Travelling to Gibraltar, Marseilles, Naples, Malta and Venice, Ann’s eyes are opened to people and experiences far removed from her sheltered existence. As Ann blossoms, discovering love and passion for the very first time, the biggest question is, can there be any going back?

  An engaging and witty story about an unforgettable 1930s woman; Ann Clements will stay with you long after the last page.

  ‘Ursula Bloom writes in a delightful way, with a deep understanding of human nature and a quick eye for the humorous things in life. Wonder Cruise … is one of the most entertaining novels we have read for a long time.’ Cambridge Daily News

  ‘Vividly entrancing.’ Scotsman

  ‘… with every book she adds something to her reputation … related with all Miss Bloom’s liveliness and easy skill.’ Daily Telegraph

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  Youth at the Gate by Ursula Bloom

  The touching true account of a young woman’s life on the home front during the First World War.

  Ursula Bloom (who also wrote as Lozania Prole) movingly describes how the Great War forever changed the lives of ordinary people in Britain. When Ursula says goodbye to both her suitor and brother as they go to war, patriotic excitement soon turns to worry and despair.

  This memoir vividly brings to life the experiences of people struggling to live through World War I. Ursula Bloom’s honest and heartfelt story shows us the challenges of food rationing and the constant bombing by Zeppelins overhead. Rumours of German spies abound, and even Ursula and her mother find themselves under suspicion by their neighbours.

  Ursula’s autobiography also looks at the realities of life in the early twentieth century, when operations were carried out on the kitchen table, a pregnant woman shouldn’t be seen in public, and an officer and a private couldn’t mix under the same roof.

  Not only the realities of war force an innocent Ursula to grow up. She must face her mother’s serious illness, the demons of her husband-to-be, and the snobbery of his wealthy family. There are lighter moments too, such as the tale of the Bloom’s fictitious maid, Emily, who they have to invent rather than admit that they can’t afford a servant.

  Ursula Bloom went on to become a bestselling novelist, playwright and journalist. This moving autobiography is a must for all of those interested in life at home during the Great War, as well as for fans of her novels, such as Wonder Cruise.

  Read Youth at the Gate by Ursula Bloom now from Amazon UK

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  Promises by Catherine Gaskin

  The gripping story of a remarkable woman and the promises she must keep to those she loves.

  A sweeping family saga, from the grand homes of Yorkshire and London in the Edwardian era, to the heartbreak of a French nursing station during World War I, and the glamour of American high society in the 1920s.

  Lally Leeds is just a baby when wealthy Black Jack Pollock finds her abandoned in a Yorkshire street and decides to raise her alongside his own children. As Lally blossoms into a young woman, the love and loyalty she feels towards her adoptive family bring her both happiness and heartache.

  Over time, it is Lally’s strength and devotion which hold the Pollock family together: her dashing brother, Jon; her selfish and self-destructive sister Margaret; and fragile Alice, who must been protected from herself. And the family’s fortunes become entwined with those of another foundling ‒ the mysterious, self-made businessman Brock Weymouth. Lally discovers to her cost that sometimes the most difficult promises to keep are to those we love.

  By the ‘Queen of Storytellers’ ‒ over 40 million book sales worldwide.

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  Victoria Four-thirty by Cecil Roberts

  London, 1937. A world famous composer, a honeymooning couple, a novelist in search of a plot, a German film star, a young crown prince and a sister of charity are among the disparate group of travellers on the boat train to continental Europe.

  ‘It would be very interesting to know the life history of everybody on this train – why we are travelling on it …’

  Set amid the political upheaval of the 1930s, this is the witty, insightful and bittersweet story of the passengers on the Four-thirty from Victoria. Each is facing a different journey, with their own hopes, fears and challenges; and for some, their lives will cross in unexpected ways.

  The 80th anniversary edition of the newly rediscov
ered classic bestseller from the 1930s.

  A splendid achievement, with a classic quality.’ Daily Telegraph

  ‘What a good novelist …’ Sunday Times

  ‘A book of considerable imaginative quality.’ The Guardian

  ‘A marvel of construction and execution …’ Yorkshire Post

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  Wind on the Heath by Naomi Jacob

  A moving story of family ties and true love battling against the odds in wartime Yorkshire.

  From their first meeting there is an undeniable attraction between Liz Tancred and Michael Anderson, but convention means they must keep their feelings to themselves, for now.

  Liz is a courageous woman whose life is not all that it seems. Michael is a dutiful young man who steps in to run his family’s farm when tragedy strikes.

  Then, the outbreak of World War II changes everything. As Liz and Michael rise to the challenges of wartime life, can their love blossom and, more importantly, will it survive?

  From the bestselling author of The Gollantz Family Saga.

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  The Print Petticoat by Lucilla Andrews

  ‘Arguably the best of all writers of hospital fiction.’ Nursing Times

  A moving story of heartache and hope in the Maternity Unit of a busy 1950s teaching hospital.

  Joanna Anthony is a dedicated Nursery staff nurse at St Gregory’s Hospital. The nurses and doctors share laughter and tears as they tend to the mothers and babies in their care.

  There is time for romance, too. After five years together, is ambitious Dr Richard Everley finally ready to settle down with Joanna? And what of the two other young doctors who have more than a professional interest in her?

  It takes a serious illness for Joanna to understand where, and with whom, her future really lies.

  This engaging story of the everyday experiences of a 1950s nurse, vividly brings to life the colourful characters, drama, love and loss to be found on a hospital ward.

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  A Shaft of Light by John Finch

  The poignant story of young people growing up during the beginning of the Second World War.

  Life in a Yorkshire mining village is tough, as families struggle to survive the harsh deprivations of working class life, and to keep hope, spirit and dignity alive.

  Denis and Ted are best friends, but in some ways their lives are world’s apart. Shopkeeper’s son Denis questions what the future may hold for him. The advent of war shows him the possibilities of a life far from all he knows. Yet Ted, from the poorest part of the village, dreams only of becoming a man and starting to work down the pit, like his father before him. Both boys are drawn to Jean, a bold, spirited young woman from their village, but only one of them can win her heart.

  The youngsters face the challenges and responsibilities of growing up, as they experience love, death and desire, and the consequences which will change their lives forever.

  From the acclaimed creator and writer of the classic television family sagas A Family at War and Sam, and former Coronation Street scriptwriter, John Finch. Previously published as Cuddon Return.

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  Wyndham Books: Timeless bestsellers for today’s readers

  Wyndham Books publishes the first ebook editions of bestselling works by some of the most popular authors of the twentieth century, such as Lucilla Andrews, Ursula Bloom, Catherine Gaskin and Naomi Jacob. Enjoy our Historical, Family Saga, Regency, Romance and Medical fiction and non-fiction.

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  TIMELESS CLASSICS COLLECTION

  by Ursula Bloom

  Wonder Cruise

  Three Sisters

  Dinah’s Husband

  The Painted Lady

  The Hunter’s Moon

  Fruit on the Bough

  Three Sons

  Facade

  Forty is Beginning

  The Passionate Heart

  Nine Lives

  Spring in September

  Lovely Shadow

  The Golden Flame

  Many more titles coming soon

  www.ursulabloom.com

  Ursula Bloom: A Life in Words podcast

  Listen to the free, five-part podcast series based on the autobiographical writing of Ursula Bloom. The podcast covers Ursula’s life as a young woman on the Home Front in the Great War, and her rise to success and fame in the publishing world of the 1920s to 1940s.

  www.ursulabloom.com/ursula-bloom-a-life-in-words-podcast