The Leaving Of Liverpool [Hardcover]

Maureen Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2007

On a cold February night in 1925, two teenage sisters, Mollie and Annemarie Kenny, escape from their home in a tiny Irish village. Their beloved mother has died and the girls have suffered shocking abuse at the hands of their doctor father. With sensitive, creative Annemarie so traumatized she can barely remember her name, Mollie decides they should make a new life for themselves and she takes her younger sister to Liverpool where they will board a ship to New York in search of safety But the smallest, cruelest twist of fate conspires to separate the girls just as the boat is about to sail, leaving Mollie stranded in Liverpool and Annemarie at the mercy of strangers in America. The subsequent paths of their lives could not be more different. Annemarie discovers her future, her fortune, and her raison d'etre on Broadway, while Mollie, devastated by guilt and grief at the loss of her sister, eventually carves out a life of family and hearth and home in Liverpool, a city of warmth and humor that she grows to love. As the 1920s make way for the Depression and the edgy 1930s, the coming of another war looms. The Second World War will separate many more people from their loved ones, but, as Mollie sees in the cheerful, stoical camaraderie of blitzed Liverpool, it can also bring people together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Interview with Maureen Lee with pre-publication plug for the book in the LIVERPOOL DAILY POST on 5 August 2006 Review in: Colchester Gazette 6/04/07

About the Author

Maureen Lee's award winning novels have earned her many fans. Her latest novel, The Leaving of Liverpool, was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller. Maureen was born in Bootle, Liverpool and now lives in Colchester, Essex.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752847546
• ISBN-13: 978-0752847542
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, August 8, 2008

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Leaving of Liverpool (Paperback)

This is an entertaining piece of historical fiction about two sisters Mollie and Annemarie, and the very different lives they lead after being accidentally separated when Mollie misses the boat to New York, leaving her young sister on board. It is set before the second world war, and involves POV switches between several main characters and a few minor ones.

I find the author's prose to be interesting and realistic. The people she writes about are flawed, and sometimes not nice. As usual in most Lee books, family, infidelity,grief, loss, and marriage play a prominent role.

While I liked this novel, it wasn't perfect. The ending felt really weak. After all the build up in the book, we are sort of left hanging on a variety of issues. I was also a bit disappointed in the character of Mollie who gave up searching for her sister a bit too quickly.

Overall, though, this was a good book. I would recommend it for fans of Lee's or fans of historical fiction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Liverpool story!, January 30, 2010

By 

Ellen Janes "book worm" (MI.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Leaving of Liverpool (Paperback)

Again Maureen Lee has sparked my own childhood WWII memories. Though we went through rationing and other small hardships, her books reveal we had it pretty good on this side of the ocean. I was around 6 years old when America entered the war in 1941 so I remember those days quite clearly though I had no idea of how the children and families of Liverpool suffered. What an inspiration these fictional characters are...probably a reflection of those who actually lived it.Maureen's characters are so beliveable you feel as though you knew them personally, even those who were not exactly saints! Her storytelling is incomparable! Hope she continues to write. Will be checking out her page periodically.