Queen of the Mersey [Large Print] [Paperback]

Maureen Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004

It is Liverpool, 1939. The Second World War is about to start when pretty Laura Oliver meets Queenie Todd. Laura is twenty-one and happily married to dashing Roddy. Plain, inadequate Queenie is only fourteen and has been deserted by her goodtime mother. The two become friends, along with big-hearted Vera Monoghan across the street. When the air raids begin the older women trust Queenie sufficiently to put their small daughters, Hester and Mary, into her care and the three young people are evacuated to Caerdovey, a small town on the coast of Wales. At first it is a haven of peace and quiet. The girls have a wonderful time and then something happens, so terrifying that it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. This unputdownable story tells of great friendships and terrible betrayals. Maureen Lee has written a novel full of the warmth and perception we have come to expect from her.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Maureen was in Liverpool for publication and did some local stock signings. Queen of the Mersey appeared in THE GAURDIAN TOP 40 at number 18 on 30 August. Confirmed reviews: Queen of the Mersey will be Book of the Week with a readers group review on SAGA 1057FM date tbc EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES full page review of Queen of the Mersey and Lime Street Blues on 23 August 100 Magazine (East Anglian local interest magazine) review on 22 August 'You'll be totallygripped by this wonderful tale about three Liverpudlian women evacuated to asmall Welsh town before the Second World War.' 4 stars * WOMAN'S OWN 11 August 'Spanning sixyt years, this is a novel of family and friendships written with Maureen Lee's customary warmth and compassion.' COLCHESTER EVENING GAZETTE 1 September 'If you are looking for a good saga to get your teeth into thentry Maureen Lee's Queen of the Mersey. ... Characters and situations come tolife with clarity and the storylines are intriguing. A good summer read.' NORWICH EVENING NEWS 22 August --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bestselling author Maureen Lee was born in Bootle and lives in Colchester, Essex. As well as her novels, she has had a play professionally staged. Maureen won the 2000 RNA Award for her novel DANCING IN THE DARK. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: Paragon; Large type edition edition (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754093336
• ISBN-13: 978-0754093336
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, May 29, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Queen of the Mersey (Paperback)

Queen of the Mersey is a family saga revolving around the friendship between Queenie, Laura and Vera three Liverpool women and their children Mary and Hester. The story opens up on the brink of WWII where Laura is living with her boyfriend and their illegitimate daughter Hester. She meets Vera a motherly housewife and they establish a friendship.

In the flat above Laura a drunk abusive woman lives with her daughter Queenie. One day the drunk leaves with a rich pimp abandoning 14 year old Queenie. Laura takes in Queenie and they become friends. After Laura's husband Roddy joins up, Laura and Vera send their daughter with Queenie to be evacuated in Wales. They live in a house that once was an old school. After a tragic incident which changes Queenie's life forever they return to Liverpool trying to forget.

Overall, this was a great story. I particularly liked the discussion of WWII and the events surrounding the war. My favorite characters were Queenie and Hester. I didn't care for Mary who seemed selfish until later on in the story.

I lost interest when the author began to age up the characters rapidly. Particularly didn't care about 60's Liverpool and Mary with her adult kids, or Queenie's affair. I preferred the wartime events. It seemed to me, too, that the gals were wasting their lives on undeserving men. The men seemed utterly weak.

Oh, and I haven't a clue what the pic is about on the cover. It just didn't seem to represent any event from the story, unless the generic kids were meant to be the heroines as children on the beach in wales.