Tag Archives: England

358E: All About the World War

I recall there was a book I read when I believe I was about 8 or 9 years old which I really enjoyed but forgot the name. It was about a World War (can’t remember if it was the first or second) and it was made in a way (cover, text) which was mainly for children/young adults but was also suitable for adults. I remember the cover of the book looking somewhat childish – a yellow cover or something?
Also, the author’s name was mentioned right before the book title which was something like, ‘All about the War’. So for example, if the author’s name was John Smith, it would be, ‘John Smith’s All About The War’ book, if that makes sense. I also believe the author was British/English.
There is also one page which I very clearly remember. There was an image of a man and a woman wearing military dress and the text next to it was written by the author and said, ‘this was my mother and father during the war (again, unsure which one the book was about) who served in the RAF.

356P: Trying to find a novel set in England during World War II (Solved!)

I have no idea what the title of the book is. The copy I read was a paperback, probably published in the 1970s; I’m thinking it may have been a gothic romance or something of the sort.
What I can remember of the characters:
-Yseult, no idea what her last name was. She loses her memory after being in a bar? cafe? restaurant? in London that gets hit by the Blitz, wakes up in the hospital, sees herself in a mirror and finds out she’s pretty; she can’t remember her name but tells the nurse her name is “Lake”. She goes back to the place where she was when the bomb hit and starts talking to a man there.
-Nicholas Chammerd (possibly “Chamerd”) is the man she talks to; he was there the night of the bombing and had noticed but not spoken to her . They end up moving in together, and getting married. He is in the RAF? Army? some military thing, and goes off and gets killed.
Then she finds out she’s pregnant. She’s coming back to what was their flat one evening, hears a limping set of footsteps behind her, and faints.
-Lake, no idea what his full name was. And “Lake” turned out to be just a nickname, which she’d given him when they were children (or possibly she was a child and he already an adult). Turns out, he’s her first and legitimate husband, who she ran away from the night of the Blitz attack on whatever place she was in on her first night in London. He sees she’s pregnant and, although he knows he can’t be the father, says he’ll bring up the baby as his and brings her back home.
-Leda, Yseult’s stepmother, lives at Lake’s home. She previously tried to seduce him, but he wasn’t interested, so she decided to ruin his life with Yseult. Earlier in their lives together she’d convinced Yseult, who seems to have been a real dope before she met Nicholas and grew up a bit, that it would be funny to string something across the country lane where Lake was riding his horse. He was injured, hence the limping thereafter; I think the horse had to be destroyed too. And Yseult believed it when Leda tells her that Leda previously had an affair with Lake, which is why Yseult runs away.
Other things I remember:
It’s obvious Leda is the bad guy even before Yseult remembers her earlier life, as when she returns there is rationing going on, but somehow Leda always manages to have an elaborate tea, including real butter and eggs in the food. They’re on a farm, or in the countryside anyhow, but most of what’s produced is supposed to go to feed the troops.
Speaking of the troops, I think Nicholas was in the RAF as there’s an airfield nearby and Leda, who likes to surround herself with young men, wants to invite some to tea, and Yseult is afraid someone will recognize her and call her “Mrs. Chammerd”.
There’s a Blitz attack on their home, which leads to Yseult regaining her memory, and during which Leda is killed. Yseult is full of remorse when she realizes how badly she treated Lake at Leda’s instigation earlier on in their lives, and also realizes that she’s always loved him. She also says something about how good it was that Leda died while she was still relatively young and pretty.
It’s also possible the baby is born somewhere along the way – I vaguely recall a discussion about red hair, and how Lake when he was young was redheaded so everyone believes it’s really his baby. Yseult, when she sees herself in the mirror in the hospital, notes that she’s darkhaired; I’m pretty sure Nicholas had red hair.

353V: Orphan Cathy Runs Away to Scotland and Learns True Name (Solved!)

I’m looking for a British children’s book, likely from the late 1940s, about an orphan girl who lost her parents in the Blitz. She’s found wandering London with a torn tag that says only “Cat” so the orphanage calls her Cathy. Several years later she has a sudden recollection that makes her feel that her family is in Scotland and runs away to find them. Meets some siblings who help her and have a kind uncle named Alastair. Lo and behold, the kids end up being her cousins, her name isn’t Cathy, it’s Catriona(?) and she is reunited with the family who have been searching for her all these years. Might be the first in a series, a la the Boxcar Children. Thank you!

347Y: Galoshes Raincoat Boy

A picture of my grandson reminded both me and my son of a book (two books at least in the series) by an English author that centered on a young boy who lived in the city with his mother. We both have vivid memories of him in his raincoat and putting on his galoshes. Everything about the book was quintessentially English – sort of Paddington mood. The boy lived in an urban setting, maybe working to middle class (not as posh as Paddington’s digs). The stories were about routine things – doing errands, the mail, etc. It’s driving us both crazy!

347W: On the Wing of a Lark – Children’s Poems

This was a short book of children’s poetry I had as a child and it seemed like an older book even then. So it is at least 35 years old but likely more. I remember a few of the poems vaguely. One was about the changing seasons, I remember Autumn had apple trees and children collecting them. And another about the day passing using birds i.e. the sun rises with the robin…night come on the wing of a lark or something like that? There was also one about a toothache. What I remember the most is the illustrations. They were very delicate with children that had chubby cheeks. The trees were drawn with curly cues. For the toothache one the little girl had a handkerchief tied around her face. It was in English but maybe British because of the words that were used like lark and morning tea.

The book itself was about the size of a sheet of paper and covered in light blue cloth. The cloth was much like my Hardy Boys books. The title was on the binding and for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. Something like: The Robin Brings the Sun or the Robin Sings the Morning…I’ve tried googling a lot of variations but since the book is older I’ve given up trying to find it that way. Due to how I remember it and since the front of the book didn’t have the title I’d assume it may have had a dust jacket that had gotten removed at some point. I was hoping to get it from my mom for my daughter but they’ve moved so many times it got given away at some point. Would love to find it as it was a favorite when I was little.

347A: Peace/Anti-Nuclear Chunky White book with Colourful Stick People


Just thought of this book today because it seems somewhat prophetic given the more recent school strikes for climate, referencing it not being fair that it’s the children having to be the ones to make the grown-ups wake up! I think the subject was about nuclear bombs more than environment, nuclear threat being the threat of the day in the UK in 1980s/early 90s.

The book is very striking, minimalist and arty, the cover and pages being mainly white, with few words, and many small colourful stick people (each max 1” high).
I’m not sure which age range it was aimed at, could be teens or young adults or just any adults.
It is written naively as if by children for adults.
The format is large and chunky, perhaps about 8 - 9” wide by 10 - 12” tall and 1 - 2” thick. The cover as mentioned is white with some colourful stick people.
I think I bought in UK (tho could possibly have been in the USA) in the early 1990s (so published no later than 1992).
I cannot remember the title but I think it MIGHT have ‘Peace' in it… but it might not!!

It would be great to find it again.
Thanks for your help.

346I: Large format, landscape oriented, pen and ink book of old farm life

The book is from the 1990s or 2000s. i think it’s just called “Farm” and it’s quite large – 18 inches wide by 10 inches tall or so. The spine is on the top – it opens upwards. It’s completely hand lettered with pen & watercolor drawings of life on an old farm (English I think). The cover is broth cloth. It may be more of an art book than a children’s book. I believe the author might have a French name. Thanks for your help!