Book 3

The Fiery Pillars of War

by Jane Hawking

Published 25 September 2025

A determined young woman, Shirley shows indomitable courage from the outbreak of the Second World War, working in the Air Raids Precaution patrol, as well as keeping house, in the time of severe rationing, for her father and her brother. While on duty, she throws herself into dangerous situations to protect and rescue the residents in her area, without thought for her own well-being. Her physical and mental state are severely compromised by a visit to relatives during the autumn of 1940, but her salvation comes in an unforeseen form, which allows her to return to her lifelong dream of becoming a ballerina.

The Fiery Pillars of War takes the reader across the battle fronts in Europe and beyond, where innovations in armaments put entire populations at risk, their reach extending to London and much of the rest of the country, highlighting the brutality of the war on the battlefield, on civilian populations and on prisoners of war.

The Fiery Pillars of War is the third book in the ‘Immortal Souls’ series which includes Cry to Dream Again and Silent Music



Silent Music

by Jane Hawking

Published 22 September 2016
Growing up in London in the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth is an observant and thoughtful child who finds herself in a confusing and mysterious adult world. She seeks refuge in her memories of her idyllic stays with her grandparents in the picturesque East Anglian countryside – which provide comforting visions of a simpler life. As she comes to terms with her surroundings and her own adolescence, Ruth finds the motivation to pursue the tantalizing dream which has governed her childhood, and discovers some family secrets along the way.

A coming-of-age novel about the unpredictable nature of human behaviour and about taking control of one’s destiny, Silent Music is a timeless portrait of post-war Britain, as well as a lyrical paean to hope and aspiration.

Cry to Dream Again

by Jane Hawking

Published 21 June 2018
In 1930s Greater London, Shirley is a talented ballerina who dreams of becoming a principal dancer at the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company. Yet one summer, on the way back from staying with her grandparents in France, she meets a handsome young man, Alan, for a fleeting moment and her life changes for ever. Finding him becomes an obsession for Shirley and now she longs to fulfill her dreams in the ballet simply so that he might see her name in lights and know where to find her.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, and those she loves in danger, Shirley’s priority becomes to help in the war effort, but with Alan appearing once more in her life, and the war threatening to part them for a second time, she knows that she cannot cope if she were to lose him again.