A Champion Street Market Saga
6 primary works
Book 1
In 1950s Manchester, folk are just emerging from the shadow of the war. Money is still tight, and the bustling market is a source of tempting bargains - as well as the local gossip. Dena loves her Saturday job at the market cafe, and her ready smile makes her a universal favourite. A bit too popular for Belle Garside's liking: the cafe owner has fancier ambitions for her son than a mere waitress. Then Dena falls pregnant and everyone's plans change...
Book 2
Patsy Bowman is a newcomer to the Champion Street market. Riddled with insecurities, her impudence and cheek win her enemies as well as many new friends. But her curiosity soon starts to unravel secrets that the Higginson sisters would much rather keep hidden. Fat and jolly, Molly Poulson hasn't a care in the world until her two daughters both fall in love with the wrong young man. Molly is determined they see the error of their ways, and the fact that one of them is pregnant won't prevent her from trying to straighten out her daughters' love lives. Unfortunately, the more she interferes, the more complicated it gets. Belle Garside considers herself to be Queen of the market and when its very existence is threatened by a housing development company, she has two choices. Either she can start a campaign to save the market, at whatever cost. Or she can let the plan go ahead and make herself a large profit ...
Book 3
Tales from Champion Street Market. Working on her busy flower stall in Champion Street Market, Betty has lots of opportunities to observe her customers, and to speculate on their lives. Sam regularly buys bouquets for his wife, Judy, so why does she always look so worn out and miserable? Leo comes every week for flowers for his mother, but has never bought so much as a rosebud for his elegant wife. Of course, Betty's own husband went off long ago, so is it any wonder if she and her daughter, Lynda, have such a dim view of men. If only all marriages could be happy ...That'll be the day!
Book 4
Everyone around Champion Street market loves Aunty Dot's homemade sweets and chocolates. And everyone loves Aunty Dot: the plump, smiling woman has provided a loving home for many a troubled child. Lizzie Pringle would do anything for her foster mother -- even taking on local sweet manufacturer and bully, Cedric Finch. That is, until she falls for his son, Charlie ...Dena can't believe that Barry Holmes would hurt her beloved daughter: he's been like a favourite uncle to the little girl. But there's no smoke without fire. And they're all soon to discover that chocolate can be bitter, as well as sweet ...
Book 5
Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters ...Things aren't quite that simple in the noisy, warm-hearted Bertalone family. Carmina is the glamorous one, the sexy extrovert who has the boys flocking like bees round the honeypot - all except Luc Fabriani, who for some unaccountable reason seems to prefer her sister Gina. Gina is quiet and shy, the apple of her over-protective parents' eye, and much too young to have a boyfriend. Innocent and naive, Gina believes her sister when she spreads malicious lies about Luc: what has Carmina got to gain by breaking her sister's heart? But lies have a habit of being found out and trapping the liar in a web of deceit, as Carmina is about to discover.
Book 6
On the day of her beloved fathers funeral, Harriet's grandmother tells her that Joyce, the woman she has always called Mam, isnt her real mother after all. At least that explains why Joyce has always favoured Harriets brother, Grant blood is thicker than water. Her emotions in turmoil, Harriet discovers a streak of rebellion that puts into jeopardy everything she holds dear. Can she come back from the brink or will her life be full of lonely teardrops?