The Spitalfields Sagas
4 total works
Can their friendship survive the struggles of war?
1940, the East End of London. Life is tough for the Ten Bells Street girls. Best friends from childhood, the three of them now find themselves scattered across London, surviving the war apart.
Exiled from the East End, Rose has created a new life for herself and now works as a dancer in a club in Soho - but life in the West End has its problems too.
With the arrival of the war, Becky has finally found work as a nurse, but as the bombs continue to fall she struggles to cope with the damage that surrounds her.
And Bernie may have achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a professional photographer, but she's never felt more distanced from her family and her life in the East End.
Separated by circumstances, the girls' friendship stands strong in the face of hardship as they fight for their place in a frightening new world. One way or another, love will pull them through...
The East End of London, 1930. Work is scarce, food is in short supply and there is political unrest on the streets. But in the face of all this hardship, there's always friendship.
Becky, Bernie and Rose - three best friends from very different backgrounds - are working hard to establish themselves in pre-war Spitalfields. Becky, the daughter of a Jewish tailor, wants to become a nurse, but her father has more traditional plans for her. Aching to leave the East End and travel the world, Bernie feels trapped by her vast family of poor Irish dock workers. And then there is Rose. Tiny and thin, she lives with her drunken mother and a revolving selection of surrogate fathers who exploit and brutalise them both.
But at least the girls have each other and, as Europe begins to drift towards another war, their friendships become ever more crucial as each one of them fights for their place in an ever-changing, frightening, new world. One way or another, love will pull them through . . .
1950, the East End of London.
With the war finally behind them, the Ten Bells Street girls are building new lives. Best friends from childhood, the three of them are there for each other through thick and thin, but the struggle isn't over yet . . .
Of the three best friends, Becky is the only one to remain in the East End. Even though the war is over, she still finds great purpose in her work as a nurse - despite her father's longing for her to settle down and find a husband to support her.
Now happily married, Rose has escaped the troubles of the city and lives with her husband and son in Essex, slowly building a happier life than the one she has previously known.
And adventurous Bernie has travelled to Israel to join her long-term lover and continue her work as a photographer.
But despite their separation, the girls' friendship continues to stand strong as they fight for a place in a post-war world.
One way or another, love will pull them through . . .
1950, the East End of London.
With the war finally behind them, the Ten Bells Street girls are building new lives. Best friends from childhood, the three of them are there for each other through thick and thin, but the struggle isn't over yet...
Of the three best friends, Becky is the only one to remain in the East End. Even though the war is over, she still finds great purpose in her work as a nurse - despite her father's longing for her to settle down and find a husband to support her.
Now happily married, Rose has escaped the troubles of the city and lives with her husband and son in Essex, slowly building a happier life than the one she has previously known.
And adventurous Bernie has travelled to Israel to join her long-term lover and continue her work as a photographer.
But despite their separation, the girls' friendship continues to stand strong as they fight for a place in a post-war world.
One way or another, love will pull them through...