Tania Crosse

The Street of Broken Dreams is the second installment in Banbury Street Series. I do recommend reading The Candle Factory Girl before embarking on The Street of Broken Dreams. Provides good background on Price’s. I thought The Street of Broken Dreams was well-written with steady pacing. The transitions between storylines was smooth. I do want to let readers know that the book has a disconcerting beginning. It is a necessary scene, but it is unsettling with the violence. There are great characters in the story beginning with Eva Parker who has a big heart. Mildred became engaged to Gary at the beginning of the war. It was hasty and they hardly knew each other. Cissie loves to dance and, after a terrifying night, it is the only thing that brings her relief. Jake Parker is a thoughtful, caring young man who is smitten with Cissie. He can see that she will need time to heal and he is willing to wait. I found that Tania Crosse captured this period in time especially with the attitudes and emotions of the people. England had been at war much long than the United States. They had been suffering with severe food shortages. Rationing was strict and it was a complex system (ration coupons, points). The Street of Broken Dreams is an emotional novel that takes us through the end of World War II. I like that we get to see the war through a civilian’s perspective. I appreciated the reillumination of Big Ben was included as well as people crowding around Buckingham Palace when the end of the war was announced. People wanted to see the King, Queen, Princesses and the Prime Minister. I liked the epilogue that takes us six years later and gives readers a satisfying ending to the story. Come along to Banbury Street in The Street of Broken Dreams to join Mildred Parker and Cissie Creswell on their journeys.… (mais)

The Candle Factory Girl is the newest novel by Tania Crosse. The story opens in Battersea in June 1931. Hillie Hardwick is seventeen years old and works in the candle packing department of Price’s Soap and Candle Factory. Hillie is an intelligent young woman, but her father would not let her continue with her schooling. Harold Hardwick is a brute and a bully who makes life miserable for his wife and five children. He is particularly abuse towards his wife, Nell and Hillie (physical and mental abuse). Hillie is even forced to turn her paycheck over to him each week. The one bright spot in Hillie’s life is her friend, Gert Parker and her extended family. The Parker family and their home is a refuge filled with love, comfort and kindness. One day Jimmy Baxter, who works in deliveries, starts flirting with Hillie. They begin spending time together behind her father’s back. When Harold becomes violent with Hillie, Jimmy offers her a way out. Will Hillie regret her decision? What does the future hold for Hillie?

The Candle Factory Girl has nice writing and a slower pacing which suits the book. It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story. Once I drawn into Hillie’s story, I was hooked. While Hillie was the main focus of the book, we also get the stories of her friends Gert, Jessica, Belinda. I thought Tania Crosse captured the era, locale and lifestyle. Her portrayal of the working class was realistic. People lived paycheck to paycheck in shabby dwellings with little pay and little food. However, there were bright spots in their lives with their friends, family, the local park, free concerts, etc. Hillie was a strong, smart female character. I enjoyed her friendships and the closeness she shared with her siblings. All the characters are genuine and believable. They had real problems, heartache and struggles. I could picture the scenes in my head while reading The Candle Factory Girl. The story has a feel-good ending and all the storylines were nicely wrapped up. The book does contain British slang that was true to the 1930s and there is some foul language along with the abuse. The Candle Factory Girl is my favorite book by Tania Crosse.… (mais)