BOOK DESCRIPTION
1914 - and everything changes for Jessie on a day trip to Blackpool. She realises her true feelings for her childhood friend, Arthur. Then just as they are travelling home from this rare treat, war is declared.
Arthur lies about his age to join his Pals' Regiment. Jessie's widowed mother is so frightened of the future, she agrees to marry the vicious Amos Morgan, making Jessie's home an unsafe place for her. Before he leaves, Arthur and Jessie admit their feelings and promise to wait for each other. Arthur gives Jessie a heart-shaped stone to remember him. But with Arthur far away, their love leaves Jessie with a secret that will see her thrown from her home and terribly abused when she can hide the truth no longer.
Faced with a desperate choice between love and safety, Jessie must fight for survival, whatever the cost.
PROLOGUE
The grinding judder of the train wakes Jessie and when she leans forward to glance out of the carriage window, the only thing she sees is her own reflection. They’ve stopped at a station. Dencross Bridge, still two stops to go before home. But there’s something wrong ; the crowd of men in the corridor are walking back and forth, talking loudly. Others run outside, past her compartment, laughing and cheering. Stanley, her friend’s husband, is already on his feet, opening the door.
‘What is it? What’s happened?’ Jessie looks across at Clara.
‘I don’t know.’
They stand to peer out at the platform. A man is there, his back
to the ticket office, wearing an advertising A-board. She can’t read it; she can’t grasp why he is there so late at night. ‘What’s happening?’ she calls to Arthur, who turns to look at her. She doesn’t understand his expression: disbelief mingled with enthusiasm.
He moves to one side and she sees a boy in a flat cap, holding a large canvas bag to his chest. He pulls a newspaper from the bag and slams it to the train window. Jessie reads the words.
‘BRITAIN AT WAR.’
She says the words aloud, clinging to the luggage rack above her. She’s paralysed. The women around her are silent, frozen, just like her.
A cheer starts somewhere in the train. Grows louder and louder until all the men on the platform are cheering as well, including Arthur. His mouth wide, he turns to look at her again; on his face, in the strange, yellow glow of gaslights, there’s elation.
Jessie’s legs give way. She sinks down on the bench and looks around. The feeling in her chest is expressed on the faces of all the women around her. Fear.
This isn’t the way the day was supposed to end.
AUTHOR BIO
Judith Barrow has lived in Pembrokeshire for nearly forty years.She is the author of six novels (five for Honno), and has published poetry andshort fiction, winning several poetry competitions, and had a play performed at the DylanThomas Centre. Judith grew up in the Pennines, has degrees inliterature and creative writing and makes regular appearances atliterary festivals. She is the joint founder of the Narbeth Book Festival.
PUBLICATION DATE: 18 FEBRUARY 2021
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Many thanks for taking part in the book tour for The Heart Stone, Nicki. I'm very grateful. Also thanks to @AnneCater #RandomThingsTours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the blog tour support Nicki x
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