KEEP SMILING THROUGH

By Lilian Harry

Synopsis

May 1941 - and the people of April Grove, Portsmouth are beginning to feel the war will never end. Yet as the war irredeemably changes their lives, the families of April Grove learn to endure - and even to keep smiling through.

Sample Player

Narrator	Pat Steadman
Length	21hrs 30mins
Catalogue No.	10989
Publisher	Orion; 2000

Other audiobooks by Lilian Harry

THE BELLS OF BURRACOMBE

In this story of life in the Devonshire village of Burracombe in the 1950s, Stella Simmons arrives to take up her first teaching post. Alone after being orphaned as a child, and separated from her sister, Stella is soon immersed in village life. With the help of a local artist she tries to trace her missing sister. First in the series.

CELEBRATIONS IN BURRACOMBE

It's the late 1950s and for the Napier family, up at the big house, the old ways are shifting. Hilary must discover if a chance of happiness means breaking away from the life expected of her, while Patsy, their young housekeeper's help, is facing motherhood without her own family around her. Down the hill, change comes to the village school and the Tozer family continue to find surprises in their midst. Book 9 of the series.

A CHILD IN BURRACOMBE

Devon, 1943. In the village of Burracombe, 'Dig for Victory' is more than just a wartime slogan. While the young men are away, everyone at home knows the war effort needs them too. Whether it's Land Girls on the farms, wives and mothers having to make do and mend, or the villagers knowing how to stretch rations to keep spirits bright, there is always something to be done to help. Book 12 of the series.

CORNER HOUSE GIRLS

In 1937 Jo and Phyl decide to become waitresses at Lyon's Corner House. They leave family life in Woolwich for digs in central London and soon settle into their new lives, but as war looms they find themselves facing a daunting and uncertain future.

DANCE LITTLE LADY

As the country braces itself for D-Day, three young munitions workers at Priddy's Yard near Portsmouth, all face their own very personal problems. Kate is terrified that she carries a jinx, Maxine makes a discovery that changes her entire view of her family, while Elsie is bitter over the death of her son. Each dilemma brings the women face to face with her own strengths and failings and, ultimately, her own destiny.

FAREWELL TO BURRACOMBE

The day that Hilary and David have been waiting for has finally arrived and the church bells ring out for the arrival of the bride. There's nothing like a wedding to bring the village together. Times are changing in Burracombe and as young and old embark on new adventures it's time to say goodbye. But with friends like these, a goodbye is rarely for ever, so instead we'll say a very fond farewell. Book 11 of the series.

A FARTHING WILL DO

Ruth, Lizzie and Heather each have their own reasons for greeting the end of the war with mixed feelings. With the coming of peace, life changes more than anyone had expected as the 'love and laughter' that had been promised turn to bewilderment, anger and disappointment. Yet although nothing is quite as they had hoped it would be, they are able to move into a future without war, and learn to live with peace.

A GIRL CALLED THURSDAY

As Mary and Walter Tilford's daughter Thursday celebrates her 21st birthday, Britain is once again at war with Germany. She volunteers as a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse and the realities of war are soon brought home to her. But out of this nightmare comes lasting love.

THE GIRLS THEY LEFT BEHIND

It is 1940, and the neighbours in April Grove are close knit, patriotic and proud - but the onset of the Blitz tests their loyalties and courage as never before. Set against the backdrop of a great seaport at war, the naval dockyards are buzzing with activity and the overwhelming desire to survive the city's darkest hour...

GOODBYE SWEETHEART

From the outbreak of World War II to the evacuation of Dunkirk, this book follows the fortunes of the people who live in a working class street in Portsmouth. The joys, sorrows and friendships of April Grove are played out against the backdrop of a seaport arming for war.

AN HEIR FOR BURRACOMBE

It's a summer's day in 1953. When a beautiful French woman and her son knock on her door, Hilary Napier can't help but notice that the young boy has the same eyes as the brother she lost in the war. As she listens to Marianne's sad tale, she realises that her soldier brother lives on in the son he never met. But this is only the first revelation... Book 5 of the series.

KISS THE GIRLS GOODBYE

It is 1940, and for the girls who work at Lyons Corner House at Marble Arch, there are bombs and blackouts, curfews and rationing, romances and terrible losses. But through it all, come what may, the Corner House will be open for business.

LOVE AND LAUGHTER

World War II is over at last and the task of rebuilding must begin, not only of buildings, but also of lives. Lucy Pengelly is just one woman whose life has been torn apart by the war. When her husband returns from his POW camp in the Far East, will they be able to rebuild their marriage?

MOONLIGHT AND LOVESONGS

Set in World War Two, this is the story of the close knit community of April Grove, Portsmouth.

P.S. I LOVE YOU

The war is progressing for the Nippies, the girls who work at the Lyons Corner House in Marble Arch. With the air raids, rationing and blackouts, life no longer has the carefree attitude it used to have. But new pain and pleasure await as everyone decides what effort they can make towards victory.

A PENNY A DAY

It is December 1952. Lizzie and her husband Alec seem to have overcome the problems they encountered when Alec returned from the prisoner-of-war camp which almost broke him. But their happiness is threatened when a face from Lizzie's past reappears in her life and turns everything upside down.

A PROMISE TO KEEP

When Thursday Tilford returns to Haslar Hospital after two years serving as a VAD in Egypt, she finds many changes. With the town packed with troops waiting to leave for the Normandy beaches, and Haslar on standby for the wounded, Thursday's thoughts go to the two men who are vying for her heart.

SECRETS IN BURRACOMBE

It's autumn 1953. The village is delighted when Joe Tozer - who left Burracombe as a young man in 1919 - returns to visit his family. His life since emigrating to the States has been a world away from rural Devon. With him is his eldest son, Russell, who sets hearts fluttering in the village - but will there be anyone on his arm when he catches the boat back to America? Book 6 of the series.

SNOWFALL IN BURRACOMBE

It's December 1953 and as snow falls softly on the village, Burracombe proves once again that there's always a surprise just around the corner. For Stella Simmons, recovering from a car crash, the winter wedding that she had planned, seems impossible. The darkest time of the year finds everyone asking questions with no easy answer. Book 7 of the series.

A SONG AT TWILIGHT

It is 1941 and the building of a new airfield near a quiet Devon village has a great impact on the local residents that will affect some of them for the rest of their lives.

SPRINGTIME IN BURRACOMBE

The village of Burracombe is looking forward to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, but the year of 1953 is to prove a year of heartbreak as well as celebration. Meanwhile, the life of the village goes on, with all its ups and downs, its feuds and dramas, and in the midst of it all, romance comes from a quite unexpected direction. Book 4 of the series.

STORM OVER BURRACOMBE

There's trouble afoot in Burracombe...Life in the village is enlivened by the new drama club, formed by energetic young curate Felix Copley. Almost the entire village becomes involved in the pantomime he decides to organise - with results they didn't quite plan for! Then tragedy strikes, making everyone realise exactly what is important in their lives... Book 3 of the series.

A STRANGER IN BURRACOMBE

Like the rest of the nation, the Burracombe villagers are shocked when King George the Sixth dies suddenly in 1952. But in the midst of their grief, the arrival of a stranger in the village on the very same day goes almost unnoticed, as the villagers have their own concerns... Book 2 of the series.

SURPRISES IN BURRACOMBE

Hilary Napier has had enough of secrets. The engagement party at the Barton is finally a chance for her and David to celebrate their good news. But the course of true love never did run smooth. Amongst all the drama, old friends are always on hand and when Dottie falls ill, and an old face comes back to Burracombe to lift her spirits, and perhaps change her life. Book 10 of the series.

THREE LITTLE SHIPS

The story of three of the many ‘little ships’ that set sail across the English Channel to rescue troops trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Each of the very different ships is seeking a particular person they hope to find amongst the exhausted soldiers. Meanwhile, onshore the men wait and wonder if they will ever see their loved ones again.

TUPPENCE TO SPEND

Dan Hodges is devastated when his wife Nora dies during the early days of the war. Working long hours in a Portsmouth shipyard, how is he to look after his two sons, Gordon and Sammy? Then Sammy is evacuated to a village near Southampton and Ruth Purslow, a young childless widow, takes him in. Slowly, as they grow closer, Ruth begins to dread the time when Sammy must return to Portsmouth...

UNDER THE APPLE TREE

Life is anxious for the Taylor family, as it is for everyone in Portsmouth during the early days of 1941. During a Luftwaffe raid, the Taylors lose their home, and when Judy's fiancé is killed a few months later, she is befriended by the Lady Mayoress who invites her to join her team of WVS workers. As they work on various projects for the WVS her grief heals, and she finds love in the least likely manner...

WEDDINGS IN BURRACOMBE

It's been a long, hard winter in Burracombe. But as the first crocuses bring colour and the promise of change, there are two weddings to plan and it won't be long before everyone in this very special village comes together in a joyful celebration of love, life, and the things that matter most. Book 8 of the series.

WIVES AND SWEETHEARTS

In the 1960's Claire and Kathy are settling into life as naval wives in Portsmouth. When Claire's husband goes off to sea, she copes confidently with motherhood alone, meanwhile Kathy faces temptations impossible to ignore!