Cliffehaven, October 1944
As the Allied troops draw closer to victory, life at Beach View Boarding House is still full of uncertainty.
Rosie’s plans for her wedding to Ron Reilly are plagued with misunderstandings. And when Ron takes on a secret assignment just days before they are due to say their vows, it seems their plans for a future together may be doomed.
Meanwhile, Peggy Reilly embraces her new managerial role at the uniform factory. It’s a welcome distraction while her husband Jim is still away fighting in the Far East. But when an old school adversary joins the factory’s ranks, Peggy must win her own battles on the home front.
As a new year dawns, hopes grow brighter for the return of loved ones – but a big sea change is still to come before Victory in Europe can be declared.
Victory is in sight, but the war is not yet won.
Many thanks to Rachel Kennedy from Arrow Publishing for my copy of On a Turning Tide to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
For some reason I thought On a Turning Tide was to be the last book in the Cliffehaven series following the lives of Peggy O'Reilly, her family and the various people she has taken under her wing during the war years. So I was delighted to see before I began reading this book that there will be two further books from Ellie Dean which will wrap up the series. This is quite a long series, and I only joined the story about three or four books ago, yet I have fallen in love with the setting and the characters and all the various strands of the story.
It really does show that you can pick up any of the Cliffehaven books and quickly you will feel at home and engrossed in the storylines and needn't have read every book in sequence in order to gain enjoyment from one of the best World War Two family saga series that is out there at the moment. I love how each book literally picks up exactly from where the last book left off but, yet for those new to the series, within the first few chapters there are paragraphs dedicated to filling you in on some of the back story in order to bring you bang up to date. This also helps in establishing who is who and how people are connected to each other or why they have featured in past books. This doesn't feel rushed or rammed down the readers throats, instead through conversations between characters the back stories are easily told and we feel ready to move on with the present story.
Peggy Reilly, the matriarch of Beach View House, has long been a stalwart of this series and she has remained strong, determined and courageous throughout. But as the title suggests the tide is turning in 1944 and perhaps an end to the war is in sight and maybe her loved ones and friends may stand a chance of coming home after so many years absence fraught full of hardship, struggles and deprivation for all concerned. Peggy has always kept the home fires burning in the absence of her husband Jim who has recently been wounded in Burma and is now recuperating in India. Peggy constantly worries for him, and the relatives of close friends who have not been home in many years, but she knows she must soldier on herself and keep things on an even keel.
For when those that can return home safely do so they would want to see a normal life at home where they have always felt loved, valued, cherished and respected in the past. They will seek comfort and normality when they have come from horror and bloodshed. That's what Peggy tries to do at all times, retain some sense of normality in a world where everything has been turned upside down. Against all the odds they make the best of what they have but Peggy has also become a mother figure to so many extended women and these women whose stories have featured in past books will be forever grateful. No doubt about it Peggy is a pillar of society and one to be respected and admired yet life does present its challenges and she is faced with a new conundrum in this book.
Peggy has stepped outside of the comfort zone that was Beach View house and accepted a job at Solly Goldman's factory. This shows how women adapted with the times in the absence of their men folk and even though their husbands may not have been happy upon their return, the women could rightly defend themselves, in that faced with no other choice and wanting to do their best for their country they stepped up to the plate when needed. Truly all those women so many years ago were remarkable in the face of such difficult times during the long war years. Peggy enjoys this sense of independence she has gained and with Rita, Sarah and Ivy all at home, as well as doing their jobs for the war effort, Peggy feels the house can manage it's time she stepped outside of her comfort zone.
Deciding to take a promotion at work puts Peggy herself in the firing line and I really enjoyed how she was tested to the max. Her loyalty and confidence was put into question when sinister goings on occur at the factory. But as Peggy has so much experience dealing with women in need because of previous desperate situations she is able to follow her heart and do that right thing. I love how Peggy is always on the lookout to help people, it’s almost like second nature to her and it showcases the numerous redeemable qualities to her character. That's not to say she doesn’t have a vulnerable side, she does but it is kept firmly under wraps but every now and again especially as a traumatic event befalls the family she lets this armour down and it shows that she is human too and can't always keep up a persona.That at times the shutters can come crashing open and that's when extended family and friends and the unit she has built around herself come in and repay the kindness and support she has shown them for so many years.
Again as with previous books we are given a chapter every now and again from Jim's point of view. I always look forward to these chapters because it takes us away from Cliffehaven and transports us right into the heart of the action. We can see how men are coping away from home and times are even more difficult than their families are experiencing on home soil. We got a very brief update on those who are imprisoned and connected to Sarah, Rita, Ivy and various others which we haven't had before and it didn't make for good news. I would like in the last two books to hear more from their viewpoint in a similar way as we do with Jim.
On reflection I think we haven't already gotten this because at the time those imprisoned were not able to send letters and perhaps the author wanted to make this as realistic as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline involving Doris, Peggy's sister, and the work she does with Colonel John White. I haven't liked her as a character up until this point as her actions and the way she spoke to and treated people left an awful lot to be desired. But a new life situation has made her change her viewpoints and she is now a character I enjoy reading about an awful lot more. This time she does some digging and throws up some unusual events that need dealing with. But will she be strong enough to weather the ensuing storm and can her heart open that little but more to some affection that is so clearly knocking at her door?
As much as I enjoyed the minor storylines in On a Turning Tide, and the sense that things may be finally coming to a head with regards to the war, it was following the fortunes of Ron Reilly – the father in law of Peggy that really held my intention from beginning to end. Ron was a big focus in this story as up until now he had been the one supporting everyone else and going about his business helping in any way possible with his faithful dog by his side. At last he is going to do the right thing and marry Rosie the landlady of the local pub. They have a wonderful relationship but until this point Ron has been hesitant in taking the final step to cement their relationship. Even though it has been years since he lost his beloved first wife there is still that reluctance to marry especially in a church.
Ron is a man who doesn't show much emotion and if he is in pain or worried about something he doesn't like to show it. Yet if someone was in trouble or needed advice, comfort or support he would be he first to step up and offer it. I enjoyed seeing a softer side of Ron emerge as he shared his anxieties with Rosie and as a resolution of sorts was reached I hoped they could look forward to a happy future with one another. Beneath it all, although he wouldn't like to admit it, Ron really is a big softie who only wants the best for the woman he loves and for all his family members and friends to get through these terrible years safely. Yet Ron is not above keeping a secret or two and it is a major secret that leads to an upsetting turn of events.
The last quarter of this book was brilliantly written, packed full of tension and edge of your seat stuff. I was there every step of the way with the characters as events unfolded. I just wanted a positive outcome but then thought god everything is taking so long. Will it be too late but on the other hand would Ellie Dean really do this to a character that has played such a major and pivotal role in the series? Surely not? I read on, more than keen to discover all the answers. But suffice to say this aspect of the story was excellent and again exposed the vulnerability of characters whom you thought were made of steel.
On a Turning Tide was another story to relish in the Cliffehaven series and I raced through it in as few sittings as possible. I love the entire message coming through from each book and the author really does bring a time to life that really was not that long ago at all. She highlights how everyone's lives went from normal, run of the mill, everyday stuff to trauma and worry forever in the forefront of their minds. I just can't imagine how we would cope today if we had to go through everything that Peggy and co experience. The harmony of good fellowship grows stronger with every book and with each year of the war that passes by and it's now at the point with two books left that every little strand will begin to be tied up and the reader will be rooting for a positive outcome for every angle. But I sense maybe some trauma and sadness might yet ensue before we reach the end. With Hope and Love is the second to last book in the series and having read this one it's only whet my appetite for what is still to come.
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