Victor Pemberton
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THe Chandler's Daughter  
A poignant portrayal of London in the turbulent years before the Second World War
The Chandler's Daughter
1937: The year of the coronation of King George VI and a pivotal year for Grace Higgs. Her father’s death brings not only loneliness and heartache, but also the shocking revelation that he was up to his eyes in debt. Determined to save her father’s business, Grace takes up the reins of his horse and cart to walk the bustling streets of Islington. It’s not an easy job for a woman on her own, and Grace soon realises she may have to sell up. But Gus Higgs was a man of many surprises, and there is one last discovery for his daughter to make. It’s the key to a secret that will change her life for ever, and guarantee that Grace will never be lonely again...
 

"Thick black smoke gushed from the funnel of the Great Western Railway train as it sped along the track through rural Wiltshire, the smart green and white livery of its passenger compartments glistening in the hot morning sun. To Grace, the rich fresh greenery of the countryside was like another world after the heat and grime of London Town… For part of the journey, Grace did manage to nod off for a while. It wasn’t a deep sleep, for her mind was too full of everything that had happened to her during the past few weeks. She was also preoccupied with what lay ahead. Since opening her father’s letter, she had started to imagine all kinds of things. What was this house he was sending her to? Was she mad, coming all this way on what could easily turn out to be a wild-goose chase? She reached into her handbag for her father’s letter, and read it again for the umpteenth time. The part that still disturbed her most was: ‘There’s someone I want you to meet down there, someone who’s played a big part in my life, someone I’ve always been very proud of.’ She folded up the letter again, put it back into the envelope, and returned it to her handbag. She was full of misgivings."
© Victor Pemberton 2004
“There are so many differing characters and situations in this gem of a book. Constantly descriptive prose captivates, particularly Gus’s Pearly King-type London funeral. The cobbles echo with the hollow sound of Clapper’s hooves as he draws his master’s hearse. It’s a bittersweet, electric story. A book to cherish.”
Joan Stockdale, Chronicle, April 1 2004

“This a wonderful story of a community surviving poverty and hardship… Another enjoyable read from Victor Pemberton, full of warmth and atmosphere.”
Jill Halse, Bournemouth Daily Echo, 30 April 2004

“Another romantic saga from a popular author who knows how to please his waiting audience.”
Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 24 April 2004

“One of the few male authors in the teeming world of women’s romantic fiction, Victor Pemberton is now a master of the London sagas….. A vivid story with all the right heart-warming ingredients.’

  
 
 © Victor Pemberton 2004 -2008 top