The Bermondsey Bookshop

The Bermondsey Bookshop
Author: Mary Gibson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2020-02-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1788542630

'Happiness had never been something she'd looked for. A quiet day with no insults or wallops, that was the best she could imagine.' London, 1920s Kate Goss lives in a freezing cold garret, bullied by her aunt and cousins. She dreams of being rescued by her handsome father. No one knows where he is, or what he is doing, just that he is sure to come back a rich man. By the time Kate is seventeen, she has learnt to cope alone. When her aunt throws her out, she finds a job as a cleaner in the Bermondsey Bookshop and Reading Room. Here she will discover a world she never knew existed. But trouble is never far away and long-held secrets are about to burst into the open, ensnaring her in a web of lies and violence. Will she ever be able to escape? Praise for The Bermondsey Bookshop: 'Poignant and intensely emotional' BOOKISH JOTTINGS 'A fabulous, fascinating read' VANESSA FELTZ 'I simply couldn't put it down' THE BOOKBAG 'A must-read' OK MAGAZINE

Consent

Consent
Author: Vanessa Springora
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2021-02-16
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0063047918

“Consent” is a Molotov cocktail, flung at the face of the French establishment, a work of dazzling, highly controlled fury...By every conceivable metric, her book is a triumph.” -- The New York Times Already an international literary sensation, an intimate and powerful memoir of a young French teenage girl’s relationship with a famous, much older male writer—a universal #MeToo story of power, manipulation, trauma, recovery, and resiliency that exposes the hypocrisy of a culture that has allowed the sexual abuse of minors to occur unchecked. Sometimes, all it takes is a single voice to shatter the silence of complicity. Thirty years ago, Vanessa Springora was the teenage muse of one of the country’s most celebrated writers, a footnote in the narrative of a very influential man in the French literary world. At the end of 2019, as women around the world began to speak out, Vanessa, now in her forties and the director of one of France’s leading publishing houses, decided to reclaim her own story, offering her perspective of those events sharply known. Consent is the story of one precocious young girl’s stolen adolescence. Devastating in its honesty, Vanessa’s painstakingly memoir lays bare the cultural attitudes and circumstances that made it possible for a thirteen-year-old girl to become involved with a fifty-year-old man who happened to be a notable writer. As she recalls the events of her childhood and her seduction by one of her country’s most notable writers, Vanessa reflects on the ways in which this disturbing relationship changed and affected her as she grew older. Drawing parallels between children’s fairy tales and French history and her personal life, Vanessa offers an intimate and absorbing look at the meaning of love and consent and the toll of trauma and the power of healing in women’s lives. Ultimately, she offers a forceful indictment of a chauvinistic literary world that has for too long accepted and helped perpetuate gender inequality and the exploitation and sexual abuse of children. Translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer "...One of the belated truths that emerges from [Consent] is that Springora is a writer. [...]Her sentences gleam like metal; each chapter snaps shut with the clean brutality of a latch." -- The New Yorker "Consent [is] rapier-sharp, written with restraint, elegance and brevity." -- The Times (London) "[Consent] has something steely in its heart, and it departs from the typical American memoir of childhood abuse in exhilarating ways." -- Slate "Lucid and nuanced...[Consent] will speak to trauma survivors everywhere." -- Los Angeles Review of Books ”A piercing memoir about the sexually abusive relationship she endured at age 14 with a 50-year-old writer...This chilling account will linger with readers long after the last page is turned.” -- Publishers Weekly "Springora's lucid account is a commanding discussion of sexual abuse and victimization, and a powerful act of reclamation." -- Booklist "A chilling story of child abuse and the sophisticated Parisians who looked the other way...[Springora] is an elegant and perceptive writer." -- Kirkus

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts
Author: Mary Gibson
Publisher: Factory Girls
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-05-03
Genre: Factories
ISBN: 178854384X

Heartwarming and gritty, the life and loves of a factory girl in Bermondsey, during World War One.

Victorian London

Victorian London
Author: Liza Picard
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Total Pages: 549
Release: 2013-05-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780226527

From rag-gatherers to royalty, from fish knives to Freemasons: everyday life in Victorian London. Like its acclaimed companion volumes, Elizabeth's London, Restoration London and Dr Johnson's London, this book is the product of the author's passionate interest in the realities of everyday life so often left out of history books. This period of mid Victorian London covers a huge span: Victoria's wedding and the place of the royals in popular esteem; how the very poor lived, the underworld, prostitution, crime, prisons and transportation; the public utilities - Bazalgette on sewers and road design, Chadwick on pollution and sanitation; private charities - Peabody, Burdett Coutts - and workhouses; new terraced housing and transport, trains, omnibuses and the Underground; furniture and decor; families and the position of women; the prosperous middle classes and their new shops, such as Peter Jones and Harrods; entertaining and servants, food and drink; unlimited liability and bankruptcy; the rich, the marriage market, taxes and anti-semitism; the Empire, recruitment and press-gangs. The period begins with the closing of the Fleet and Marshalsea prisons and ends with the first (steam-operated) Underground trains and the first Gilbert & Sullivan.

Gunner Girls And Fighter Boys

Gunner Girls And Fighter Boys
Author: Mary Gibson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 469
Release: 2015-11-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1781855943

An incredible story of ordinary women living extraordinary lives, from the bestselling author of Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts. London, 1939. As the Blitz hits London, two sisters from Bermondsey find their lives changed beyond all recognition. May is known to her family as the homing pigeon because of her uncanny sense of direction. She will need it when a bombing raid destroys nearly everything she holds dear. With her home in ruins, she joins the ATS and becomes a gunner girl. Here she finds dangerous work, new friends and rivals – and painful choices in love. May's elder sister, Peggy, is trapped in a stifling marriage to a small-time crook. Amid the chaos of war, a route to freedom suddenly beckons and, along with it, new and passionate love. From the melting pot of war will come hardship and tragedy, as well as new, unexpected friendships and love affairs. PRAISE FOR GUNNER GIRLS AND FIGHTER BOYS: 'I learned so much, as the history of the Second World War was brought alive through vivid writing and wonderful storytelling. From the bomb sites of London to the countryside of Surrey, to the Middle East this is one book which will take you on a journey like no other book ever written' Petra, Amazon reviewer. 'A poignant saga of an East End of London family; their lives, loves, and losses during World War 2' Barbara Bee, Amazon reviewer. 'She makes Blitz time Bermondsey come to life' Abbie Scanlon, Amazon reviewer. 'Transported me back in time with a truly wonderful story. Lots of twists and turns and I absolutely loved the way it captures all the spirit and nostalgia from those times. Love love loved it!' Jojo's, Amazon reviewer. 'Gripping to the end. Wartime heartbreak, sadness, short lived happiness and love, you can taste the debris of war and share the odd moments of emotions' Sue Thornton, Amazon reviewer.

Cruickshank’s London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks

Cruickshank’s London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks
Author: Dan Cruickshank
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2019-11-14
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1473554322

'The perfect guide to the hidden history of London's streets.' BBC History Magazine In Cruickshank's London, Britain's favourite architectural historian describes thirteen walks through one of the greatest cities on earth. From the mysterious Anglo-Saxon origins of Hampstead Heath, via Christopher Wren's magisterial City churches, to the industrial bustle of Victorian Bermondsey, each walk explores a crucial moment in our history - and reveals how it helped forge the modern city. Along the way, Cruickshank peppers the book with vivid photographs, sketches and maps, so you can immediately follow in his footsteps. Every street in London contains a story. This book invites you to hear them. ___ 'An inspiringly illustrated guide to walks across London . . . It proves how much we can miss if we don't pay close attention to our surroundings.' Country Life 'All power to Cruickshank and his intrepid and knowledgeable kind. We need them.' Times Literary Supplement

Jamrach's Menagerie

Jamrach's Menagerie
Author: Carol Birch
Publisher: Canongate Books
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2011-02-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0857860410

Jaffy Brown is running along a street in London’s East End when he comes face to face with an escaped circus animal. Plucked from the jaws of death by Mr Jamrach – explorer, entrepreneur and collector of the world’s strangest creatures – the two strike up a friendship. Before he knows it, Jaffy finds himself on board a ship bound for the Dutch East Indies, on an unusual commission for Mr Jamrach. His journey – if he survives it – will push faith, love and friendship to their utmost limits.

Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams

Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams
Author: Mary Gibson
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2017-01-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781784973346

Handsome Frank Rossi took Matty Gilbie away from her working class roots in Bermondsey, East London and promised her fame and fortune. In America, the Cockney Canary would become a movie star. As his wife, she would be half of a power couple, fêted and adored by all. But the Wall Street Crash of 1929 puts paid to all that, and as Frank becomes more violent and unstable, Matty flees in the dead of night. Once home in Bermondsey, she goes into hiding and starts desperately looking for work. But only Peak Freans, the hated biscuit factory, is hiring staff. Then, as a secret from her past comes back to haunt her, Matty learns that Frank is on the move, determined to find her and get her back.

Hattie's Home

Hattie's Home
Author: Mary Gibson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2017-11-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 178497336X

A passionate and heartwarming saga from the bestselling author of CUSTARD TARTS AND BROKEN HEARTS. January 1947. The war is over. But London is still a wasteland. After eight years in the ATS, Hattie Wright returns to a Bermondsey she doesn't recognise. With so few jobs, she reluctantly takes work at the Alaska fur factory – a place rife with petty rivalries that she vowed never to set foot in again. But while she was a rising star in the ATS, Hattie's work mates are unforgiving in her attempts to promote herself up from the factory floor. After journeying across the world to Australia to marry her beloved, Clara is betrayed and returns penniless, homeless and trying to raise a child in the face of prejudice. While war widow, Lou, has lost more than most in the war. Her daughter and parents were killed in an air raid bomb blast and her surviving son, Ronnie, is fending for himself and getting into all kinds of trouble. The lifelong friendship these women forge while working in the fur factory will help them overcome crippling grief and prejudice in post-war Britain and to find hope in tomorrow. PRAISE FOR HATTIE'S HOME: 'Mary transported me right into the heart of Bermondsey and the damage, heartache and devastation the war had left behind. The sights, smells, wreckage, the poverty, it was all so real. Yet even in such dark times friendship and the community shines through' Dash F, Netgalley reviewer. 'If you want a real taste of East London life before 1914, and the horrors and occasional laughs the times could bring – this is a must read' Mark Ryes, Amazon reviewer. 'This is an absolute joy from start to finish and it's clear that Mary Gibson has a passion for history and a good yarn! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the reality of life for women in the period leading up to the Great War without the safety net of the Welfare State to fall back on. It's one of the best historic fiction books I've read in a long time' History Geek, Amazon reviewer. 'Gritty, heart-felt and very real. Gibson really gives you a clear understanding of what life was like... If you are a fan of Nadine Dorries you will love this' Rachel, Amazon reviewer. 'I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters, in my opinion certainly worth 5 stars!' Shelley, Amazon reviewer.