Product Description

Rosa Lucas, born in the slums of Birmingham, is a spirited girl who determines that her own life will be different. Following a childhood marked by tragedy, she joins the ATS during World War II and travels to Southern Italy where she falls in love with Italian doctor Paolo Falcone.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41060 in Books
• Published on: 1995-02-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From the Author
Birmingham Rose still has a very special place in my heart.
It was the first 'Birmingham' book I wrote, I had three very small children
at the time and our fourth daughter - who of course, had to be called
Rose!- arrived soon after I had finished it!
I had a very interesting time finding out about Birmingham as it used to
be, as many older people who remembered it had described it to me, before
it was knocked about by all the bombs and bulldozers,and the trams were
still running. Brum is such a fast moving place that history soon gets
covered over, and can often only be glimpsed. Through finding out about
life in the old neighbourhoods of the city and how hard things were for so
many people, I began to see the place with new eyes.
The story also takes us to Italy, and into all sorts of adventures when
Rose joins the army and into the arms of a very special man. The war
certainly changed life for a great many people, and in some happy cases,
not always for the worse...

Customer Reviews

A moving story of life during the 2nd World War
This is one of those 'once picked up you can't put it down' books. A very descriptive and moving story about a girl from Birmingham and her life through the 2nd World War. Murray gives vivid descriptions of life in the poorest areas of Birmingham and how the 1st World War is still having an impact on people when the 2nd begins. It is a story of dreams and ambitions being dampened by the reality of war. Families are torn apart but new friends and relationships are made. The experience of serving her country gives Rose the much needed opportunity to escape from Birmingham and realise her dreams. An excellent book for easy (but tearful!) reading.

'Poverty porn'
There's an anecdote in Clive James' "Unreliable Memoirs" about how the 'dunny man', who empties the chemical toilet, trips on a bicycle while carrying a full bucket. "What was so remarkable," James says, "was that none of the contents missed him". This applies here too; everything that can go wrong for the heroine, does. It's Catherine Cookson transplanted to Birmingham, and every bit as formulaic.

birmingham rose
BIRMINGHAM ROSEChocolate GirlsBirmingham Friends[[ASIN:0330446118 The Bells of Bournville Green]
all annie murray books are very good read she makes you think you are there wih here