Product Description

It is 1953 - Coronation year - and like all of Cockney London the members of the Adams family are looking forward to the celebrations. Chinese Lady, now Lady Finch, worries that her friends will think she is too grand to mingle with them. But her husband has a more pressing worry - the sudden appearance of the lovely but mysterious Katje Galicia, who knows more than she should about his own chequered past. Young Jimmy Adams, meanwhile, is enjoying working at the family clothing factory, where at the retirement party for two of the oldest employees, Bert and Gertie Roper, he meets their lively granddaughter Clare. Before long he has offered her a job on the switchboard, and has hopes of seeing her after working hours as well. And brave Felicity, blinded in the blitz, thinks she notices a glimmer of light appearing in her dark world - but dare not tell her husband, in case it is just her imagination...With the young Queen now on the throne, times are changing for the Adams family.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #160394 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 382 pages

The Historical Novels Review
'A charming novel full of endearing characters'

From the Back Cover
It is 1953 - Coronation year - and like all of Cockney London the members of the Adams family are looking forward to the celebrations. Chinese Lady, now Lady Finch, worries that her friends will think she is too grand to mingle with them. But her husband has a more pressing worry - the sudden appearance of the lovely but mysterious Katje Galicia, who knows more than she should about his own chequered past.

Young Jimmy Adams, meanwhile, is enjoying working at the family clothing factory, where at the retirement party for two of the oldest employees, Bert and Gertie Roper, he meets their lively granddaughter Clare. Before long he has offered her a job on the switchboard, and has hopes of seeing her after working hours as well. And brave Felicity, blinded in the blitz, thinks she notices a glimmer of light appearing in her dark world - but dare not tell her husband, in case it is just her imagination.

With the young Queen now on the throne, times are changing for the Adams family.

Read more about the Adams family in the other novels by Mary Jane Staples, published by Corgi Books

About the Author
Mary Jane Staples was born and brought up in the Walworth area of South London. She now lives in Surrey and is the author of over twenty novels about cockney life, many of which feature the well-loved Adams family.

Customer Reviews

Another great episode in the lives of the Adams Family
As always, once I started reading this latest episode I couldn't put it down. I tried to prolong my enjoyment but just couldn't manage to stop reading.

It's great to see the descendants of Chinese Lady growing up and moving on, I love the way in which the characters are brought to life and feel like I know each of them personally. I feel like part of the Adams' family as I live in the same area of London that it's set in and it's great to imagine what Camberwell and Walworth was like between 1900 to the present day!!

My advice is that if you can start reading from the first instalment of this family saga you'll know exactly what I mean!

A Lovely Book
This is another wonderful book from Mary Jane Staples, full of her usual colourful and lively tales of the Adams family. It is, again, a gripping read, and I couldn't put it down once started!! It's a thoroughly enjoyable book, in which we move into the early fifties, and we follow a couple of Maisie's grandchildren as they meet their future husbands/wives, and weddings are arranged. The rest of the family is never too far away. This is a lovely book, completely recommended by me, I can't wait for the next instalment!!