For the sake of the children (by June Francis)

(Amazon UK link)

'For the sake of the children' is a war-years historical novel by June Francis. I picked it up in a charity shop. The cover looked good, and the blurb sounded interesting. I'm not in general a huge fan of stories set in the war years, but there seem to be a large number of them at present.

The novel is set in war-torn England. Amelia, the main protagonist, gave up her chance of marriage to look after her father and younger sister. Now she is suddenly landed with her orphaned nieces and nephews, and her best friend's twin sons.

How she copes, and grows from being cold and dutiful to warm and caring is the focus of the book. We also follow along with the trials of the children as they make the effort to live together. Gradually they learn to trust each other, and to grow up and develop new and lasting relationships.

I found this book more enjoyable than I expected. Recommended.