Maureen Lee (1) (1932–2020)
Author of The September Girls
For other authors named Maureen Lee, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: www.maureenlee.co.uk
Series
Works by Maureen Lee
Three Great Novels Liverpool Sagas: Stepping Stones / Liverpool Annie / Dancing in the Dark (2003) 6 copies
Three Great Novels What A Woman Wants: A Sense of Belonging / Dancing in the Dark / Some Kind of Hero (2006) 3 copies
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1932
- Date of death
- 2020-12-31
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- novelist
- Short biography
- Maureen Lee was born in Bootle, England, UK, near Liverpool during the World War II. She attended Commercial College and became a shorthand typist. She married Richard, and they had three sons, now adults. The last years the marriage lives in Colchester, Essex.
During years, she published over one hundred and fifty short-stories, before published her first novel Lila in 1983. She continued published dramatic historical sagas mainly setting in Liverpool since 1994. In 2000, her novel Dancing in the Dark won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Bootle, Merseyside, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Bootle, Merseyside, England, UK
Colchester, Essex, England, UK - Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
Put Out the Fires is the second book in Maureen Lee’s trilogy about Liverpool during World War II. She gives us a birds’ eye view of the women of Pearl Street in Bootle. We follow their daily lives as they struggle to carry on in a world they barely recognize. Battered and downhearted from the nightly bombings, these woman have to deal with life on their own as their partners are mostly away fighting the war. From marriage indiscretions, to losing a child in the bombings, to finding work show more to help support their families, these women cope with a quiet strength and dignity. We also see how they learn to adjust to food and clothing shortages, banding together to share and lean on each other. From using vinegar as a leavening agent, sharing milk rations to ensure a pregnant woman stays healthy, or making a jam out of turnips, the women face life with humor and comradeship.
These characters have developed and grown over the first two books into people I feel I know and care about. This look at one street in one city in Britain over the war years has caught the essence of the courage and fortitude that the British people displayed during this period, enduring hardship, pain and loss, yet all the while shaking their fist under Hitler’s nose. I can’t wait for the third book. show less
These characters have developed and grown over the first two books into people I feel I know and care about. This look at one street in one city in Britain over the war years has caught the essence of the courage and fortitude that the British people displayed during this period, enduring hardship, pain and loss, yet all the while shaking their fist under Hitler’s nose. I can’t wait for the third book. show less
Who reads these novels, really? I'm thinking either those 'voracious' readers who claim 'I'll read anything, even the back of the cornflakes packet!', or terminally bored housewives. Perhaps Maureen Lee's other 'Liverpool lass' stories are better constructed, but I won't be bothering to find out. Only the 1960s setting and 'creative' blurb tempted me to try this one, but the characters, plot, pacing and writing quickly reminded me why I generally avoid 'family sagas'. There are too many good show more books out there that are worth reading!
If E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey mummy porn was originally Twilight fan fiction, then Lee's Lime Street Blues is the Beatles equivalent. Edited by a fifteen year old. Liverpool lads Lachlan, Sean and Max form a band in the early 1960s, while Sean's sister Rita and Lachlan's girlfriend Jeannie become 'The Flower Girls' (yeah, I know), a groundbreaking girl group. The rest of the novel, hopping from 1960 to 1967 to 1975 to 1983, covers little more than the domestic woes and ever-increasing offspring of the two bands and their families. Everything is resolved neatly, people change partners like underwear, and the ending is beyond ridiculous. I didn't feel for any of the characters, because Lee favours the 'tell not show' method of storytelling, and Jeannie, Lachlan and Sean are all cliches anyway.
Maureen Lee obviously knows what her readers like, but gagging on the nostalgic fiction equivalent of Werther's Originals is not for me. show less
If E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey mummy porn was originally Twilight fan fiction, then Lee's Lime Street Blues is the Beatles equivalent. Edited by a fifteen year old. Liverpool lads Lachlan, Sean and Max form a band in the early 1960s, while Sean's sister Rita and Lachlan's girlfriend Jeannie become 'The Flower Girls' (yeah, I know), a groundbreaking girl group. The rest of the novel, hopping from 1960 to 1967 to 1975 to 1983, covers little more than the domestic woes and ever-increasing offspring of the two bands and their families. Everything is resolved neatly, people change partners like underwear, and the ending is beyond ridiculous. I didn't feel for any of the characters, because Lee favours the 'tell not show' method of storytelling, and Jeannie, Lachlan and Sean are all cliches anyway.
Maureen Lee obviously knows what her readers like, but gagging on the nostalgic fiction equivalent of Werther's Originals is not for me. show less
Lime Street Blues by Maureen Lee is a British Saga involving three Liverpool families – the Flowers, the Baileys and the McDowds. The story begins in post-war Liverpool and follows the lives, loves and careers of the children of these families.
Connected by music and in particular the emerging British sound of the 1960’s, these characters form various bands and groups, fall in love with each other, fall apart and come together again in various ways. The main couple, Jeannie Flowers and show more the love of her life, Lachlan Bailey become famous, and live a life that most people would love to have except they both have to work through their own personal demons and betrayals in order to sustain their relationship.
This was a fun story about a new generation breaking away from their parents rules and learning to take on the modern world. With a backdrop of the famous Cavern Club and various groups such as the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Rolling Stones helping to set the scene, Lime Street Blues captures the feeling of the 1960’s. I enjoyed the setting and although the story seemed a little long it’s many twists and turns made this an interesting and captivating read. show less
Connected by music and in particular the emerging British sound of the 1960’s, these characters form various bands and groups, fall in love with each other, fall apart and come together again in various ways. The main couple, Jeannie Flowers and show more the love of her life, Lachlan Bailey become famous, and live a life that most people would love to have except they both have to work through their own personal demons and betrayals in order to sustain their relationship.
This was a fun story about a new generation breaking away from their parents rules and learning to take on the modern world. With a backdrop of the famous Cavern Club and various groups such as the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Rolling Stones helping to set the scene, Lime Street Blues captures the feeling of the 1960’s. I enjoyed the setting and although the story seemed a little long it’s many twists and turns made this an interesting and captivating read. show less
Dancing in the Dark by Maureen Lee is a romance story that jumps back and forth in time between two women. Flo Clancy a young woman who tragically falls in love with a married man which causes heartbreak and troubles through three generations. Millie Cameron, who is Flo’s great-niece, was asked to sort through Flo’s stuff when she passed away, and while sorting through Flo’s things discovers secrets that change her whole life.
The book follows Flo through the World War II years in show more Liverpool and on through her life. It also tells Millie’s story, her harsh upbringing and her coming face to face with these dark family secrets. Personally I never felt overly connected to any character. Flo, with her bad choices usually made me want to smack her and Millie was so guarded and uptight that it was difficult to break through and find a sympathetic character underneath her false front. Many of the events in the book felt a little forced and unbelievable so I wasn’t drawn into the story. I suspect that this will be a book that I will have trouble recalling in a few months as I found nothing memorable about it.
I usually enjoy Maureen Lee’s books, but Dancing In the Dark will not be added to my list of this author’s favorite books. show less
The book follows Flo through the World War II years in show more Liverpool and on through her life. It also tells Millie’s story, her harsh upbringing and her coming face to face with these dark family secrets. Personally I never felt overly connected to any character. Flo, with her bad choices usually made me want to smack her and Millie was so guarded and uptight that it was difficult to break through and find a sympathetic character underneath her false front. Many of the events in the book felt a little forced and unbelievable so I wasn’t drawn into the story. I suspect that this will be a book that I will have trouble recalling in a few months as I found nothing memorable about it.
I usually enjoy Maureen Lee’s books, but Dancing In the Dark will not be added to my list of this author’s favorite books. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 37
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 1,243
- Popularity
- #20,644
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 41
- ISBNs
- 351
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 6