The Girl from Barefoot House

Josie, three years old at the start of the novel, is the daughter of a prostitute during World War II. She is much-loved and innocent, observing some of the horrors of life but basically quite content.

The book is mainly about Josie's growing up, falling in love, travelling, and finally finding a niche for herself in the world. I suppose it's a well-written look at social history primarily. Despite some appalling circumstances, Maureen Lee cleverly manages to give clear impressions of some of the terrible things that happened without being gruesome.

Unfortunately I found the characters a bit flat. Josie herself is at her most delightful at three years old. Once she becomes a teenager, and then an adult, she seems less realistic. I was show more interested in what happened, so I kept reading - but I was never gripped. I didn't find myself caring enough to be moved even when she felt things deeply. show less

Maureen Lee writes great saga novels of Liverpool and the Second World War.

Back Cover Blurb:
For Josie Flynn, life with her beautiful, wayward mother in the heart of Liverpool was all she ever wanted - until Hitler's bombs ripped her childhood apart. But the War was just the start of a journey - a journey that began in heartbreak when Josie was sent to live with her miserable Aunt Ivy and over-friendly Uncle Vince; took her to Barefoot House as the paid companion of an elderly, cantankerous woman who eventually became her friend; and seemed to promise lifelong happiness in New York with the handsome, charismatic Jack Coltrane.
But once again, life is not turning out the way Josie imagines and she finds herself back in Liverpool, alone. As show more she renews old loves and former friendships, and reflects on her time at Barefoot House, she embarks upon a career which is as unlikely as it is successful. show less

La pequeña Joe Flynn debe irse a vivir a casa de sus tíos Ivy y Vince, tras la muerte de su madre justo al comienzo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. A pesar de las dificultades iniciales y de todos los obstáculos que debe superar, Joe se convierte en una hermosa joven llena de esperanzas e ilusiones. Su destino da un giro radical cuando por una casualidad entra a trabajar en la mansión Barefoot House como señorita de compañía de la anciana Louisa Chalcott. Joe entabla una sincera amistad con esta excéntrica escritora, y a la muerte de esta, recibe una herencia que le permite labrarse un futuro en Nueva York. Pero cuando cree que ha alcanzado la felicidad al lado del atractivo Jack Coltrane, su vida cambia de nuevo y regresa a show more Liverpool, donde se embarca en una carrera profesional que la llevará donde siempre había soñado. show less