Hope in the Valleys: A sweeping, emotional WW1 saga

Name: Hope in the Valleys: A sweeping, emotional WW1 saga
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

Francesca Capaldi

Jan 2022 · Wartime in the Valleys Book 3 · Hera books Ltd

4.0

1 review

Ebook

381

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About this ebook

'Heart-wrenching, highly emotional and hard to put down...saga writing at its mesmerizing best.' Reader Review

Will Elizabeth choose love over duty?

It’s August 1917 and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon, a mining village in the Rhymney Valley, try to keep hope alive; but every day brings fresh tragedy as more of their sons and fathers are killed on foreign battlefields.

Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society’s expectations.

Falling in love with miner, Gwilym Owen, brings more joy to her life than she’s ever known... until she’s forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family. Seeking an escape, Elizabeth signs up as a VAD nurse and is swiftly sent to help the troops in France, even as her heart breaks at leaving Gwilym behind.

Separated by society and the Great War, can Elizabeth and Gwilym find their way back together again? Or will their love become another casualty of war?

A romantic, emotional saga set in WW1 - fans of Katie Flynn and Sheila Newberry will adore this captivating read.

Readers are loving Hope in the Valleys:

‘Another great instalment in the Valleys series...Really enjoyed this book and I’m already looking forward to reading the fourth one.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘Absolutely loved this book...Lovely characters and a beautifully written storyline. Highly recommend this book and the author’. ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The book tells of the lives of some who fought and some who stayed behind to work in the mines. I do recommend that you read this book.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘It was like visiting old friends and family...It is just like coming home reading this book.’ ☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘A story of friends, love, hate and forgiveness...A story of the war and those lost. I did enjoy reading this book and I would recommend it.’ ☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘I was so excited to start this book...It was like visiting family. I recommend this book and hope there will be another.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘It was lovely to return to the village and meet these characters again...Pleased to see there is another instalment of the series on the way.’ ☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

Praise for Francesca Capaldi's beautiful WW1 Welsh saga series:

'Rich with well-drawn characters, twists and turns, sense of history and place...it was hard to put down. I loved it!’ Rosie Hendry, author of the East End Angels series

‘I loved this book... I would heartily recommend it for anyone who enjoys family saga or historical fiction.’ Reader Review

‘This is such a warm-hearted book... I would ask all readers to read this book. I loved it’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘This is a really emotional book...I really enjoyed this book and fully recommend it. Worth all the stars’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

‘An all-engrossing story that swept me along with it. It is a wonderful historical saga with a hint of romance' ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

Ratings and reviews

4.0

1 review

Shirley McAllister

January 21, 2022

As WWI rages across the land a small mining town reels from the losses of their sons in the great war. Even though mining is a dangerous job those families of the miners are happy that many of their sons are saved by being in the mining industry that saves them from being conscripted into the Army. There is some hard feelings between those that volunteer to serve and those that stay to work in the mines. Elizabeth is the daughter of the mine manager Herbert Meredith. As such she enjoys a privileged standing in the village but longs to be free of that social expectation. She falls in love with a miner named Gwilyn but is forbidden to see him by her mother as he is below her social standards. Elizabeth rebels and runs off joining the VAD nurse and is sent to France leaving her family and her love behind. Elizabeth and Gwilyn are now separated by society, war and a continent. Will the two of them get back together or will they go their separate ways and lead separate lives? Will it ever be possible for her family to change their minds and will Elizabeth even survive the war? So much will change in the time she serves. The book is written about a small town where gossip and rumors abound. Where social circles are much removed from each other and it is not thought of to cross the line. It is a story of the mining town and the war and how the two stories interact as one. A story of friends, love and hate and forgiveness. A story of protests and sides taken. A story of the war and those lost, those returned not the same as they left some wounded in mind and some in body. How the families come to terms with life and what it brings. I did enjoy reading this book and I would recommend it. Thanks to Francesca Capaldi for writing this great story, to Hera Books for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available for me to read.

About the author

Francesca's WW1 sagas are inspired by her story-telling Welsh mother. She currently lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrissian.

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