Stevie‘s review of For Better For Worse by Pam Weaver
Family Saga published by Avon 31 Mar 14
The years immediately following a major war may seem on first consideration to make for a less exciting backdrop to a story than the war years themselves, but that’s rarely the case, especially in the realm of family sagas. The upheaval was particularly noticeable for women after the Second World War, when they were suddenly expected to conform to the role of housewife after years of taking care of everything for themselves – and also faced stigma and even isolation if they failed, whether through any fault of their own or not. In the case of this story, the fault certainly didn’t lie with any of the three main women, but with the man who had duped and betrayed them.
Since Henry Royal (and yes that name seems to be a deliberate play on words) walked out on his wife Sarah, she has tried to provide for their two daughters through a string of cleaning jobs and through taking on commissions to make children’s clothes for a travelling salesman. Although they’ve moved into cheaper accommodation than that they rented when Henry was around, the loss of even a small sum of money – such as when Sarah’s purse goes missing – could spell disaster. Hearing a rumour that Henry has been seen with another, younger, woman in a nearby town, Sarah takes her daughters (no one being available to look after them) and gets a lift over there with a friendly delivery driver.
When she arrives, Sarah is confronted by an angry, pregnant, young woman, and then by Henry himself – who throws her out of the house. Before she can decide what to do next, the police arrive and arrest Henry for bigamy: not only had he married this new woman without divorcing Sarah, he had still been married to his first wife when he and Sarah got married. To make matters worse, when Sarah’s family find out, they blame her for having her daughters out of wedlock, even though she had no way of knowing about Henry’s past.
Sarah attends Henry’s trial and sees him found guilty and jailed for six months. However, she may be free of him, but her troubles aren’t over, as she finds herself evicted from the home she was renting and turned away from her sister’s house when she seeks help there. Help finds her from an unexpected source, in the form of Henry’s first wife who needs a housekeeper to take care of an aunt recently released from the institution that was her home for almost thirty years. Soon, the household is swelled further by the arrival of Henry’s third wife – much to Sarah’s initial dismay – and the women start to rebuild their lives.
Henry, meanwhile, is plotting in his prison cell and hatches schemes to discredit his wives, claim his son – his third wife’s child – and swindle money from gullible older women. He gets his comeuppance in the end, though not without heartbreak for some of the other characters.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, made all the better for being written by an author who seems thoroughly familiar with both the era and the area in which the story is set. I’ll definitely be tracking down the other books she’s written – all set in and around the town of Worthing, a place I’ve visited only a few times but would love to read more about.
Grade: A
Summary:
A dramatic read from Sunday Times bestseller, Pam Weaver, filled with bigamy, scandal and friendships which bring hope in the darkness. The perfect read for fans of Katie Flynn and Maureen Lee.
July 1948. As Britain recovers from WWII, Annie Royal is looking to the future. Recently married to Henry, and with a baby on the way, she and her new husband are happily settled in the seaside town of Worthing.
But a knock at the door brings Annie’s world crashing down. On her doorstep stands Sarah and her two young children. As they talk, Sarah reveals that she is Henry’s wife – and she has been searching for him since he walked out on their family a year ago.
Struggling to believe what she’s hearing, Annie is forced to accept the truth when Henry is arrested for bigamy. Alone, with no one to support her, and with the baby due to arrive imminently, Annie must look to the most unlikely of places to find support in her darkest hour…
Read an excerpt.
