The Rainbow Years
Bess Shawe’s seduction by a married man who dies in the Great War leaves her pregnant and bereft, but her baby daughter, Amy, brings her great joy. Although she’s destined to be both beautiful and compassionate, the stigma of Amy’s past is hard to escape. When marriage offers her the chance of freedom, Amy accepts with barely a thought, only to discover her husband is not the paragon of her dreams.
Once again Amy has to run away and the outbreak of World War Two provides her with the opportunity to serve her country and hide from her past at the same time. Never does she expect to fall in love and, just when she allows herself to believe that happiness is possible, her past catches up with her, pulling her away from her new life.
The Rainbow Years is just what a romantic saga should be – a classic tear-jerker. Of course having the two wars as the background helps provide drama and heart-rending a-plenty, but Rita Bradshaw doesn’t rely on this alone. She gives her novel a real heart and soul, creating her characters with obvious compassion and care whatever their faults. Without doubt a crowd-pleaser.
