Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Last April Fair

by Betty Neels

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 17 ratings · 0 reviews

Hardcover, Large Print, 283 pages

Published November 1st 2006 by Ulverscroft Large Print (first published April 10th 1998)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 49)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 18, 2013 Phaedra marked it as to-sort · review of another edition

May 16, 2013 Susan Davis marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 14, 2013 Sara marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 05, 2013 Enigma Monkey marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 22, 2013 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 18, 2013 Becky marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 22, 2013 Andrewossama marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 18, 2013 Janm added it · review of another edition

Mar 21, 2013 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, 20th-century, around-the-world-2013, romance

Mar 12, 2013 Donna marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

Feb 28, 2013 Pam added it · review of another edition

Feb 24, 2013 Ibreeze Seerally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 14, 2013 Ann added it · review of another edition

Shelves: betty-neels

Jan 15, 2013 Deborah marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jan 15, 2013 Deborah marked it as to-read

Jan 12, 2013 Gaylene Jackson added it · review of another edition

Dec 15, 2012 Lamia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: betty-neels

Dec 12, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nov 19, 2012 Maggie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-oldie

Nov 18, 2012 Penelope Buckman marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Nov 17, 2012 Christiane marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sep 19, 2012 Lesly's Library added it · review of another edition

Sep 08, 2012 Rachel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 03, 2012 Odile Feria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jul 02, 2012 Venus Mueller-Dancel marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books

Aug 04, 2012 Kami rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: betty-neels

May 28, 2012 Heather marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 13, 2012 Srivilasica rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 04, 2012 Crystal Ayres rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 29, 2012 Trina added it · review of another edition

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Betty Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years, which stood her in good stead for the tribulations to come with the Second World War. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Cert...more Betty Neels was born on September 15, 1910 in Devon to a family with firm roots in the civil service. She said she had a blissfully happy childhood and teenage years, which stood her in good stead for the tribulations to come with the Second World War. She was sent away to boarding school, and then went on to train as a nurse, gaining her SRN and SCM, that is, State Registered Nurse and State Certificate of Midwifery.

In 1939 she was called up to the Territorial Army Nursing Service, which later became the Queen Alexandra Reserves, and was sent to France with the Casualty Clearing Station. This comprised eight nursing sisters, including Betty, to 100 men! In other circumstances, she thought that might have been quite thrilling! When France was invaded in 1940, all the nursing sisters managed to escape in the charge of an army major, undertaking a lengthy and terrifying journey to Boulogne in an ambulance. They were incredibly fortunate to be put on the last hospital ship to be leaving the port of Boulogne. But Betty's war didn't end there, for she was posted to Scotland, and then on to Northern Ireland, where she met her Dutch husband. He was a seaman aboard a minesweeper, which was bombed. He survived and was sent to the south of Holland to guard the sluices. However, when they had to abandon their post, they were told to escape if they could, and along with a small number of other men, he marched into Belgium. They stole a ship and managed to get it across the Channel to Dover before being transferred to the Atlantic run on the convoys. Sadly he became ill, and that was when he was transferred to hospital in Northern Ireland, where he met Betty. They eventually married, and were blessed with a daughter. They were posted to London, but were bombed out. As with most of the population, they made the best of things.

When the war finally ended, she and her husband were repatriated to Holland. As his family had believed he had died when his ship went down, this was a very emotional homecoming. The small family lived in Holland for 13 years, and Betty resumed her nursing career there. When they decided to return to England, Betty continued her nursing and when she eventually retired she had reached the position of night superintendent.

Betty Neels began writing almost by accident. She had retired from nursing, but her inquiring mind had no intention of vegetating, and her new career was born when she heard a lady in her local library bemoaning the lack of good romance novels. There was little in Betty's background to suggest that she might eventually become a much-loved novelist.

Her first book, Sister Peters in Amsterdam, was published in 1969, and by dint of often writing four books a year, she eventually completed 134 books. She was always quite firm upon the point that the Dutch doctors who frequently appeared in her stories were *not* based upon her husband, but rather upon an amalgam of several of the doctors she met while nursing in Holland.

To her millions of fans around the world, Betty Neels epitomized romance. She was always amazed and touched that her books were so widely appreciated. She never sought plaudits and remained a very private person, but it made her very happy to know that she brought such pleasure to so many readers, while herself gaining a quiet joy from spinning her stories. It is perhaps a reflection of her upbringing in an earlier time that the men and women who peopled her stories have a kindliness and good manners, coupled to honesty and integrity, that is not always present in our modern world. Her myriad of fans found a warmth and a reassurance of a better world in her stories, along with characters who touched the heart, which is all and more than one could ask of a romance writer. She received a great deal of fan mail, and there was always a comment upon the fascinating places she visited in her stories. Quite often those of her fans fortunate enough to visit Holland did use her inf(less)

More about Betty Neels...

Books by Betty Neels

An Old-Fashioned Girl (The Best Of Betty Neels)

A Girl In a Million (The Best of Betty Neels)

The Girl with Green Eyes (The Best of Betty Neels)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Last April Fair

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Last April Fair
avg rating	preview: Last April Fair Goodreads rating: 4.00 (17 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2789420-last-april-fair?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328041533l/2789420.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2789420-last-april-fair?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Last April Fair by Betty Neels[/url]

Last April Fair

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)

Genres

About Betty Neels

Books by Betty Neels

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Last April Fair

Last April Fair

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (8)

Genres

About Betty Neels

Books by Betty Neels

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Last April Fair

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)