Madame Barbara

by Helen Forrester

A wonderful new novel from Liverpool’s best-loved author. A tale of loss and love set in post-Second World War England and France.
This is the story of a young Liverpool woman widowed in the Second World War before she can know the happiness of having a family. With the blessing of her mother, with whom she runs a B&B, she goes to Normandy to see where her husband was killed in the D-Day landings. Once she is there, she meets an impoverished French chicken farmer, now reduced to driving a beaten up (and still rare) taxi and looking after his old mother and dying brother. Will these two find happiness together?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

350 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Helen Forrester (real name June Bhatia) (born 1919, Hoylake, Cheshire (now in Merseyside)) is an English-born author famous for her books about her early childhood in Liverpool during the Great Depression as well as several works of fiction.

In 1953 Forrester moved to Edmonton, Canada.

Reviews

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought there must be two Helen Forresters, & I was disappointed that this wasn't the comfy Mersey saga I'd been expecting. But actually it just goes to show what a versatile author she is: a very moving book, drawing you deep into life in France during the German occupation, & with plenty of suspense thrown in.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

WW11 Widow in France

[T4bsF (Call me Flo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read with real characters, even felt like giving one of them a damn good slap. Brought wartime France and the Homefront home to me.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather tedious long drawn out affair. Was fairly readable, but there was nothing extraordinary in the story or the character. Should really be called Michel instead of Madame Barbara.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. Was a little hard going but to read about how other countries in the war suffered by the Germans and not just England. Was an amazing story.