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Betsy & Lilibet: A Charming Historical Tale of a Normal Young Woman and a Princess Born on the Same Day
A novel of two Elizabeths, born hours apart into very different lives in “Clever and charming.”—Katie Fforde
London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl—the daughter of an undertaker named in her honor?
Betsy Sunshine grows up surrounded by death in war-torn London, watching her community grieve for their loved ones while dealing with her own teenage troubles—namely her promiscuous sister Margie. As Betsy grows older we see the how the country changes through her eyes, and along the way we discover the birth of a secret that threatens to tear her family apart.
Sophie Duffy dazzles in her latest work of family/historical fiction. A tale which spans generations to explore the life and times of a family at the heart of their community, it is the story of a stoic young woman who shares a connection with her queenly counterpart in more ways than one.
“Both Betsy and Lilibet develop into strong and faithful women when the world plunges into World War II. As Betsy grows older, we see through her eyes the country changing through the decades. This makes for fascinating social history, full of both humor and tragedy…Highly recommended.”—Historical Novel Society
“Told with wit and warmth, this is a gritty, truly British, drama.”—Paul McVeigh
London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl—the daughter of an undertaker named in her honor?
Betsy Sunshine grows up surrounded by death in war-torn London, watching her community grieve for their loved ones while dealing with her own teenage troubles—namely her promiscuous sister Margie. As Betsy grows older we see the how the country changes through her eyes, and along the way we discover the birth of a secret that threatens to tear her family apart.
Sophie Duffy dazzles in her latest work of family/historical fiction. A tale which spans generations to explore the life and times of a family at the heart of their community, it is the story of a stoic young woman who shares a connection with her queenly counterpart in more ways than one.
“Both Betsy and Lilibet develop into strong and faithful women when the world plunges into World War II. As Betsy grows older, we see through her eyes the country changing through the decades. This makes for fascinating social history, full of both humor and tragedy…Highly recommended.”—Historical Novel Society
“Told with wit and warmth, this is a gritty, truly British, drama.”—Paul McVeigh
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2018
44 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Duffy
9 books15 followers'Eurovision might not be what it once was, when you had to sing in your mother tongue and didn’t vote for your allies, but that’s lie. Life is all about change.' This Holey Life
A child of the 70s, Sophie Duffy grew up on a diet of Blue Peter and the Wombles which has fed her nostalgic outlook on life. But it’s not all been Space Dust and Arctic Roll. Over the years she has curated a catalogue of loss including her father, her womb and part of her right boob following a recent bout of breast cancer. But her sense of the world being a good place shines through the heartache.
Duffy finds the humour in the mundane and the tragic and her novels have an upbeat quality. She is particularly fond of dysfunctional, unconventional families and the complexities of everyday modern life. Her female leads range from dippy to delinquent, but they are brave and authentic. Her settings, described by Laurie Graham as ‘so atmospheric you can almost smell the Brylcreem’, range from a sweetshop in Torquay to a vicarage in Penge, but somehow they always provide the love Duffy’s protagonists crave.
She is the author of four novels. 'The Generation Game' was her debut novel, inspired by her childhood growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay. Her second novel, 'This Holey Life', is about a reluctant curate's wife. Her third, 'Bright Stars', is a modern day Brideshead, her fourth 'Betsy and Lilibet', a story of two women born on the same day - one an undertaker, the other the Queen.
As part of Creative Writing Matters, Sophie appraises manuscripts, runs workshops and mentors novelists. CWM run the Exeter Novel Prize and the Exeter Story Prize as well as other writing competitions.
She lives on the Wirral and also writes under the pseudonym Lizzie Lovell.
http://www.sophieduffy.com
http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk
A child of the 70s, Sophie Duffy grew up on a diet of Blue Peter and the Wombles which has fed her nostalgic outlook on life. But it’s not all been Space Dust and Arctic Roll. Over the years she has curated a catalogue of loss including her father, her womb and part of her right boob following a recent bout of breast cancer. But her sense of the world being a good place shines through the heartache.
Duffy finds the humour in the mundane and the tragic and her novels have an upbeat quality. She is particularly fond of dysfunctional, unconventional families and the complexities of everyday modern life. Her female leads range from dippy to delinquent, but they are brave and authentic. Her settings, described by Laurie Graham as ‘so atmospheric you can almost smell the Brylcreem’, range from a sweetshop in Torquay to a vicarage in Penge, but somehow they always provide the love Duffy’s protagonists crave.
She is the author of four novels. 'The Generation Game' was her debut novel, inspired by her childhood growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay. Her second novel, 'This Holey Life', is about a reluctant curate's wife. Her third, 'Bright Stars', is a modern day Brideshead, her fourth 'Betsy and Lilibet', a story of two women born on the same day - one an undertaker, the other the Queen.
As part of Creative Writing Matters, Sophie appraises manuscripts, runs workshops and mentors novelists. CWM run the Exeter Novel Prize and the Exeter Story Prize as well as other writing competitions.
She lives on the Wirral and also writes under the pseudonym Lizzie Lovell.
http://www.sophieduffy.com
http://www.creativewritingmatters.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 7, 2018
this book starts in 1926 london, about the birth of two babies born on the same day. one is queen elizabeth and the other is betsy sunshine. betsy's family own and run the funeral directors sunshine and son. i loved reading this book and found it enchanting. this is my first by this author and it was utterly charming all the way through. what more can i say? i loved it.
February 19, 2023
"Betsy & Lilibet" by Sophie Duffy was one of the most delightful books I've read recently. After the Queen died books about her and her life seemed to come out of thin air, but this one is different. It presents a completely different look at her life and rule and how it affected just a normal, average girl. It's a dual time frame book that starts at Betsy's birth and follows her through the years and the second is as she reflects on everything while she's a resident of a senior living facility in 2016.
Two baby girls born on the same day, mere miles apart, both named Elizabeth but one is the daughter of an undertaker, the other, a future Queen. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sunshine adores her Queen and feels an actual connection to her since they share a birthdate. The book covers the heartaches of England, WWII and the Blitz, the short life and death of Princess Diana, the terrorist bombings by the IRA in the 70's and everything in between.
This was a wonderful story that brought out all the feels for me. I laughed at times, I got choked up during the Princess Di chapter and sat at the edge of my seat when Betsy's son was running with the wrong crowd. It was just an all-around wonderful story that touches on the Royals but is really more about how one normal, average person in London, who happens to share a birthday with the Queen lived through her reign. It flows beautifully, thanks to the excellent writing and was a quick read for me. Happy Reading!
Two baby girls born on the same day, mere miles apart, both named Elizabeth but one is the daughter of an undertaker, the other, a future Queen. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sunshine adores her Queen and feels an actual connection to her since they share a birthdate. The book covers the heartaches of England, WWII and the Blitz, the short life and death of Princess Diana, the terrorist bombings by the IRA in the 70's and everything in between.
This was a wonderful story that brought out all the feels for me. I laughed at times, I got choked up during the Princess Di chapter and sat at the edge of my seat when Betsy's son was running with the wrong crowd. It was just an all-around wonderful story that touches on the Royals but is really more about how one normal, average person in London, who happens to share a birthday with the Queen lived through her reign. It flows beautifully, thanks to the excellent writing and was a quick read for me. Happy Reading!
October 1, 2018
"Grief is the price we pay for love"
Today's review is for the wonderful Betsy and Lilibet by Sophie Duffy. I thoroughly enjoyed spending my weekend in the company of Betsy Sunshine. Betsy is an eldest daughter, born into a family of funeral directors who have owned Sunshine And Sons for six generations. She is born the same day as Queen Elizabeth and their lives could not be more different. Although, in some ways, there are many similarities. As Betsy says:
"I know a bit of what she's had to do, a bit of what she's had to live through because both of us got burdened with a job for life. She was the accidental heir to the throne, same way as I was the accidental heir to the business, for I know without a shadow that Dad would have passed the business to a son if there'd been one. She and I have shown that women can do it. We don't talk about it, we get our hands dirty and we ruddy well do it."
It is Betsy's quiet dignity throughout her life which was a real feature of the book for me. She learns this dignity from her parents and it seemed to me that they were true to life going by funeral directors I have come across, as we all do at sad times in life. She has learned from her parents that "Everyone deserves a good send-off. Every life has some kind of depth, sadness and moments of extraordinary wonder that should be marked and noted." She makes sure that all her clients are treated with dignity and no-one is judged. "We're all equal. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing and what we have in between is only borrowed us".
Betsy and Lilibet is also something of a social history of Britain as we follow Betsy's life from when she is born in 1926, through the Second World War, the post-War era, the Thatcher's era, the AIDS epidemic, New Labour, the London Bombings in 2005 and so on. We also live with her through all the births, marriages and deaths, sorrows, happiness and griefs which accompany every life, and learn of a very significant secret which haunts Betsy for most of her life. Betsy muses that the undertaking industry also reflects history: "There's so many bodies in London, layer upon layer of them... Men, women, children, babies, pets. Kings, queens, paupers and peasants. You can chart the city's history through its bodies and burials, its culture, customs, religion and rituals."
Lilibet, Queen Elizabeth II, is a more minor character in the story although she is an ever-present presence and influence on Betsy. Their lives intersects at three brief but crucial points throughout the story. Apart from that, the references to the Queen are short quotations from her many speeches throughout the years, which often reflect something happening in Betsy's life at the same time or have some significance to the story.
This is the first book I have read by Sophie Duffy but I'll certainly be looking out her other novels as she is such a natural storyteller. Her characterisation, particularly in Betsy, is just wonderful and she tells Betsy's story with great warmth. Betsy and Lilibet is an engaging and immensely enjoyable story.
Today's review is for the wonderful Betsy and Lilibet by Sophie Duffy. I thoroughly enjoyed spending my weekend in the company of Betsy Sunshine. Betsy is an eldest daughter, born into a family of funeral directors who have owned Sunshine And Sons for six generations. She is born the same day as Queen Elizabeth and their lives could not be more different. Although, in some ways, there are many similarities. As Betsy says:
"I know a bit of what she's had to do, a bit of what she's had to live through because both of us got burdened with a job for life. She was the accidental heir to the throne, same way as I was the accidental heir to the business, for I know without a shadow that Dad would have passed the business to a son if there'd been one. She and I have shown that women can do it. We don't talk about it, we get our hands dirty and we ruddy well do it."
It is Betsy's quiet dignity throughout her life which was a real feature of the book for me. She learns this dignity from her parents and it seemed to me that they were true to life going by funeral directors I have come across, as we all do at sad times in life. She has learned from her parents that "Everyone deserves a good send-off. Every life has some kind of depth, sadness and moments of extraordinary wonder that should be marked and noted." She makes sure that all her clients are treated with dignity and no-one is judged. "We're all equal. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing and what we have in between is only borrowed us".
Betsy and Lilibet is also something of a social history of Britain as we follow Betsy's life from when she is born in 1926, through the Second World War, the post-War era, the Thatcher's era, the AIDS epidemic, New Labour, the London Bombings in 2005 and so on. We also live with her through all the births, marriages and deaths, sorrows, happiness and griefs which accompany every life, and learn of a very significant secret which haunts Betsy for most of her life. Betsy muses that the undertaking industry also reflects history: "There's so many bodies in London, layer upon layer of them... Men, women, children, babies, pets. Kings, queens, paupers and peasants. You can chart the city's history through its bodies and burials, its culture, customs, religion and rituals."
Lilibet, Queen Elizabeth II, is a more minor character in the story although she is an ever-present presence and influence on Betsy. Their lives intersects at three brief but crucial points throughout the story. Apart from that, the references to the Queen are short quotations from her many speeches throughout the years, which often reflect something happening in Betsy's life at the same time or have some significance to the story.
This is the first book I have read by Sophie Duffy but I'll certainly be looking out her other novels as she is such a natural storyteller. Her characterisation, particularly in Betsy, is just wonderful and she tells Betsy's story with great warmth. Betsy and Lilibet is an engaging and immensely enjoyable story.
October 8, 2018
Betsy and Lilibet.
“London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl- the daughter of an undertaker named in her honour?”
First things first, I don’t think this is my normal kind of book as I am much more in the YA Fantasy camp ( think Cassandra Clare and Sarah J Maas) but there was something about this book when I saw it on NetGalley that appealed to me. And I think that something was the idea of a parallel life with the Queen.
Betsy Sunshine ( love the name) is the daughter of an undertaker born on the same day as the future Queen of England, Elizabeth II, and this is her story. Like The Queen she is born in 1926 and has a younger sister called Marge who is very easily the Princess Margaret character is this story. Through Betsy, Sophie Duffy takes us on a journey through modern day Britain as a whistle stop tour of growing up during the blitz, the aftermath of the war, the IRA, The Thatcher Years, the death of Princess Diana and other important historical events. At times I found the character of Betsy Sunshine to be a little hard to warm too but in the same way she always felt much more ‘flesh and blood’ than other characters that I have read, and I think this is largely to do with how human she is, we see her make decisions and we know her reasoning behind such decisions and they seem so right at the time. Then we see how these decisions have affected her life and the lives of those around her in the present day chapters.
Truthfully, I was expecting more about the Queen in this story, maybe one chapter from the Queen detailing her day to day issues and then a chapter from Betsy dealing with her day to day issues of running a business and a home and seeing how different and the same they are. But alas the Queen actually only makes three appearances - and you will have to see if you are more awake than I was, as I almost missed her ‘third’ appearance.
What I was not expecting was so much about death, but then in a book about the daughter of an undertaker really what was I thinking?? I wholeheartedly applaud Duffy for writing about death in a way that is not too maudlin and that it actually is part of life, even though the whole way through I was thinking ‘please don’t let the Queen or Betsy die at the end’.
In summary - would I recommend this book? Yes, if you are into family saga and historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
“London, 1926. Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. One you know as the Queen of England, but what of the other girl- the daughter of an undertaker named in her honour?”
First things first, I don’t think this is my normal kind of book as I am much more in the YA Fantasy camp ( think Cassandra Clare and Sarah J Maas) but there was something about this book when I saw it on NetGalley that appealed to me. And I think that something was the idea of a parallel life with the Queen.
Betsy Sunshine ( love the name) is the daughter of an undertaker born on the same day as the future Queen of England, Elizabeth II, and this is her story. Like The Queen she is born in 1926 and has a younger sister called Marge who is very easily the Princess Margaret character is this story. Through Betsy, Sophie Duffy takes us on a journey through modern day Britain as a whistle stop tour of growing up during the blitz, the aftermath of the war, the IRA, The Thatcher Years, the death of Princess Diana and other important historical events. At times I found the character of Betsy Sunshine to be a little hard to warm too but in the same way she always felt much more ‘flesh and blood’ than other characters that I have read, and I think this is largely to do with how human she is, we see her make decisions and we know her reasoning behind such decisions and they seem so right at the time. Then we see how these decisions have affected her life and the lives of those around her in the present day chapters.
Truthfully, I was expecting more about the Queen in this story, maybe one chapter from the Queen detailing her day to day issues and then a chapter from Betsy dealing with her day to day issues of running a business and a home and seeing how different and the same they are. But alas the Queen actually only makes three appearances - and you will have to see if you are more awake than I was, as I almost missed her ‘third’ appearance.
What I was not expecting was so much about death, but then in a book about the daughter of an undertaker really what was I thinking?? I wholeheartedly applaud Duffy for writing about death in a way that is not too maudlin and that it actually is part of life, even though the whole way through I was thinking ‘please don’t let the Queen or Betsy die at the end’.
In summary - would I recommend this book? Yes, if you are into family saga and historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
November 27, 2018
Betsy Sunshine is born on the same day as Princess Elizabeth, and is named in her honour. The Sunshines are undertakers and have been for six generations. Betsy, eldest daughter in a family without sons, enters and eventually takes over the family business. Much like her royal namesake. We follow Betsy through her life, seeing many of the key moments in UK history through her eyes. And every so often we hear Betsy as a ninety year old reflecting on the path that fate has taken her on.
Sophie Duffy brings us a wonderful array of characters, including Mick, Marg, Barbara and Charlie. But the best of all is Betsy herself: a beautiful mix of strength and vulnerability with an authentic Londoner's voice, as she describes the choices she makes and the implications of those choices. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Another prize-winner, surely? Highly recommended.
Sophie Duffy brings us a wonderful array of characters, including Mick, Marg, Barbara and Charlie. But the best of all is Betsy herself: a beautiful mix of strength and vulnerability with an authentic Londoner's voice, as she describes the choices she makes and the implications of those choices. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Another prize-winner, surely? Highly recommended.
May 5, 2025
A lovely gentle novel, of two ladies born on the same day, with the same first name, and very different lives - and how they do interact.
Blurb:
London, 1926.
Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. Both will grow up in very different families, each will carry the burden of responsibility, service and duty. One will wear the Crown of the Commonwealth, the other will bury the bodies of the dead. Over the course of ninety years, their paths will cross three times. This is the story of Betsy and Lilibet.
This was a lovely little palette cleanser of a novel, describing the life of Betsy Sunshine, a local London undertaker, and her profession throughout the years. How the changes in society have changed and moulded her, how her admiration for the Queen has influenced her, and her joy at meeting the Queen three times. A novel that takes the little things into consideration, with a backdrop ranging from the London blitz to sheltered accommodation in Bognor Regis in 2016. And how death pervades everything - and can teach us to be compassionate and respectful.
A delight to read. Many thanks to A Box of Stories #ABoS for including this in one of my most recent boxes. I will be passing this on, and sharing the love.
Blurb:
London, 1926.
Two baby girls are born just hours and miles apart. Both will grow up in very different families, each will carry the burden of responsibility, service and duty. One will wear the Crown of the Commonwealth, the other will bury the bodies of the dead. Over the course of ninety years, their paths will cross three times. This is the story of Betsy and Lilibet.
This was a lovely little palette cleanser of a novel, describing the life of Betsy Sunshine, a local London undertaker, and her profession throughout the years. How the changes in society have changed and moulded her, how her admiration for the Queen has influenced her, and her joy at meeting the Queen three times. A novel that takes the little things into consideration, with a backdrop ranging from the London blitz to sheltered accommodation in Bognor Regis in 2016. And how death pervades everything - and can teach us to be compassionate and respectful.
A delight to read. Many thanks to A Box of Stories #ABoS for including this in one of my most recent boxes. I will be passing this on, and sharing the love.
March 26, 2023
I loved all the quotes from the queen throughout the novel.
August 15, 2021
I loved this story. It follows Betsy who was born in 1926 throughout her life. You see times change and how her character views the world over time. We see Betsy struggle as a child/teenager throughout the war as well as all the other events that happen until the present day.
The characters in the story were so believable and I adored every character. It was heartwarming but also heartbreaking as you really feel like you belong in the family you are following.
I feel like the title and blurb are a tiny bit misleading as I went into this book expecting to be reading from Betsy and Lilibet’s point of views, but we really only follow Betsy. I also feel like there wasn’t a major plot line through the book, we were just following Betsy’s life, which I did enjoy and find interesting, but that is why I rated it 3 stars.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was a nice read. Also the cover is just so pretty! 😍
The characters in the story were so believable and I adored every character. It was heartwarming but also heartbreaking as you really feel like you belong in the family you are following.
I feel like the title and blurb are a tiny bit misleading as I went into this book expecting to be reading from Betsy and Lilibet’s point of views, but we really only follow Betsy. I also feel like there wasn’t a major plot line through the book, we were just following Betsy’s life, which I did enjoy and find interesting, but that is why I rated it 3 stars.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was a nice read. Also the cover is just so pretty! 😍
October 4, 2018
I spent my weekend reading Betsy & Lilibet; and for me it was such a lovely way to spend my Saturday and Sunday. This is a novel full of wit, nostalgia and pathos. It made me laugh and it made me cry. In fact I found myself with tears streaming down my face on Sunday morning as I was literally transported to Buckingham Palace where Betsy and Lilibet were brought together again after almost 60 years.
On 21 April 1926 two baby girls are born in London just hours and miles apart. Both are named Elizabeth. One is Betsy Sunshine who grows up to become highly respected in her local community. The other, affectionately nicknamed Lilibet by her close family is now known to the world as Queen Elizabeth II.
The lives of Betsy and Lilibet couldn’t be more different, yet they share more than just a birthday. Both have younger sisters that can be a trial; both get married in 1947; and both are accidental heirs that carry the burden of responsibility, service and duty throughout their lives. In the same year they share the same double loss:
We both lose a mother and a sister. A few years before, 1995, there they were, the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, out on that balcony, in the brightest of colours, all smiling at the fly-past for the VE Day 50th celebrations. And there we were at home, Mum, Margie and me, watching on my new Sony 24-inch. Fifty ruddy years since the day I lost and found my sister in Nana’s orange curtains. Now there’s only me and Lilibet left.
Betsy & Lilibet is essentially Betsy Sunshine’s story; and what a beautifully woven story it is with humour and sadness in equal measures. Yet don’t be mistaken; the Queen is forever present. It is also a social and sometimes nostalgic commentary of the last 90 years or so; covering World War II, the IRA bombings, Thatcher, the death of Princess Diana and so much more. It is historic fiction at its best.
Interspersed between the past are chapters of Betsy in 2016 living in a care home. As she reflects on her life, we soon come to realise that she is haunted by something in her past; something that seeps through her family and destroys relationships; something that Betsy feels responsible for.
I loved this book and since finishing it a few days ago I have really missed Betsy Sunshine. She is a character that is truly alive with every word you read on the page.
Thank you Legend Press for sending me an advance copy of Betsy & Lilibet in return for an honest review. Thank you also for inviting Novel Delights to take part in the blog tour; it has been a real privilege. Most importantly, thank you to Sophie Duffy for giving us Betsy Sunshine and such a tender novel.
On 21 April 1926 two baby girls are born in London just hours and miles apart. Both are named Elizabeth. One is Betsy Sunshine who grows up to become highly respected in her local community. The other, affectionately nicknamed Lilibet by her close family is now known to the world as Queen Elizabeth II.
The lives of Betsy and Lilibet couldn’t be more different, yet they share more than just a birthday. Both have younger sisters that can be a trial; both get married in 1947; and both are accidental heirs that carry the burden of responsibility, service and duty throughout their lives. In the same year they share the same double loss:
We both lose a mother and a sister. A few years before, 1995, there they were, the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, out on that balcony, in the brightest of colours, all smiling at the fly-past for the VE Day 50th celebrations. And there we were at home, Mum, Margie and me, watching on my new Sony 24-inch. Fifty ruddy years since the day I lost and found my sister in Nana’s orange curtains. Now there’s only me and Lilibet left.
Betsy & Lilibet is essentially Betsy Sunshine’s story; and what a beautifully woven story it is with humour and sadness in equal measures. Yet don’t be mistaken; the Queen is forever present. It is also a social and sometimes nostalgic commentary of the last 90 years or so; covering World War II, the IRA bombings, Thatcher, the death of Princess Diana and so much more. It is historic fiction at its best.
Interspersed between the past are chapters of Betsy in 2016 living in a care home. As she reflects on her life, we soon come to realise that she is haunted by something in her past; something that seeps through her family and destroys relationships; something that Betsy feels responsible for.
I loved this book and since finishing it a few days ago I have really missed Betsy Sunshine. She is a character that is truly alive with every word you read on the page.
Thank you Legend Press for sending me an advance copy of Betsy & Lilibet in return for an honest review. Thank you also for inviting Novel Delights to take part in the blog tour; it has been a real privilege. Most importantly, thank you to Sophie Duffy for giving us Betsy Sunshine and such a tender novel.
October 13, 2022
Some years ago I read Sophie Duffy’s debut novel, The Generation Game, and loved it for its nostalgic feel and social references. I’ve long been meaning to read another of her books, and in particular Betsy and Lilibet with its royal connection as I am a huge fan of royal fiction.
Betsy Sunshine and Elizabeth Windsor were born on the same day in 1926. Of course, we know that one was born a princess and went onto be a queen. Betsy was born an undertaker’s daughter and went onto be an undertaker herself, taking over the family business when there were no sons as heirs to Sunshine & Sons. Over the course of their lives Betsy and Elizabeth meet three times. This is very much Betsy’s story though, with the royal link being more of a background feature, and a series of cleverly written parallels.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I love a story of one person or family that spans a long period and this book follows Betsy from her birth until 2016 when she’s in a residential home. It’s dual timeline with alternating chapters set in 2016 and then throughout Betsy’s life, looking back to key events. Duffy’s sharp wit is in evidence and I laughed out loud so many times. She has a way of describing things that is steeped in dry humour and Betsy’s own acerbic manner just added to that. With any family comes the highs and the lows and Betsy has her share of bad fortune. Her strength and stoicism kept her going and she's a brilliantly drawn character.
Betsy and Lilibet is a wonderful novel, one for any fans of 20th century historical events. Alongside Betsy I witnessed the war years, the VE day celebrations, the royal wedding, the coronation and then later, IRA bombings, HIV and AIDS, and the death of a princess. Having Betsy be an undertaker was such a great move too, giving a sense of the passage of life that we all must take, and it made her a sympathetic character, putting on a good show no matter what. This book also reminded me of all that I liked about Duffy’s writing in The Generation Game and I now want to make sure I read her other books as well.
Betsy Sunshine and Elizabeth Windsor were born on the same day in 1926. Of course, we know that one was born a princess and went onto be a queen. Betsy was born an undertaker’s daughter and went onto be an undertaker herself, taking over the family business when there were no sons as heirs to Sunshine & Sons. Over the course of their lives Betsy and Elizabeth meet three times. This is very much Betsy’s story though, with the royal link being more of a background feature, and a series of cleverly written parallels.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I love a story of one person or family that spans a long period and this book follows Betsy from her birth until 2016 when she’s in a residential home. It’s dual timeline with alternating chapters set in 2016 and then throughout Betsy’s life, looking back to key events. Duffy’s sharp wit is in evidence and I laughed out loud so many times. She has a way of describing things that is steeped in dry humour and Betsy’s own acerbic manner just added to that. With any family comes the highs and the lows and Betsy has her share of bad fortune. Her strength and stoicism kept her going and she's a brilliantly drawn character.
Betsy and Lilibet is a wonderful novel, one for any fans of 20th century historical events. Alongside Betsy I witnessed the war years, the VE day celebrations, the royal wedding, the coronation and then later, IRA bombings, HIV and AIDS, and the death of a princess. Having Betsy be an undertaker was such a great move too, giving a sense of the passage of life that we all must take, and it made her a sympathetic character, putting on a good show no matter what. This book also reminded me of all that I liked about Duffy’s writing in The Generation Game and I now want to make sure I read her other books as well.
October 21, 2018
Born on the same day as the future Queen of England, Betsy Sunshine’s life will be equally as dramatic in its own way.
Betsy and Lilibet is a warm, affectionate and wonderfully written portrait of two interwoven lives and I loved it!
What is so wonderful about Betsy and Lilibet is Sophie Duffy’s brilliance in creating Betsy Sunshine’s persona. A modern philosopher, Betsy is, quite frankly, perfectly drawn. I could hear her first person voice so clearly because it has a direct approach to the reader and I fell in love with her immediately. I think she might be one of the most vivid individuals I have ever read about. She’s witty, sometimes spiteful with a wry, dark humour and frequently able to articulate what every one of us has thought at some point. By no means angelic, Betsy is capable of great love and enormous sins, so that I’d defy anyone reading Betsy and Lilibet not to be able to find something in her character to relate to. I was dazzled by her.
There’s a gorgeous symmetry in the quotations from Queen Elizabeth II and the more prosaic parallels in Betsy’s life so that one of the effects of reading Betsy and Lilibet was to give me a greater understanding of our recent social history and of our Queen as an individual. I can honestly say that this book gave me far more of a sense of belonging to, and affinity with, our culture than almost 60 years of living it has done. For that element alone Betsy and Lilibet deserves to be lauded and acclaimed.
The plot is a corker too. There’s several elements of mystery that are brilliantly satisfying – especially as they are the kinds of mysteries any of us might have in our lives, once again making for a sense of accord in the reading. The themes of love, honesty, war, loss, family and relationships are handled by Sophie Duffy with complete elegance.
Betsy and Lilibet is a jewel of a book. It is unique, sparkling with warmth and wit. I adored every word.
Betsy and Lilibet is a warm, affectionate and wonderfully written portrait of two interwoven lives and I loved it!
What is so wonderful about Betsy and Lilibet is Sophie Duffy’s brilliance in creating Betsy Sunshine’s persona. A modern philosopher, Betsy is, quite frankly, perfectly drawn. I could hear her first person voice so clearly because it has a direct approach to the reader and I fell in love with her immediately. I think she might be one of the most vivid individuals I have ever read about. She’s witty, sometimes spiteful with a wry, dark humour and frequently able to articulate what every one of us has thought at some point. By no means angelic, Betsy is capable of great love and enormous sins, so that I’d defy anyone reading Betsy and Lilibet not to be able to find something in her character to relate to. I was dazzled by her.
There’s a gorgeous symmetry in the quotations from Queen Elizabeth II and the more prosaic parallels in Betsy’s life so that one of the effects of reading Betsy and Lilibet was to give me a greater understanding of our recent social history and of our Queen as an individual. I can honestly say that this book gave me far more of a sense of belonging to, and affinity with, our culture than almost 60 years of living it has done. For that element alone Betsy and Lilibet deserves to be lauded and acclaimed.
The plot is a corker too. There’s several elements of mystery that are brilliantly satisfying – especially as they are the kinds of mysteries any of us might have in our lives, once again making for a sense of accord in the reading. The themes of love, honesty, war, loss, family and relationships are handled by Sophie Duffy with complete elegance.
Betsy and Lilibet is a jewel of a book. It is unique, sparkling with warmth and wit. I adored every word.
October 7, 2018
This is such a beautiful book that touches on emotions, social history and family complexities. I can’t recommend it enough! It’s about so much more than two women born on the same day: both called Elizabeth, both with wayward sisters called Margaret. Thrillingly, their paths cross three times in the book, although on one occasion, neither knows it.
The detail from life in wartime London was especially evocative and will stay with me for a very long time. We know it was tough and that there were bombings, but in this book, we find out exactly which details of everyday life were derailed in a blink. From the cold and the hunger and the flaking paint, to entire families being wiped out overnight, to locals who joined up never to be seen again, and to the people left behind to put the pieces back together.
The story is told through the eyes of Elizabeth “Betsy” Sunshine, who is born into a family of undertakers, with a grisly workload throughout the war effort. We are taken through wartime London, death, destruction, love, babies, society and its judgements, and how life really was for women through the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and right up to 2016.
I loved Betsy Sunshine, with all her bluntness and honesty and her very modern refusal to judge anyone: in her job, she sees that the dead are all equal and the living shouldn’t judge the living.
Through Betsy’s eyes we experience VE Day, the Coronation, the IRA bombings in the 70s, the death of Princess Diana, honours at Buckingham Palace, London bombings, runaway offspring, complex family relationships, cover ups, friendships, love and redemption. I saw every detail as she described it. A fascinating peek into the real, everyday lives of our ancestors that we can only begin to guess at.
Beautifully done! Highly recommended.
The detail from life in wartime London was especially evocative and will stay with me for a very long time. We know it was tough and that there were bombings, but in this book, we find out exactly which details of everyday life were derailed in a blink. From the cold and the hunger and the flaking paint, to entire families being wiped out overnight, to locals who joined up never to be seen again, and to the people left behind to put the pieces back together.
The story is told through the eyes of Elizabeth “Betsy” Sunshine, who is born into a family of undertakers, with a grisly workload throughout the war effort. We are taken through wartime London, death, destruction, love, babies, society and its judgements, and how life really was for women through the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and right up to 2016.
I loved Betsy Sunshine, with all her bluntness and honesty and her very modern refusal to judge anyone: in her job, she sees that the dead are all equal and the living shouldn’t judge the living.
Through Betsy’s eyes we experience VE Day, the Coronation, the IRA bombings in the 70s, the death of Princess Diana, honours at Buckingham Palace, London bombings, runaway offspring, complex family relationships, cover ups, friendships, love and redemption. I saw every detail as she described it. A fascinating peek into the real, everyday lives of our ancestors that we can only begin to guess at.
Beautifully done! Highly recommended.
October 29, 2018
Betsy & Lilibet was a cherrypop for me as I hadn't previously read a book by Sophie Duffy and the cover caught my attention, well what a brilliant choice this book was to try a different author in one of my favourite genres.
Betsy & Lilibet is written from the perspective of Betsy and is written across two time frames starting in London in 1926 and Bognor present day and as the book progresses the timeline gap closes.
I found this story captivating and I quickly became connected to Betsy and wanted to keep reading. She was a strong female in a time where women had no choice but to be strong, these characteristics remained long after the war and paved her way through life.
During this story I felt empathy for Betsy as she always felt out shined by her sister Margie and compassion for her relationship with Janet that is never the same after she makes a decision that alters the courses of both of their lives.
Betsy is a strong and dignified character that controls her emotions from a young age and treats everyone as equals, learning the family trade at a tender age and then taking over her parents business as a Funeral Director when they retire. Throughout this wonderful story there are some fantastic phrases that I felt resonated and gave the strong message that everyone should be treated with respect both in life and in death - "We're all equal. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing and what we have in between is only borrowed us".
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend Betsy & Lilibet, Sophie Duffy is an author I will now look out for and I will be purchasing her previous books as I loved the writing style in which this heart warming story was written.
Betsy & Lilibet is written from the perspective of Betsy and is written across two time frames starting in London in 1926 and Bognor present day and as the book progresses the timeline gap closes.
I found this story captivating and I quickly became connected to Betsy and wanted to keep reading. She was a strong female in a time where women had no choice but to be strong, these characteristics remained long after the war and paved her way through life.
During this story I felt empathy for Betsy as she always felt out shined by her sister Margie and compassion for her relationship with Janet that is never the same after she makes a decision that alters the courses of both of their lives.
Betsy is a strong and dignified character that controls her emotions from a young age and treats everyone as equals, learning the family trade at a tender age and then taking over her parents business as a Funeral Director when they retire. Throughout this wonderful story there are some fantastic phrases that I felt resonated and gave the strong message that everyone should be treated with respect both in life and in death - "We're all equal. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing and what we have in between is only borrowed us".
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend Betsy & Lilibet, Sophie Duffy is an author I will now look out for and I will be purchasing her previous books as I loved the writing style in which this heart warming story was written.
October 18, 2018
I adored Sophie Duffy’s previous books, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Betsy and Lilibet, which sounded like and indeed proved to be an entrancing read.
It opens in 2016 with the words “I never thought I’d be old”. But there Betsy Sunshine is, nearly ninety years of age, living in a Bognor Regis care home and looking back at her life: born weighing three pounds and a bit, named after the equally brand new princess, surviving against the odds.
Betsy tells her own story and I really loved her voice. Other than her name and the day of her birth, undertaker’s daughter Betsy apparently has little in common with Princess-later-Queen Elizabeth yet their lives run in parallel and even occasionally intersect, throughwartime, feuding with a difficult younger sister, sweeping social change, Thatcherism, terrorism and complex family relationships (oh, how complex!).
Betsy’s account of her life story is interspersed with her present day narrative (I especially loved her observations about life in the care home), and quotes - I assume real ones - from her namesake and birthday-sharer Queen Elizabeth II. As family and friends gather round her, are some of Betsy’s chickens finally coming home to roost?
There are some glorious moments here - Sophie Duffy really excels at characterisation and dialogue. The conversation between Betsy and her great grandson Tom was particularly fabulous but there are many others equally memorable and quotable. I loved the ending too.
Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, Betsy and Lilibet is a captivating story of love, death and everything else. Highly recommended.
It opens in 2016 with the words “I never thought I’d be old”. But there Betsy Sunshine is, nearly ninety years of age, living in a Bognor Regis care home and looking back at her life: born weighing three pounds and a bit, named after the equally brand new princess, surviving against the odds.
Betsy tells her own story and I really loved her voice. Other than her name and the day of her birth, undertaker’s daughter Betsy apparently has little in common with Princess-later-Queen Elizabeth yet their lives run in parallel and even occasionally intersect, throughwartime, feuding with a difficult younger sister, sweeping social change, Thatcherism, terrorism and complex family relationships (oh, how complex!).
Betsy’s account of her life story is interspersed with her present day narrative (I especially loved her observations about life in the care home), and quotes - I assume real ones - from her namesake and birthday-sharer Queen Elizabeth II. As family and friends gather round her, are some of Betsy’s chickens finally coming home to roost?
There are some glorious moments here - Sophie Duffy really excels at characterisation and dialogue. The conversation between Betsy and her great grandson Tom was particularly fabulous but there are many others equally memorable and quotable. I loved the ending too.
Hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure, Betsy and Lilibet is a captivating story of love, death and everything else. Highly recommended.
November 2, 2018
This book was provided free to me in exchange for an honest review. This is not a position I've ever been in before!
I finished Betsy & Lilibet in a few days and enjoyed it very much. I wasn't sure at first if it would sustain my interest, starting with the recalling of childhood by an old woman, in a way that I thought was reminiscent of children's literature. Nothing against children's books, but I genuinely considered in the early pages whether this book would be more suitable for my 12 year old daughter with an interest in history. However, I'm glad I read further and found significantly more depth from the characters as Betsy matured. This is a family saga with a good deal of social history thrown in: an insight into life in London in the pre and post War periods as well as during the Blitz. I found the workings of the family undertakers' business fascinating. The needle and thread! That has really stayed with me...
Regarding the Lilibet angle (Betsy was born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II), for much of the book I wondered if it was an irritating gimmick. I think I had imagined from the blurb a friendship somehow (perhaps again like a children's story), and hence was at a loss to see the connection. However, the link becomes clearer as the book progresses and is satisfyingly coherent to the story. Overall, I would say that this is an enjoyable read for fans of family sagas and fiction including lots of social history.
I may still recommend it to my 12 year old daughter, as adult themes are dealt with very sensitively.
I finished Betsy & Lilibet in a few days and enjoyed it very much. I wasn't sure at first if it would sustain my interest, starting with the recalling of childhood by an old woman, in a way that I thought was reminiscent of children's literature. Nothing against children's books, but I genuinely considered in the early pages whether this book would be more suitable for my 12 year old daughter with an interest in history. However, I'm glad I read further and found significantly more depth from the characters as Betsy matured. This is a family saga with a good deal of social history thrown in: an insight into life in London in the pre and post War periods as well as during the Blitz. I found the workings of the family undertakers' business fascinating. The needle and thread! That has really stayed with me...
Regarding the Lilibet angle (Betsy was born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II), for much of the book I wondered if it was an irritating gimmick. I think I had imagined from the blurb a friendship somehow (perhaps again like a children's story), and hence was at a loss to see the connection. However, the link becomes clearer as the book progresses and is satisfyingly coherent to the story. Overall, I would say that this is an enjoyable read for fans of family sagas and fiction including lots of social history.
I may still recommend it to my 12 year old daughter, as adult themes are dealt with very sensitively.
October 8, 2018
This is a warming ‘feel good’ read which follows the life of Betsy, born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth after whom she was named. You can imagine sitting yourself in a comfy chair listening to Betsy over a cup of tea as she tells you exactly what she thought as she lived through the events of the last century and up to the present day. Sophie Duffy is writing about the era of her grandmother and great-aunt, but you’d think she’d lived through the years herself, so acute is her portrayal of what life was really like.
For me the book worked well as a fascinating social history – the events I’m familiar with are poignantly described, and those my parents would have lived through sound very familiar. Betsy’s voice is simple, humorous, down-to-earth – you can’t imagine her standing for any nonsense. Yet she has depth too, and is open and generous in her feelings about people who are different to her.
There’s a family secret which threads through the book, which I won’t reveal here. The plot works well, but for me the strength of this novel lies more in the changes Betsy witnessed and the way she relates them. It would make a great audio-book. Thanks to Legend Press for the e-book for review.
For me the book worked well as a fascinating social history – the events I’m familiar with are poignantly described, and those my parents would have lived through sound very familiar. Betsy’s voice is simple, humorous, down-to-earth – you can’t imagine her standing for any nonsense. Yet she has depth too, and is open and generous in her feelings about people who are different to her.
There’s a family secret which threads through the book, which I won’t reveal here. The plot works well, but for me the strength of this novel lies more in the changes Betsy witnessed and the way she relates them. It would make a great audio-book. Thanks to Legend Press for the e-book for review.
December 30, 2018
I've read a lot of domestic fiction set around the time of both world wars, and this has to be one of the most different ones, and quite possibly the very best.
This is, essentially, the story of Betsy Sunshine; born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, but into a very different kind of life. This covers her childhood, growing up and her family at each stage of her life and it is and interesting and beguiling tale with it's roots set in realism.
Such a terrific read! At each age, Betsy demonstrates wisdom far beyond most of us; she lives in whatever present day she finds herself in and her body may get old but, my goodness, her mind is strong and her memories are entertaining. Her family are quite possibly the same as everyone else's, but they're hers and therefore so very different! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to discover that Sophie Duffy has written two other books, and I hope I can find the time to read them in 2019. If you enjoy domestic sagas, and in particular a packed novel with a different take from the norm, then this is one I heartily recommend.
My thanks to Legend Press for my copy via Netgalley. I read this book of my own free will and this review is entirely my own.
This is, essentially, the story of Betsy Sunshine; born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, but into a very different kind of life. This covers her childhood, growing up and her family at each stage of her life and it is and interesting and beguiling tale with it's roots set in realism.
Such a terrific read! At each age, Betsy demonstrates wisdom far beyond most of us; she lives in whatever present day she finds herself in and her body may get old but, my goodness, her mind is strong and her memories are entertaining. Her family are quite possibly the same as everyone else's, but they're hers and therefore so very different! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to discover that Sophie Duffy has written two other books, and I hope I can find the time to read them in 2019. If you enjoy domestic sagas, and in particular a packed novel with a different take from the norm, then this is one I heartily recommend.
My thanks to Legend Press for my copy via Netgalley. I read this book of my own free will and this review is entirely my own.
May 8, 2020
I had the privilege of attending the launch of this book in 2018 but, such is my TBR list, that I only just got to it. Why did I wait so long!
I loved this book. I wont talk about the story - you can read that in the notes about the book. What I want to focus on is why I enjoyed it so much. My mum is 92 now, so 2 years younger than the Queen and Betsy but their story is, in so many ways, my mum's.
My mum is a Londoner and so many of her stories about her childhood, the war years and 1950s were described in this book with such authenticity that I believed every word of it. AS a child of the 60's the later period of the book is also my time and it spoke to me through the world events that were the backdrop to Betsy and Lilibet's stories.
But more than that, I loved the book's humanity. The characters are warm, real in their imperfections and demonstrated a light touch in the way they are revealed on the page. I was captivated by them and cared deeply about what life brought them. Obviously Betsy is the main character and I found her strength and stoicism, her force of personality and her conflicts completely believable.
As many of you know, in my work I am involved in adult social care and I am always struck by the rich life experience of older people and how often that gets forgotten or just tolerated by families who have heard the stories repeatedly. In fact, they deserve to be honoured and that is what Sophie does with this book.
I loved this book. I wont talk about the story - you can read that in the notes about the book. What I want to focus on is why I enjoyed it so much. My mum is 92 now, so 2 years younger than the Queen and Betsy but their story is, in so many ways, my mum's.
My mum is a Londoner and so many of her stories about her childhood, the war years and 1950s were described in this book with such authenticity that I believed every word of it. AS a child of the 60's the later period of the book is also my time and it spoke to me through the world events that were the backdrop to Betsy and Lilibet's stories.
But more than that, I loved the book's humanity. The characters are warm, real in their imperfections and demonstrated a light touch in the way they are revealed on the page. I was captivated by them and cared deeply about what life brought them. Obviously Betsy is the main character and I found her strength and stoicism, her force of personality and her conflicts completely believable.
As many of you know, in my work I am involved in adult social care and I am always struck by the rich life experience of older people and how often that gets forgotten or just tolerated by families who have heard the stories repeatedly. In fact, they deserve to be honoured and that is what Sophie does with this book.
September 30, 2018
Review of betsy and lilibet
By nicki Howells
The year is 1926, and in London 2 baby girls are born on the same day,hours apart-but also world's apart.....one is born into a family of undertakers and the other into royalty.
This story alternates between 2016 and the past.....I'm not a big fan of stories that flit back and forth as it can get confusing, but this story is written so well it isn't Confusing at all.
This book takes you on a 90 year journey through the life of Betsy, with some familiar events, some sad events and some funny parts.....a couple even made me laugh out loud!!
The story has some surprising twists and turns, and also some thought provoking moments. It is a well written book and was very easy to get into...I actually read it in 9 hours.....I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down!
It is a totally different book to the ones I usually read, but i highly recommend this one, Sophie has written a great story here-it has the feel of an autobiography rather than a fictional story.
By nicki Howells
The year is 1926, and in London 2 baby girls are born on the same day,hours apart-but also world's apart.....one is born into a family of undertakers and the other into royalty.
This story alternates between 2016 and the past.....I'm not a big fan of stories that flit back and forth as it can get confusing, but this story is written so well it isn't Confusing at all.
This book takes you on a 90 year journey through the life of Betsy, with some familiar events, some sad events and some funny parts.....a couple even made me laugh out loud!!
The story has some surprising twists and turns, and also some thought provoking moments. It is a well written book and was very easy to get into...I actually read it in 9 hours.....I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down!
It is a totally different book to the ones I usually read, but i highly recommend this one, Sophie has written a great story here-it has the feel of an autobiography rather than a fictional story.
October 12, 2018
Betsy is full of life, full of adventure and full of an amazing number of things happening in her life, until you actually sit back and think about it and realise that any one of us could live her life. She is given an MBE for her work as an undertaker and is later invited along to a dinner for those who were born in the same year as the Queen, but apart from those two things, she does nothing exceptional, in the sense that we couldn't do the same. Her family still come to see her and it is lovely to see them growing older, and possibly wiser, as well as discovering that those things that haunt us may turn out to be nothing at all. The quotes from Queen Elizabeth in between the various chapters really seem to apply to Betsy's life too.
It's a wonderful look back over the last century.
Full review available on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...
It's a wonderful look back over the last century.
Full review available on my blog : http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot...
February 18, 2023
4⭐️
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did.
First off, I had expected this to take the form of alternating pints of view of both of the titular characters; Betsy Sunshine and Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and I fear the “& Lilibet” in the title was a very clever hook to draw readers in. I did not like Betsy Sunshine as a character or a person, too self-centred, focused on what she wants and to hell with anyone else (particularly in the wake of Charlie’s birth).
However, as the book progressed, I found it to be a humorous, satirical whistle stop tour of British history from the perspective of a normal woman who happened to share Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday. Her Coronation, the death of Winston Churchill, the IRA, Margaret Thatcher, death of Princess Diana, the London bombings; this unassuming little book covered them all alongside more intimate issues such as family secrets and bereavement.
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did.
First off, I had expected this to take the form of alternating pints of view of both of the titular characters; Betsy Sunshine and Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and I fear the “& Lilibet” in the title was a very clever hook to draw readers in. I did not like Betsy Sunshine as a character or a person, too self-centred, focused on what she wants and to hell with anyone else (particularly in the wake of Charlie’s birth).
However, as the book progressed, I found it to be a humorous, satirical whistle stop tour of British history from the perspective of a normal woman who happened to share Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday. Her Coronation, the death of Winston Churchill, the IRA, Margaret Thatcher, death of Princess Diana, the London bombings; this unassuming little book covered them all alongside more intimate issues such as family secrets and bereavement.
September 15, 2023
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉. 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐."
betsy is such a captivating character and she felt so real...reading her life stories as a young girl living through ww2 to a 90 y/o grandmother in a modern world...it feels like im reading a book about my own great grandmother! but in a bigger picture, this book is about living life to the fullest, as we live in borrowed times and the clock never stops ticking. goodbyes & helloes are the universal's constant and mistakes are the rains before the rainbows. you cannot run from your past and certain regrets may eat you alive causing you missed those important seconds of life but at the end of the day, all we can do is make amends, to ourselves, to our loved ones and to live for the hope of it all...🤍
betsy is such a captivating character and she felt so real...reading her life stories as a young girl living through ww2 to a 90 y/o grandmother in a modern world...it feels like im reading a book about my own great grandmother! but in a bigger picture, this book is about living life to the fullest, as we live in borrowed times and the clock never stops ticking. goodbyes & helloes are the universal's constant and mistakes are the rains before the rainbows. you cannot run from your past and certain regrets may eat you alive causing you missed those important seconds of life but at the end of the day, all we can do is make amends, to ourselves, to our loved ones and to live for the hope of it all...🤍
December 22, 2018
I haven't read Sophie Duffy's previous books but I will now. From the blurb I expected this story might be rather twee. I was wrong. It is charming but also gritty. The characters are real people, complete with faults and flaws. This is a complete-life memoir from Betsy's point of view. Lilibet (Queen Elizabeth II) does feature in it but not overly much and in a natural way.
I enjoyed the domestic details and the 90-year family saga; the personalities and activities, the relationships and concerns. I think anyone who likes social history or sagas will find this book brings the London of this period to life. The choice of family business (undertaking) is unusual and we do learn quite a lot of this professional perspective on death but it is interesting and not too overwhelming.
I enjoyed the domestic details and the 90-year family saga; the personalities and activities, the relationships and concerns. I think anyone who likes social history or sagas will find this book brings the London of this period to life. The choice of family business (undertaking) is unusual and we do learn quite a lot of this professional perspective on death but it is interesting and not too overwhelming.
February 27, 2019
1926 föds två flickor på samma dag, men till helt olika förhållanden. Den ena blir drottning av Storbritannien och den andra blir drottning i sitt eget rike, familjens begravningsbyrå.
Mycket prat om döden, så klart, men på ert ganska intressant sätt. Jag gillar också hur man får uppleva nittio år av brittisk historia genom Betsys ögon, det är välskrivet och inte krystat på Forrest Gump-sätt att hon måste varit med överallt.
Boken handlar om Betsy och hennes liv, berättat av hennes nittioåriga jag. Jag gillar hur författaren har fångat rösten hos Betsy som gammal, vilken är helt annorlunda än den unga kvinnans, men man hör ändå att hon är samma person.
Jag trodde det skulle vara mer av Queen Elizabeth, att deras liv skulle gå parallellt, men det gick bra det här också.
Mycket prat om döden, så klart, men på ert ganska intressant sätt. Jag gillar också hur man får uppleva nittio år av brittisk historia genom Betsys ögon, det är välskrivet och inte krystat på Forrest Gump-sätt att hon måste varit med överallt.
Boken handlar om Betsy och hennes liv, berättat av hennes nittioåriga jag. Jag gillar hur författaren har fångat rösten hos Betsy som gammal, vilken är helt annorlunda än den unga kvinnans, men man hör ändå att hon är samma person.
Jag trodde det skulle vara mer av Queen Elizabeth, att deras liv skulle gå parallellt, men det gick bra det här också.
March 10, 2019
I do like a well-written family drama spanning generations, and this is exactly that. It reminded me of many books and authors I've read (and enjoyed) before, but especially of Laurie Graham, War Crimes for the Home (Liz Jenson), and in parts even of Angela Carter.
I think I liked everything about this. The characters were believable and likeable, the plot was interesting, the war sections were well written. Queen Elizabeth didn't feature lots, but was a nice background running throughout the whole story. It was easy to read, but in between there were some fairly heavy themes, and it did bring a tear to my eye more than once.
I've read this author's previous books and will definitely be looking out for her next.
I think I liked everything about this. The characters were believable and likeable, the plot was interesting, the war sections were well written. Queen Elizabeth didn't feature lots, but was a nice background running throughout the whole story. It was easy to read, but in between there were some fairly heavy themes, and it did bring a tear to my eye more than once.
I've read this author's previous books and will definitely be looking out for her next.
September 7, 2018
3.5 stars
Definitely feel this is a put your feet up with a cuppa book... despite the main character being a little reserved with her affection,there's a warmth to this book that made me smile.
There's a big cast of characters,and you'll recognise someone you know for sure.
Set in an area I know,the familiarity always makes me enjoy a book more,as you really are picturing them walking down that street.
This book covers a lot of the main news topics of the last 90 odd years,but the family drama is always more intense.
Enjoyable.
Definitely feel this is a put your feet up with a cuppa book... despite the main character being a little reserved with her affection,there's a warmth to this book that made me smile.
There's a big cast of characters,and you'll recognise someone you know for sure.
Set in an area I know,the familiarity always makes me enjoy a book more,as you really are picturing them walking down that street.
This book covers a lot of the main news topics of the last 90 odd years,but the family drama is always more intense.
Enjoyable.
December 21, 2025
I love this book so much! at first I hought the story is about different people; a citizen and a princess, encounter each other but the sory is rather about the life of a woman whom shared the same name as the princess. So, the princess are like an inspiration to her. The story is so well written and matured. The arec is not really there but the plot is so beautiful. you can peel the Britishness when reading.
July 17, 2021
This story has such an interesting plot. I feel like it really shows an aspect of world war 2 life that hasn’t been that deeply explored. The Sunshine family are undertakers and the book takes you through the life of Betsy Sunshine the oldest daughter, born on the same day as Queen Elizabeth.
I would recommend this book for an easy, enjoyable read.
I would recommend this book for an easy, enjoyable read.
November 28, 2021
Different and most readable
This book is a pleasure from beginning to end. The differences between the two women are constantly being overwhelmed by the samenesses. It is a thread which runs throughout, but there are so many strong threads that weave this story together. I do hope you will read this book and feel the lives within.
This book is a pleasure from beginning to end. The differences between the two women are constantly being overwhelmed by the samenesses. It is a thread which runs throughout, but there are so many strong threads that weave this story together. I do hope you will read this book and feel the lives within.
October 16, 2018
What an amazing story, loved it from the first capital letter, to the final full stop!
Betsy Sunshine, is born the same day as the Queen and like the Queen,she has a life full of responsibility!
Not telling you anymore as you really need to read it for yourselves!
Betsy Sunshine, is born the same day as the Queen and like the Queen,she has a life full of responsibility!
Not telling you anymore as you really need to read it for yourselves!
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