Somewhere Behind the Morning

by Frances McNeil

In working-class Leeds of 1914, sisters Julia and Margaret Wood are striving to rise above devastating poverty. War seems inevitable and angry feelings about foreigners have reached a boiling point. As a result, their German-Jewish father's search for work proves to be hopeless. It is self-educated, entrepreneurial Julia who keeps the family afloat by hawking homemade pies on the streets of Leeds. Her beautiful elder sister, Margaret, an apprentice milliner and new member of the suffragette set, seeks a faster way out of destitution, pinning her hopes to a rich suffragette, Mrs. Turner, and her journalist son, Thomas. But as the Great War rages, Julia discovers for herself the meaning of courage, and looks forward to that new day—that fresh, magical start, somewhere behind the morning.

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Stephanie Clarke]

A fantastic read about life and love during the First World War.

[Tina O'reilly]

Set in Leeds 1914, the Wood sisters, Julia and Margaret live with their father. They are very poor, barely surviving, protecting their father the best they can as he could be taken away at any minute just because he is German. They don't have much but they make the most of it, especially Julia who helps bake meat pies with stolen meat and sells them on the black market. Margaret has designs of a better life, hoping to make a suitable marriage to Thomas who is a class or more above them. Margaret is also involved with the suffragette movement.

Julia's friend, Frank presumes if he waits long enough, Julia will agree to marry him. He is handy with his fists, keeps an eye out for police or thugs but that's not the only thing that puts Julia off. She sees him as a friend, not a future husband and father of her prospective children.

The family strive for a better future, to survive beyond each day.

At times I felt the book was just jogging along, rather than keeping me interested. I enjoyed the Julia character, liked the descriptions of much of the content, life at the pub, soldiers going off to war, just have read similar books with a bit more punch.

[Couch_Potato]

This enthralling first novel is written in the style of a journal and tells the story of a young girl's battle to keep her family together. Julia and Margaret Wood, sisters from working-class Leeds in 1914, are attempting to climb above devastation. War appears to be unavoidable, and resentment of immigrants has reached a boiling point; their German-Jewish father's job quest is futile. Julia, a self-educated businesswoman, keeps the family solvent by selling handmade pies on Leeds' streets. Margaret, a gorgeous older sister and new member of the feminist group, wants a speedier path out of poverty, banking her hopes on a wealthy suffragette, Mrs Turner, and her journalist son, Thomas. However, as World War I rages on, Julia learns

[Jeanette Dahl]

Run of the mill too many loose ends

[Rosslyn]

Set in Leeds/ Garforh this is the story of a family living below the poverty line on the cusp of the first world war. The central character is fiesty, level headed and determined but it was all a little too contrived for me and wasn't written as well as it could have been.

[Judith Yeabsley]

Focused on prejudices and the lot of the poor during WWI it was an interesting read from a historical perspective. It was an OK book.