This story of close neigbours, living side by side in Bermondsey, a heavily congested riverside area of London's east end, is an unpretentious, down to earth tale of life, where most of the men work as dock labourers, and the women make do as best as they can. It's set immediately following WW2, with rival gangs warring amonst themselves to gain the upper hand in controlling the area. The newest contenders for the role of neighbourhood bosses, are the Maltese community who are moving into the area in great numbers and threatening to take over from local villains. Lottie Curtis is about to celebrate her 80th birthday, so her closest friends decide to try to locate the 10 young children whom she fostered so lovingly, at different times, over the years. It's a simple tale of love, fortitude, villainy and forbearance and, as a read, is a change from more sophisticated and involved stories of life, and what I call a good filler-in book.
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