Old Father Thames by Sally Spencer

 This sweet Edwardian family saga set in relatively poor Southwark involves two families - George and Colleen Taylor and Lil and Sam Clarke and their three children. This is a Cockney area so much of the dialogue is ‘in the vernacular’. I usually don’t like this, but I didn’t mind it this time.

Much of the book concerns the Clarke’s children, Annie, Eddie and Peggy. Annie hates her job as a match girl, and wants to become a switchboard operator. However, her budding romances with Harry, a policeman, and Tom, a former gangster, may get in the way! Her main problem is her Cockney accent, however.

Eddie hates working with horses, and he is mad about cars. Can he break out of the stables, and find a new career? I enjoyed the details about Edwardian cars here, including electric ones!

Peggy wants a goat, and gets involved with a Romany boy who likes to play tricks on ‘the punters’, so that she can buy one. Peggy was meant to be a comic character, and not as believable as the others.

This was throughly researched, and a relaxing book to read, so I will read the sequel. Sally Spencer is really a man - it was easier to get romantic family sagas published under a woman’s name not so long ago! He has a great blog: http://www.sallyspencer.com.