The Soundtrack of Their Lives - British Family Saga Series, #2 - E-book - ePub

THE SOUNDTRACK OF THEIR LIVES This true love story begins in 1925. Opera singer Alice Neil-Gregory is to marry train driver Amos Bell, but they are a mismatched couple. Amos worries she may not show up, as he proposed to her three times before she said, "Yes." But Percy believes her father, who is also getting married for the second time on the same day, will get her to the registry office. Once married, Amos' life is not as smooth as he expects, with Alice continuing her singing career and earning more than he does working for the railways.
As a suffragist woman, she seeks an equal place with men. Alice gives birth to three feisty girls and eventually one boy. Amos also learns that bringing up children is more full-time than his occupation, and dealing with the needs of a family is much harder than driving trains. He is often at odds with his wife but with his sister-in-law, Bunty, who never holds back on their opinions. The Bell young children take their only family vacation together, visiting Skegness at one of the new Butlin's holiday camps, where Alice is invited to sing with a big band! Will she choose her family or renew her career? During World War 2 the family lived through the storms of nightly bombing in Hull.  their father volunteers as a fireman, becoming even more remote from his children.
His youngest daughter, Dorothy, must turn down a chance to further her education on a college path due to her parents' lack of communication. She leaves their home at 15 and moves in with Alice's sister, Bunty, and her husband, George. At the end of the war, Alice is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, at the time an untreatable disease. However, the Bells throw a great party for their sister Biddy's 21st birthday.
High drama ensues with swing dancing to a live band, with their boyfriends, an overfamiliar cousin, and their father disapproving of most of their fun choices. The family does not know, but his ailing wife suspects Amos has a mistress who appears at the party. This true story moves through the historical period music of 1925-1949. The title of each chapter is linked to YouTube music tracks to listen to as each chapter is read.