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At Home By The Sea by Pam Weaver published by Avon Books

 


The day before Izzie’s 13th birthday, her mother walks out on the family following an argument with their father, and so it falls to Izzy then take responsibility for her younger sister Linda. 
  
But when a handsome Italian chef moves to Worthing and offers Izzie a job in his cafe, she is forced to choose between her responsibilities and her desires. Then her mother resurfaces, and Izzie discovers there’s more to her abandonment than meets the eye. 
  
Will Izzie be able to come to terms with the past in order to pursue the future she deserves?

This was a lovely story, and although I’ve never been to Worthing the places were described in such a way that I can imagine myself walking through the streets, along onto the sea front and sipping coffee in Giacomo’s café that Giacomo.

With regards to the characters, Izzy seemed to take the weight of the world on her shoulders, whereas Linda was a wily little minx who needed someone to tell her a few home truths! Despite that, as characters I loved them both especially as they were so different, and I don’t think we were meant to like Linda anyway!

Raymond reminded me a lot of Pinkie from Graham Green’s Brighton Rock – he was a wannabe gangster, but in reality was a bit of a sociopath.

I’ve read many wartime sagas in my time, so it was a nice change to read one set after the war when rationing was coming to an end and life was slowly returning to a new normal.

All in all a really lovely book and I would highly recommend it.

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