Friday Chat & Drinks With... May Ellis

Happy Friday, lovely Readers!

Welcome to another monthly guest slot where on the first Friday of every month I interview a guest author - however, this month is a little different in that the lovely May Ellis has chosen instead to tell us a little about a book she has written that is hugely personal to her.

I am so happy to have you here, May and very much looking forward to finding out more about your novel Lily's Choice - over to you!

Thank you, Rachel for inviting me to be the guest on your blog. I’d like to tell everyone about my novel Lily’s Choice, published under my pen name May Ellis by Boldwood Books.

 

This book is very close to my heart – more so than anything else I’ve ever written – because it is based on real events in my family. I’m the only one left to tell this story and to honour them. I actually appear as a character in Lily’s Choice. I am Caroline, Lily’s youngest daughter. That’s not our real names, by the way

 

My parents were from the East End. They married in 1949 when they were nineteen and twenty-one. Here’s their wedding picture:

They were married for nearly twenty years before cracks began to appear. My sixteen-year-old sister had an illegitimate child and refused to name the father. Single mothers and their children were shunned and scorned in the 1960s. Lily felt my sister would be better off having the child adopted. Her husband Jack however, decided that no one was giving his grandchild away. The couple grew apart. Lily saw all her dreams for her family going up in smoke. Jack tried his best, but nothing would console her. She turned to her married boss for comfort, a choice that would lead to a tragedy.

 

As a child, I had no idea about the conflict going on around me. That’s why this is a novel. Scenes in which I appear are faithful to my memory. I relied on research and what I knew of the people and society in the 1960s to help me join together the other pieces of the puzzle.

 

It’s been called ‘A heartbreaking tale of love and loss.’  It was hard to write, but I’m glad I did it. I hope you enjoy reading it.

 

Buylink: https://mybook.to/lilyschoicesocial

 

 

 

Blurb: Living in South London, Lily has always longed for a better life for her family. And when she secures a job at a City law firm, her dreams look like they may finally come true.

But Lily’s hopes are shattered when her teenage daughter Beverley falls pregnant, with the father nowhere to be seen. Lily loves the child, but worries about Beverley and her illegitimate baby's future. The additional responsibilities of another mouth to feed begin to take their toll, and worst of all is the rift growing between Lily and her husband Jack who, despite his devotion to his family, doesn’t seem to understand Lily's feelings or everything she's been working for.

Then the opportunity for change comes in an unexpected form, and Lily must choose whether to grasp her chance of happiness with both hands, even if it could cost her dearly.

Should she risk everything for the chance at a better life?

A gripping and moving new historical novel from the author of the bestselling Clarks Factory Girls series. Perfect for fans of Kitty Neale and Rosie Clarke.

Previously published as Mine.

 

 

The real Lily and Caroline, 1969.

(Note that Lily on the book cover has a blue headband like Caroline’s)