Coronation Street At War (2002)By Daran Little
Coronation Street at War is a highly charged and entertaining historical novel, which tells the story of the enduring resilience of the plucky residents of Weatherfield. Daran Little has turned his researching skills to uncovering a Coronation Street which existed before the TV cameras and which provides a colourful picture of many of the much loved soap's original cast. In Coronation Street at War, it is September 1939 and sixteeen-year-old Elsie Tanner walks into Coronation Street. Newly married, pregnant, and optimistic, she has little idea of the difficult times that lie ahead. But, within days, her husband has enlisted, leaving Elsie to face the neighbours alone.
With their menfolk posted overseas, the women of Coronation Street are forced to make do, braving the German bombs and supporting each other through the tragedies of war.
ReviewsThis is an excellent Audio Book for those who have followed Coronation Street since its beginnings and those who are new to the Street and would like to know its history. At last we find out why Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner were always at loggerheads. How The Rovers Return managed without beer and the Corner Shop coped with rationing. The thought of Ken Barlow as a baby is mind boggling. The Coronation Street we see on tv is positively gentile in comparison with this story. It is very gritty and down-to-earth, with some strong language and equally strong story lines but this is balanced with a lot to make the listener smile. What a brilliant book - the war arrives in Coronation Street bringing hardship and deprivation for its residents. As the characters fall in and out of love, as friendships are made and broken, Coronation Street at War evokes the days of hairnets, Lucky Strike cigarettes and doodlebugs. Favourite characters are shown in a new light as the Street rallies around for Ken Barlow's imprmptu birth under the kitchen table and Ena helps Sally Todd meet her American lover. As funny, heartbreaking and addictive as the television programme itself, this book will appeal to all of Coronation Street's many fans. Explores the world of Coronation St before the war and provides an interesting background to the ever popular soap. | ||||
Coronation Street © Granada Television Ltd. |
