Hopscotch Summer

In 1930s Birmingham, in the impoverished district of Nechells, a young girl bravely endeavours to hold her family together in trying times. A Hopscotch Summer is an emotional journey of determination and resilience from Annie Murray. Read by Penelope Freeman (My Daughter, My Mother) Emma Brown is a young girl whose usual cheerful spirit is challenged when her household welcomes a new baby. Her mother, Cynthia, is losing herself. Her father, Bob, takes solace in alcohol. Experiencing the hard slap of reality early in life, Emma tries to maintain the household and keep everyone's spirits up. But soon it seems that the only thing to do is for Cynthia to go and stay with her tyrannical older sister across the city. Life gets even tougher for Emma with her mother away, so Emma travels across town to bring back her mother – all on her own. However, the mother she finds is barely recognizable . . . A Hopscotch Summer explores life's harsh realities, the spirit of survival, and the hope for better days. An engaging listen that explores triumph over adversity and will stir your heart. The series continues in Soldier Girl and All the Days of Our Lives. Listeners love Annie Murray . . . 'I loved this book . . . I did shed a few tears' 'Being a Brummie myself it was a pleasure to hear my own accent' 'Easy to listen to. Didn't want it to end' In 1930s Birmingham, young Emma Brown faces a new reality when left to pick up the pieces of her strained family. Narrated by Penelope Freeman. Annie Murray was born in Berkshire and read English at St John's College, Oxford. Her first 'Birmingham' novel, Birmingham Rose, hit The Times bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels, including, War Babies, The Women of Lilac Street and The Bells of Bournville Green, sequel to the bestselling Chocolate Girls. Annie has four children and lives in Reading.

Set in the midst of WW2, Soldier Girl follows a woman on her journey of courage, determination, loss, and resilience – the sequel to A Hopscotch Summer from Annie Murray. Read by Penelope Freeman (Her Wartime Secret) Molly Fox has grown up in the back streets of Birmingham at the mercy of her cruel grandfather and her drunken mother. Haunted by terrible family secrets, she decides to take her life into her own hands and bravely joins the British Army as an ATS girl. The army, seemingly a disaster at first, surprisingly provides Molly with the direction and affirmation she has yearned for. But war brings tragedy as well as triumph, and when Molly receives news from home, it becomes clear that she can't escape her unforgiving past so easily . . . Escape into a heartrending saga of war, friendship and heartbreak in Soldier Girl. The series continues with the final book, All the Days of Our Lives. Listeners love Annie Murray . . . 'This book had me hooked from the beginning' 'Excellent listen well worth sitting down with a cup of coffee and cake and enjoying the story' 'I just love listening to stories about the war . . . Annie Murray puts a lot of research into them' Emotional, compelling and set during the Second World War, Molly Fox escapes her bitter family past – by braving life as an ATS girl. From the author of Chocolate Girls and The Bells of Bournville Green. Annie Murray was born in Berkshire and read English at St John's College, Oxford. Her first 'Birmingham' novel, Birmingham Rose, hit The Times bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels, including A Hopscotch Summer, Soldier Girl and the bestselling Chocolate Girls. Annie has four children and lives near Reading.