Rags, Bones and Donkey Stones (Sequel)
by B A Lightfoot
Returning home from France in April 1919, scarred both mentally and physically,
Liam Murphy looked forward to rebuilding his life. But so much had now changed.
His wife, Bridget, was doing the household repairs; his son was sitting in his
Dad’s chair; jobs that the men had left when they enlisted were now taken by
women; and Liam’s trade as a carter was rapidly being taken over by the
motorised trucks.In this sequel to ‘Made in Myrtle Street,’ Liam finds
himself frustrated and despairing, his family hungry. He acquires a rag-and-bone
round and is astonished when he feels in the inside pocket of a suit given to
him by the formidable, recently widowed, Nellie Grimshaw. He discovers a small,
high quality painting of a young couple. The woman, with expensive jewellery and
clothes, is lustrously beautiful whilst the man at her side is - him. Liam, with
no recall of either the woman or the painting, struggles for an explanation and
is haunted by its implication of his infidelity.Pip, the daughter of his
long-time pal, and her best friend, Amy, take up the challenge of finding an
explanation and slowly unpick the surprising, and sometimes uncomfortable,
revelations about the intriguing woman and her connection with
Liam.Switching from donkey stones to selling vegetables from the allotments
of his friends, Liam’s business expands but he suffers threats and intimidation
from the aggressively unpleasant Clarence Meredith, a wholesale fruit and
vegetable merchant. The eventual solution almost spirals out of Liam’s
control.‘Rags, Bones and Donkey Stones’ is a novel peopled with rich
characters that gives a humorous yet poignant insight into the struggle to
rebuild Britain after the devastating losses of World War 1.
Liam Murphy looked forward to rebuilding his life. But so much had now changed.
His wife, Bridget, was doing the household repairs; his son was sitting in his
Dad’s chair; jobs that the men had left when they enlisted were now taken by
women; and Liam’s trade as a carter was rapidly being taken over by the
motorised trucks.In this sequel to ‘Made in Myrtle Street,’ Liam finds
himself frustrated and despairing, his family hungry. He acquires a rag-and-bone
round and is astonished when he feels in the inside pocket of a suit given to
him by the formidable, recently widowed, Nellie Grimshaw. He discovers a small,
high quality painting of a young couple. The woman, with expensive jewellery and
clothes, is lustrously beautiful whilst the man at her side is - him. Liam, with
no recall of either the woman or the painting, struggles for an explanation and
is haunted by its implication of his infidelity.Pip, the daughter of his
long-time pal, and her best friend, Amy, take up the challenge of finding an
explanation and slowly unpick the surprising, and sometimes uncomfortable,
revelations about the intriguing woman and her connection with
Liam.Switching from donkey stones to selling vegetables from the allotments
of his friends, Liam’s business expands but he suffers threats and intimidation
from the aggressively unpleasant Clarence Meredith, a wholesale fruit and
vegetable merchant. The eventual solution almost spirals out of Liam’s
control.‘Rags, Bones and Donkey Stones’ is a novel peopled with rich
characters that gives a humorous yet poignant insight into the struggle to
rebuild Britain after the devastating losses of World War 1.