Fascinating Tale of a Family Coping with the Belfast Blitz

Many, many books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about the second world war but this is the first one I've seen that's set during the Belfast Blitz. For that reason alone, These Days would be a fascinating read and more so as the author, Lucy Caldwell was born in Belfast and writes with authority. Although the author was born during the time of great upheaval and unrest in Belfast she has chosen on this occasion to write a fictionalised account of the blitz. The focus of the book is two sisters, Audrey and Emma, who come from a family well to do family, father is a doctor, mother has staff, Mrs Price, wee Betty Binks and a gardener, and there is a younger brother Paul. Audrey is the oldest and works in the tax office and the day after the first air raid she gets engaged to Richard, also a doctor, who she has been going out with for a year. Emma helps out at a first aid post and, when her father is called out the night of the air raid wants to go along to help but her parents don't allow her. Betty comes from a poor family who suffered great hardship during the thirties. Her father struggled to find work until the war started but then he had an accident leaving him unable to work. Although Betty is only fourteen years old her wage is essential to the family. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of These Days and how the family fare during the blitz.