The Daisy Series. by Pat Backley

The Author Pat Backley is an author who was born in Southeast England, but now lives in Auckland New Zealand. At the age of twenty she got married for the first time, the next fifty years she resided in numerous places in the UK as well as a brief spell in the Fiji Islands a […]

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The Author

Pat Backley is an author who was born in Southeast England, but now lives in Auckland New Zealand. At the age of twenty she got married for the first time, the next fifty years she resided in numerous places in the UK as well as a brief spell in the Fiji Islands a place very dear to her heart. Pat has been married several times has one daughter named Lucy to whom she absolutely dotes on. At the age of sixty in pursuit of adventure Pat emigrated to New Zealand. To say Pat has embraced life to the full would be a true reflection despite the ups and downs that comes with pursuing such a colourful path in life. People, well Pat simply adores them no matter their background or ethnicity. The world in many ways has been Pat’s oyster, travelling across continents by whatever means possible in pursuit of knowledge and understanding of how different cultures and landscapes create this wonderful world of ours, not withstanding the burning issues the planet faces. When you read her books, you’ll see a lot of her life’s passions seated at the heart of her writing, especially social history.

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The Books

Daisy

Daisy is a touching family saga that transcends a century starting in 1887 with the birth of Daisy to a single mother in London’s poverty ridden slums. With the stigma of being an illegitimate child, Daisy’s start in life was tough not only for her but for her mother. Despite the harsh reality of dockland life Daisy blossoms but not without uncompromising setbacks. Being a girl back then, life was very much restricted to what society expected, house chores and birthing children under appalling conditions.

The book is set in London UK, Alabama and Harlem in the US. Besides Daisy, it’s the story of several families from both sides of the Atlantic from different cultures, backgrounds, cleverly interwoven to tell a historical story of Black American Slavery, rich snobbery plantation owners, and the harsh life of both Harlem and London’s docklands slums. Yet against this backdrop of austerity and excess wealth, the essence of family, friendship and true love prevails, beautifully told through the eyes of some wonderful strong characters that bring the tales of what went on in those days and how people survived and lived through turbulent times.

The Second Daisy

This is the sequel book to Daisy. The first Daisy had a hard start in life. She was born in the slums of London in 1887, to an impoverished unmarried mother with all the stigma her status in life brought. A hundred years later, we meet her namesake, the second Daisy. In many ways life for this Daisy is a lot easier, but in many ways the two women are very similar in character, but this Daisy is a woman of colour. Again, the story shuttles back and forth between London, Alabama and Harlem in New York in the US, but we’re in the 1980’s. The characters from the first book still have a significant role to play but we’ve moved on to the next generation. This Daisy is the daughter of Jeremy who is the son of Samuel and Winifred who left Harlem in 1952 on the boat United States for a better life in London. Theo and Melissa whose families came from the rich plantation owners have also moved to London as have Matty and Ruth who lived with Theo and Melissa back then whose families finally gained their freedom from Black Slavery that was endemic in certain US States at the turn of the nineteen century. The story also brings into play the character Flo, the original Daisy’s daughter, her life as a dressmaker in Artillery Lane a house bought for her by Freddie, who insisted the title deeds be in her name only as collateral for the future. The loss of her first son was a devastating blow, like Masie losing her only daughter in the first book who took in Daisy, the only difference being Flo rebounded and thrived as opposed to Maise taking her own life. Towards the end of the book, we see a grand reunion organised by Melissa back in Harlem reuniting the new generation with the old generation they left behind so that Daisy and her generation get to see the old ones before time takes them. This new Daisy despite still facing racism and equality issues has a brighter future ahead of her, far better than the life Daisy in the first book had to endure and overcome.

The Ancestor Series

Valentine George (Book One in the series)

Valentine George was an ordinary man, born in extraordinary times. He experienced love, loss and joy, just as we all do, but his life was worth recording. In this novel we follow his story where it began, in the slums of London during Victorian times. Then, he takes us through world wars One and Two and leads us on to the path of the Swinging Sixties.

Lou and Eustace (Book Two in the series)

This tale begins in the late 1800’s and continues through to 1984.

The roaring twenties were in full swing. Now, all the young women and many of the older ones had shortened their skirts, chopped off their long hair, and thrown away their horrible constricting laced corsets. Marcel waves, short bobs, flapper dresses, and the Charleston, quickly became the order of the day.

The Abandoned Wives Handbook

The pain of abandonment is huge. The partner you loved and cherished for so many years has decided you are no longer required. Past your sell by date. Of no use to them anymore, so tossed out like a piece of garbage. Abandoned with barely a backward glance. To keep this a light-hearted read, each chapter is divided into two letters of the alphabet, rather like a dictionary of distress, something you can dip into at any time. I am not an expert, merely someone who has survived one of life’s great traumas and has come through it as a stronger more resilient person.

Social Media Platforms

If you would like to know more about Pat Backley you can go to her website below, or equally follow her on any of social media platforms also listed below.

www.patbackley.com 

www.facebook.com/patbackleyauthor

www.linkedin.com@patbackley

www.twitter.com@patbackleybooks

www.instagram@patbackleyauthor

Should you wish to purchase a book then you can clock the Amazon link below or go to her webpage www.patbackley.com

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