Mulberry Lane Babies : New life brings joy and intrigue to The Lane!.

Mulberry Lane Babies by Rosie Clarke is the third novel in The Mulberry Lane Series.  It is December 1941 and the Americans are finally entering the war.  The residents of Mulberry Lane are working together to survive during these difficult and dangerous times.  Peggy Ashley, who runs the Pig & Whistle Pub, is pregnant along with the newly married Maureen Hart.  Maureen is trying to hide her condition, so she can continue working since nurses are sorely needed.  Anne Riley is dropping of a pair of shoes to be repaired and meets Sgt. Kirk Ross.  Anne is instantly smitten with the soldier.  Has Anne finally met the man of her dreams?  Tommy Barton takes over his father’s job at the grocer’s when he departs for boot camp and the ladies of Mulberry Lane make sure that Tommy has plenty to eat (they keep an eye on him).  However, there is a man lurking in the background with a mission and he is not going to let anyone get in his way.  Ellie Morris is eighteen and misses her new husband.  To liven up her life, she goes out to the pubs at night letting the soldiers buy her drinks.  But what happens when one man wants more than a smile in return?  Peggy gets a new tenant when Helen Barnes leaves her bully of a husband.  Life is never dull on Mulberry Lane.  Return to Mulberry Lane to see how the residents are faring during these tumultuous times.

Mulberry Lane Babies is well-written and has steady pacing.  I like the authors conversational writing style.  I was immediately drawn into the story and it held my attention throughout.  I do recommend reading the series in order.  Each book in The Mulberry Lane Series builds upon the previous one.  Rosie Clarke has crafted lovely characters for her series.  They are realistic and well-rounded.  There are characters to love and there are characters that you will dislike (intensely).  My favorite characters are Peggy, Maureen, Janet, Tommy and Anne.  They are warm, friendly, thoughtful people and I wish they were my neighbors.  Peggy is the mother figure and confidant for the residents of the lane.  I like that we get to know Anne more in Mulberry Lane Babies. Tommy continues to grow into a responsible, hardworking and caring man.  The East End was brought alive for me with the descriptions of the shops, home and area.  We are given a realistic picture of life for those at home during World War II.  Rationing is increasing and items are in scarce supply which we see in this book.  While America is just entering the war, England has been at war since 1938.  The author did an admirable job at handling some difficult subject matter (a woman being attacked).  The residents of Mulberry Lane have each other to rely on during these dark days.  The characters feeling/emotions come through the pages along with the grittiness of the war.  I like how the author balances the difficulties with the joy.  There may be a war going on, but they have their friendship, their families, weddings, and new babies. The Mulberry Lane Series would make a wonderful television program on PBS.  The Avid Reader rating for Mulberry Lane Babies is 5 out of 5 stars.  I cannot wait for my next to journey to Mulberry Lane.