"A passionate wife—he had always been amazed that she should respond to him as eagerly as he turned to her—and a loving mother too. He looked at her warmly. She had such a heart it could include more children than she had herself." Part 1, 1940-1945, Chap. 1, p. 21

"She hoped the child wouldn't be a frightened pickaheen of a thing, afraid to open her mouth. Then it would really be out of the frying pan and into the fire for the girl...the blitz of London or the noisy O'Connors in full cry. It would be hard to know which was worse." Part 1, 1940-1945, Chap. 2, pp. 28-29

"Then she heard on the wireless that an almighty blitz had begun on London, and that people were huddling down in the Underground to avoid the bombs and the falling buildings.
"Then a message was sent from the...