2 August 2015

Sunday Snippets--This week another snippet from Remnants of Dreams



My snip this Sunday is from one of my earlier Books We Love books, Remnants of Dreams. This book will always hold a special place in my heart for is based loosely on my mother’s life. She passed her strength and resilience on to all her five daughters and five sons.

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Remnants of Dreams moves through the horrors of WW1 and WW11 to the 1990s, and paints a picture of a changing world and of working class people in North London whose only riches are love and the knowledge that they did their best.

Alicia’s indomitable spirit sustains her and her large family through war, illness, death and loss. From her mother’s example Sara finds the courage to escape an intolerable situation and forge a new life in a new country.
 
Previously published as Traces of Dreams this book won the Romance Writers of Australia's mainstream Romantic Book of The Year in 2003.


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"If you think this is a predictable novel you will miss not only a sweeping story of joy and sorrow, triumph and tragedy, but also an amazing overview of the century seen through a family saga. Tricia McGill takes a bold step into mainstream fiction with this book that flows like a gentle stream on the surface, but conceals a strong undercurrent and unexpected depths." Mary Allyce 
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Sometimes in the dead of night, while Fiona and Arty slept, Alicia stared sleeplessly at the ceiling, wondering why Mathew hadn't made a move to touch her. Perhaps she was reading far too much into his visits. He was probably more interested in her pies and cakes than in her.

She began to have the oddest yearnings. What would it feel like to have his strong arms around her? He had a mobile mouth and expressive eyes, and she had a strong desire to feel that mouth on hers, to experience a man's kisses again. She often flushed with shame at her wayward thoughts and wondered secretly if she'd inherited some of her mother's wantonness. No, she'd simply been without the attentions of a man for too long, that was it.

Fiona was seeing her young man regularly, and Alicia wondered if her sister was beset by the same wanton urges when Fiona admitted quite openly, "I wish Jimmy would propose to me. He says he loves me and there's no other girl for him, but he hasn't popped the question yet."

Alicia could only hope Jimmy wouldn't take advantage of Fiona's blatant adoration. She tried to tell her sister to dampen her enthusiasm, but Fiona was too wrapped up in her romantic notions. She wasn't in the market for cautionary lectures.

The heat was oppressive towards the end of July and Alicia began to feel frazzled as August came in on hot winds. Then one day in mid-August it was cooler than it had been for weeks. Alicia felt quite light-headed as she made her way home from the factory with her daily batch of sewing.

"Days like this me and your dad would go to the park and feed the ducks," she told Arty, who gripped her hand.

"Did you take stale bread, Mum?" he asked, grinning up at her.

"Mm," she agreed, her heart lurching. When he smiled he was a replica of his father. Memories flooded back, so clear she could almost see Arthur walking there with them, alive and handsome, his face lit with that same endearing smile. She sighed. "Wish I'd brought the old pram," she said when a twinge shot up her arm. "This bag's heavy."

Alicia let go of his hand and put the bag down so she could massage her cramped fingers. Arty skipped ahead, laughing, as she called out, "Come back here, you little blighter."

As she bent to retrieve the bag a shadow fell across the pavement. Alicia began to smile, thinking it was Mathew. But the smell that assailed her wasn't his, and she stifled a scream as a hand reached out to suddenly take the bag from her fingers.

Please take a moment to hop on over to these blogs for more great snippets:
http://mizging.blogspot.com (Ginger Simpson)

Visit my web page for information on all  my other books.

6 comments:

  1. Enticing Snip Tricia! Shared.

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  2. I agree. I couldn't find a place to comment on Jamie's must her's is a 'must read' for me, too.

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  3. I forgot to add that I also shared on FB, Google, Pinterest and TWitter. I may not always leave a glowing comment, but I definitely believe in our group, and I thank you for being part of it.

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    1. I love being part of this group, Ginger, and thanks to you for keeping it going and for sharing every week.

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  4. Tricia, I am a great fan of historical romance. I will be reading this story soon,

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