The Scarlet Sisters

My nanna's story of secrets and heartache on the banks of the River Thames

By: Helen Batten

Narrated by: Annie Aldington

‘Oh my goodness - another girl, Mrs Swain!'

Clara's normal iron composure broke, and she screamed, ‘No! That's not the bloody deal!' And that was how my nanna, Bertha Swain, entered the world.

When Helen Batten's marriage breaks down, she starts on a journey of discovery into her family's past and the mysteries surrounding her enigmatic nanna's early life.

What she unearths is a tale of five feisty redheads struggling to climb out of poverty and find love through two world wars. It's a story full of surprises and scandal - a death in a workhouse, a son kept in a box, a shameful war record, a clandestine marriage and children taken far too soon. It's as if there is a family curse.

But Helen also finds love, resilience and hope - crazy wagers, late-night Charlestons and stolen kisses. As she unravels the story of nanna and her scarlet sisters, Helen starts to break the spell of the past and sees a way she might herself find love again.

©2015 Helen Batten (P)2015 Random House AudioBooks

when a book finds you

Sometimes a book finds you when you're least expecting it. I needed this book about strong females who overcome life's challenges, love, lost, and multiple generations rolled into one. I love the prospective of the characters as well makes you feel like your in their kitchen having tea and learning their secrets.

The story of, if families, history and love

This by far is the best book I’ve ever listened to. I absolutely did not want it, and as I felt grief coming in for the characters, I would lose when the book ended. 

Excellent Read, well worth the credit!

Well read, well said, thought provoking. Kept my attention. Great reader! Hope this author continues to write.

not what I expected

couldn't even finish it, wasted credit. I wish I could exchange it for something else.