Beryl Kingston's novels
are also available on audio
Time to Love
(1987)


The story of a star crossed love affair between two children of the East End slums, David Cheifitz who is Jewish and Ellie Murphy who is an Irish Catholic, set at the turn of the century and during the First World War.

ISBN O – 7126 – 7881 – 6
Book cover of Time to Love by Beryl Kingston

Book cover of Tuppeny Times by Beryl; Kingston Tuppenny Times
(1989)


The first book of the Easter Empire trilogy based on the fact that the great WH Smiths empire was founded by a woman.  Nan Easter is a spirited maidservant who marries above her station and, when her husband dies young in Paris during the French Revolution, sells newspapers on the streets of London to earn her living and keep her three children.

ISBN O – 7126 – 7883 – 2

Fourpenny Flyer
(1990
)

Second book of the trilogy.  Nan Easter extends her empire, sending newspapers daily to every major city in England and while her three children grow up, fall in love and join her in the business, she too finds a lover, a dashing cavalry officer called Calverly Leigh.

ISBN O – 356 – 17501 – 4
Bok cover of Fourpenny Flyer by Beryl Kingston

Book cover of Sixpenny Stalls by Beryl Kingston Sixpenny Stalls
(1990)


Third book of the trilogy.  The Easter Empire extends to newspaper stalls on the new railway stations and the focus of this book shifts to Nan’s grandchildren and in particular her headstrong granddaughter, Caroline.

ISBN O – 356 – 17949 – 4
London Pride
(1990)


A story of endurance during the Second World War when London Pride was one of the first weeds to colonize the bombsites during the London Blitz.  This is the love story of Penny Furnivall and her Greenwich neighbour Jim Boxall from whom she is parted by the war, when he joins the RAF and she becomes a member of the ARP.

ISBN  O – 356 – 19514 – 7


Book cover of London Pride by Beryl Kingston
Cover of Kisses and Ha'pennies by Bereyl Kingston
Kisses and Ha'pennies

(1991)


Set in the 20’s this is the sequel to Hearts & Farthings telling the story of Pelucci and his three very different children.

ISBN  O – 7126 – 7876 – X
Hearts and Farthings
(1991)


The life and loves of Alberto Pelucci, an Italian immigrant, who comes to London to seek his fortune in the 1880’s first to Little Italy in Clerkenwell and then to Tooting.

ISBN  O – 7126 – 7881 – 6

Book cover of Heart and Farthings by Beryl Kingston


Book cover of War Baby by Beryl Kingston
War Baby
(1991)


Set in the 70’s this is the story of four war babies whose experiences during the Second World War mark the rest of their lives, Bobbie who was adopted, her sister Paula, who loves her dearly, Gareth who was orphaned by the blitz, Malcolm a self-centred media star who was evacuated to America and Benjamin Jarret the illegitimate son of a black GI.

ISBN  O – 356 – 20218 – 6

Two Silver Crosses
(1992)

An advertisement in The Times asked twin sisters Virginia and Emily Holborn, last seen 10 years previously at Victoria Station boarding the boat train to Boulogne to contact solicitors.  Who were they and why were they going to France?

O – 7126 – 5735 – 5


Book cover of  Two Silver Crosses  by Beryl Kingston

Book cover of Maggie's Boy by Beryl Kingston Maggie's Boy
(1994)


Alison’s husband, Rigby Toan, seems the perfect match but he is a deceiver and in the recession of the 80’s will run up debts he cannot possibly pay and run away leaving her with two young children and responsibility for all the money he owes.

ISBN  O – 7126 – 5790 – 8
Alive and Kicking
(1995)


Rose Boniface of Lambeth has taken over care of her brother and sisters when their parents died but in September 1914 brother Bertie leaves for the war and life for the sisters is more difficult than ever.  It is Rose’s skill as a needlewoman that pulls them through.

Book cover of Alive and Kicking by Beryl Kingston

Book cover of Laura's Way by Beryl Kingstom
Laura's Way
(1996)

Laura Pendleton has always considered herself a quiet librarian but when her home is threatened with compulsory purchase to make way for a new bypass she leads the campaign to oppose it and in so doing discovers a new love and the solution to an old mystery.

ISBN O – 7126 – 7540 – X

Gemma's Journey
(1997)


Newly qualified actress Gemma is on her way to an audition when she is caught up in a terrible train crash.  Her leg is amputated to release her from the wreckage but she is determined to live life to the full despite her injury.

ISBN  O – 7126 – 7578 – 7


Cover of Gemma's Journey by Beryl Kingston


Cover of  Avalanche of Daisies by Beryl Kingston
Avalanche of Daisies
(1998)


The love story of 19 year old Private Steve Wilkins and 17 year old Barbara Nelson who marry despite opposition, are then parted by the Normandy invasion and by the buzz bombs and rockets that are bombarding London, but never lose their spirit nor their determination that they will build a better world when the war is over.

ISBN  O – 7126 – 7936 – 7
Only Young
(2001)

Part 1 of a novel originally called “Suki” set in the middle of the 18th century in the world of sugar and slavery, whores, highwaymen and rich entrepreneurs, one of whom employs Suki Brown as a wet nurse but does not know that when his own baby dies Suki puts her own infant in its place, since although she has been hunting for his father ever since his birth has not been able to find him and without her employer’s money would have no means of support.

ISBN  O – 7278 – 5695 – 2


Cover of Only Young by Beryl Kingston



Only Human (2001)
Only Human
(2001)

Part 2 of “Suki”. Suki’s lover, Captain Jack, is a slave master on the Bonny Beaufoy transporting black slaves who are considered to be cattle, but halfway across the Atlantic realises that they are as human as he is and worth respect.  This leads to quarrels and fights and culminates in his incarceration in Bedlam, where Suki finally finds him.

ISBN  O – 7278 – 5714 – 2

Neptune's Daughter
(2005)

When Gwen McIvor is widowed she embarks on a new life, buys a derelict windmill and gives it a makeover, takes a lover and finds a job, so she is put in a difficult position when she discovers that her daughter Eleanor is pregnant and expects her to take over care of the infant when it is born.  What will she do?


ISBN 1 – 905175 – 13 – 2



Book cover of Neptune's Daughter by Beryl Kingston
Book cover of The Gates of Paradise by Beryl Kingston
The Gates of Paradise
(2006)


The Gates of Paradise  is the story of the three years the poet William Blake spent in Felpham, of the impact of his revolutionary ideas on a pair of young lovers, of his quarrel with a trooper and his subsequent arrest and trial for sedition.

It is also story about people, places and art; it’s centred around The Fox Inn in Felpham. In April 1852 Alexander comes to stay, trying to discover more about a former resident of Felpham: a certain William Blake.

In doing so he unearths the history of this small village; its people and the secrets they hide.

Beryl reads an extract from The Gates of Paradise - click below

Icon shows MP3 format MP3 format       Windows media
A vast collection of colourful characters run through Kingston’s book as we learn about the people that Blake interacted with and who influenced his poetry. Among the local residents is Johnnie, who works for local poet William Hayley. We witness his relationship with young Betsy and how it blossoms throughout their time with William Blake in the village

ISBN  O – 74908 – 242 – 9
Beryl's trilogy called Octavia, Octavia's War and Simon's Inheritance.
Octavia is the story of an educational pioneer who taught in the '20s when they knew more about how children learn than putative teachers are allowed to know now in these examination ridden times.

It was first published in hardback in October 2007 and the paperback came out in October 2008.

Octavia's War follows my heroine's adventures during WW2 when she and her school are evacuated to Woking.
 
The book is to be published on June 15th and launched on June 22nd 2009 at Waterstones in Woking.
Book cover of Octavia - part of a trilogy by Beryl bainbridge
The third book, Simon's Inheritance. is written and will probably come out next year.
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