Alison Plantaine

In a changing world is there room for tradition as well as new ways? Alison Plantaine was born to the theatre. As a child the life she knew was one of back-stage dramas and highly-charged emotions. The desire to perform is in her Plantaine blood. But when Alison learns about her secret heritage it makes her question the path she has chosen. Meanwhile, tastes are changing and the family passion for acting is losing touch with trends. A war is breaking out and Alison senses change in the air. Her mother is a gifted actress and wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Her father, shrewd and practical, understands that his daughter's respect for family tradition must not stifle her talent and the promise of success. But the decision must be Alison's and she becomes torn between duty and heritage, or the life she always dreamed of on the stage. A vivid and emotional family saga from a much-loved author, perfect for fans of Rita Bradshaw and Margaret Dickinson. Praise for Maisie Mosco 'Once in every generation or so a book comes along which lifts the curtain' Guardian 'Full of freshness and fascination' Manchester Evening News "The undisputed queen of her genre' Jewish Chronicle

She has success but at what price? The year is 1930 and Alison Plantaine is a star. She is thirty, and in the full bloom of her stage career. But she is lonely, and for years no man had been able to compete with the pace and intensity of her life. Only when she visits Berlin does she find a passion to rival the theatre. She falls madly in love with Richard Lindemann, who opens her eyes to what is happening around her. He shows her the dangers that may befall a nation under the grip of the Nazi regime. As Alison becomes involved in the concerns of those she cares for she contemplates a world beyond the stage – a world that was moving faster and faster towards tragedy and war. An emotional historical saga about love from a much-loved novelist, perfect for fans of Rita Bradshaw and Margaret Dickinson.Praise for Maisie Mosco 'Once in every generation or so a book comes along which lifts the curtain' Guardian 'Full of freshness and fascination' Manchester Evening News "The undisputed queen of her genre' Jewish Chronicle

The post-War shadows are receding – but will they ever disappear? Love and loss, success and failure, the joy of motherhood and the anguish of rejection – these are the patterns woven into Alison Plantaine's life. But her dedication to the theatre has ensured that her first loyalty will always be to her career. Her son Richard, is old enough to understand that for all her talent Alison most struggles to play the role of mother. Now, having been sent abroad to avoid the horror of war, he returns a rebel and rivals his mother in the theatre world. For, Alison this is the moment she must decide – make way for the sake of her family or stay true to the art that has meant so much to her. A gripping saga of duty and love from a much-loved novelist, perfect for fans of Rita Bradshaw and Margaret Dickinson.Praise for Maisie Mosco 'Once in every generation or so a book comes along which lifts the curtain' Guardian 'Full of freshness and fascination' Manchester Evening News "The undisputed queen of her genre' Jewish Chronicle