Set in pre-war Blackpool, The View From Her Window tells the story of Laura, a recently widowed mother of one. Still in mourning after her husband’s tragic accident, and with no money coming in to provide for their small family, Laura is forced to remain with her despicable mother-in-law. It is only after her brother-in-law tries to force himself on her that Laura plucks up the courage to find a job and a new home. Determined to make a better life for herself and her daughter, Laura becomes a live-in cook-housekeeper.

Thoroughly content with her new life Laura soon finds a spanner is thrown in the works when she falls in love with her employer, Geoffrey. Desperate to do the right thing and not to tarnish her reputation by falling for a married man, Laura brushes aside her feelings and finds work elsewhere. With the Second World War about to begin Laura finds that even after she marries again and sets up her own boarding house, her path is still destined to cross with Geoffrey’s.

This is a beautifully written novel that highlights the struggle of women during the early twentieth century and the way their roles and attitudes towards them were changing during the war. Charmian Coates provides a genuine feel good factor as we watch Laura’s character grow, and her predicaments eventually work out for the best.

Charmian Coates who now resides in Blackpool, was born in Ilford, Essex. She ran a small private hotel alongside her husband, Alan in the 1970s. The View From Her Window is her fourth published novel, inspired by a piece in a pre-war newspaper, that the author also used as a precious source of information.

A tale of life and love, The View From Her Window proves to be an inspiring novel where a deep insight into the historical context of pre-war Britain naturally combines with a personal, delicate, touching life story.