To Diana Boddington, Margot Boyd, David Kelsey, Vere Lorrimer, Julia MacDermot and Robin Wentworth

      First published in Great Britain 1994

      by Methuen Children’s Books Ltd

      This edition published 2015 by Egmont UK Limited

      The Yellow Building, 1 Nicholas Road, London W11 4AN

      Text copyright © 1994 Michelle Magorian

      Cover illustration copyright © 2015 Lucy Davey

      The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted.

      First e-book edition 2015

      ISBN 978 1 4052 7702 0

      Ebook ISBN 978 1 7803 1724 3

       www.egmont.co.uk

      A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

       Dedication and Copyright

Overture

ACT ONE

       November-December 1946

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

       Eleven

       Twelve

       Thirteen

       Fourteen

       Fifteen

       Sixteen

       Seventeen

       Eighteen

       Nineteen

       ACT TWO

       December 1946-March 1947

       One

       Two

       Three

       Four

       Five

       Six

       Seven

       Eight

       Nine

       Ten

       Eleven

       Twelve

       Thirteen

       Fourteen

       Fifteen

       Sixteen

       Seventeen

       Eighteen

       ACT THREE

       March-April 1947

       One

       Two

       Three

       Four

       Five

       Six

       Seven

       ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

       Back series promotional page

       PRAISE FOR MICHELLE MAGORIAN

Overture

      ‘No suicides this week,’ Auntie Win announced, laying the newspaper flat on the kitchen table.

      Elsie sat with her small bony elbows on the table, picking her nose. ‘Any murders?’ she asked.

      ‘Elsie, you know what I’ve said about doin’ that. One day your brains will fall out.’

      Elsie removed her finger.

      ‘Wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway,’ scoffed Harry.

      ‘You can talk,’ cried Elsie, swinging round. ‘The only reason you’re in Mr Woods’ class is because Miss Ferguson couldn’t bear to have you for three years.’

      He grinned in good humour and gave a careless shrug. ‘I don’t care.’

      ‘Oooooh, Ellen, listen to this,’ Win exclaimed.

      Elsie and Harry’s mother lifted up her head from the ironing and gave her sister a tired smile.

      ‘Next Wednesday at St Andrew’s Parish Hall there’s a demonstration of electric cooking. It’s at 3 p.m. You ought to go.’

      ‘There’s