Welcome back! As Christmas fast approaches and (some of us) are looking for that ‘perfect gift,’ might I suggest a great book? Today I have the pleasure of hosting talented author, Robbie Cheadle! I’m sure her books would make a wonderful stocking stuffer! Today, she will be discussing her children’s book, While The Bombs Fell. If you like what you see here, purchase and social media links can be found at the very bottom of this blog. Thank you, Robbie, for visiting me today, and thank you, dear reader, for your visit, as well. Enjoy!
While the Bombs Fell, a fictionalised biography.
What I intended when I wrote this book for children.
While the Bombs Fell is a fictionalised account of my mother’s life growing up in Bungay, East Anglia in England during World War II.
My mother, Elsie Patricia Eaton nee Hancy was only one year old when Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on 1 September 1939. This book commences in June 1942, when she was just over three and a half years old. My mother has some very clear memories of her childhood, but she cannot recall all the detail as she was too young. Even if she had been a bit older, I doubt she would have known the name of the Dig for Victory campaign for example. She can, however, remember all the vegetable gardens her mother and their neighbours had in and around the town. She can remember that the nearby city of Norwich was badly bombed during the war but she doesn’t recall specific details such as the women and children evacuating the city in the early evening and passing the night in the countryside, away from the bombing. This was in May so the conditions would have been cold and miserable. It is for this reason that I say this book is a fictionalized biography. I have had to fill in the gaps in my mother’s memories with research and a bit of fiction.
I wrote While the Bombs Fell for children so that they could visit the days of this war in a fun and simple way and experience what life was like for children living in this time. My hope is that will remember the experiences and anxieties of Elsie and know that war is a terrible thing for everyone involved, not just the soldiers on the fronts.
I wrote this book along similar lines to the Little House on the Prairie series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder which give an account of her life growing up as a small girl in the United States of America in the late 19th century. Her books provide all sorts of interesting details about life at that time and how her mother did different household tasks on different days and made butter, cheese and bread from scratch. Food was very important for the settlers and Ingall’s books include detailed accounts of killing a pig and preserving the meat as well as hunting and killing deer and a bear in the woods. One day her father discovers a honey tree and the family delight in this unusual treat. Her mother also has to pickle and preserve of fruit and vegetables to see the family through the winter.
I aimed to share similar details about my mother and her family’s lives during World War II.
Is there a plot?
I have had a few readers comment that this book does not have a plot and that they expected a story along the lines of a thriller or a murder mystery story. There have only been two such comments out of over thirty reviews, so a lot of readers understood my intention which was to provide historical insight into the lives of people who lived through the war in an entertaining way.
There is a plot, but it is a subtle one, as with other books in this genre, like the Little House books and I am David. The plot of the Little House books is to illustrate how Laura adapted to the many changes in her life and matured into a competent and well-rounded person. The plot of I am David is his journey to find his mother while explaining how his life in the camp had impacted on his ability to trust other people. It is a story of survival and hope.
While the Bombs Fell is also intended to be a story about hope. The hope of Elsie’s family that the war will end and they will return to their normal lives. The hope that no-one in their lives will be killed in the war and that Britain would prevail. The respect and gratitude of Elsie and her siblings towards the American soldiers, called the Bungay Buckaroos, who were stationed at the nearby airbase, clearly demonstrated how the British appreciated the intervention of the US and the role they played in fighting, and ultimately winning, this war.
About While the Bombs Fell
The Blurb
What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War II?
Elsie and her family live in a small double story cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often, they come and the air raid siren sounds signaling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden.
Despite, the war raging across the English channel, daily life must continue with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its scary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia.
Includes some authentic WWII recipes.
A recent review
Five-star Amazon review:
What a lovely, poignant book! It’s the only one I’ve read that describes what life was like for very young children growing up during World War Two. There is also quite a bit of English history included, which I found quite interesting. The wartime recipes are a nice touch.
It’s told from the perspective of a girl aged 4-6 years old and focuses mainly on the daily life of kids living through horrendous times, without truly understanding what was going on in the adult world. Many of the stories told reminded me of my Dutch father-in-law’s descriptions of growing up during WWII in the Netherlands.
About Robbie:
Hello, my name is Robbie, short for Roberta. I am an author with six published children’s picture books in the Sir Chocolate books series for children aged 2 to 9 years old (co-authored with my son, Michael Cheadle), one published middle grade book in the Silly Willy series and one published preteen/young adult fictionalised biography about my mother’s life as a young girl growing up in an English town in Suffolk during World War II called While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with my mother, Elsie Hancy Eaton). All of my children’s book are written under Robbie Cheadle and are published by TSL Publications.
I have recently branched into adult and young adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differential my children’s books from my adult writing, I plan to publish these books under Roberta Eaton Cheadle. My first supernatural book published in that name, Through the Nethergate, is now available.
I have participated in a number of anthologies:
- Two short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Dark Visions, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre;
- Three short stories in Death Among Us, an anthology of murder mystery stories, edited by Stephen Bentley;
- Three short stories in #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Nightmareland, a collection of horror stories edited by Dan Alatorre; and
- Two short stories in Whispers of the Past, an anthology of paranormal stories, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.
I also have a book of poetry called Open a new door, with fellow South African poet, Kim Blades.
It’s appropriate for young children as well as young readers. Fascinating read.
Purchase links
https://www.amazon.com/author/robbiecheadle
OR
https://tslbooks.uk/product/while-the-bombs-fell-robbie-cheadle-and-elsie-hancy-eaton/
Follow Robbie Cheadle at:
Blog: https://robbiecheadle.co.za
Blog: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/blog/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167743577260827/?source_id=362530197427007
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite
Follow Roberta Eaton at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Blog: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/openbook-research-resources/
Another great & generous post, Mark! Well done, Robbie 🙂
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Thank you for visiting and sharing your kind thoughts! Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!
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Thank you, it is very kind of Mark to have featured me here.
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It was my pleasure!
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Indeed Mark is very kind 🙂
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Thank you, da-AL 🙂
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I read the book a couple of months ago and enjoyed it a great deal. (I learned a lot about life in Great Britain during that time period!) It was interesting to read Robbie’s comments about her intentions with the book and comparisons with Little House on the Prairie.
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Thank you, Liz. I am glad you enjoyed my book and this post about it.
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🙂
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It’s lovely to see Robbie on your blog, Mark! I’ve read nothing but wonderful things about her book and I can’t wait to read it. Happy Holidays! ❤
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It was a pleasure and privilege to host her, Vashti. Thank you for your visit and your constant support. Have a great Holiday!
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It’s a pleasure, Mark. Thank you!
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Hi Vashti, thank you for reading and for your lovely comment.
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You’re very welcome, my friend!
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Books make excellent Christmas presents, and from what I’ve read about this book, it would be perfect. How wonderful you could share this with your mother.
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Hi Teri, I am very close to my mother, we have always been more like sisters than mother and daughter. It was an amazing experience to write this book with her and learn so much more of the detail of her early life. We are starting on the sequel next year, as soon as A Ghost and His Gold is finished. I am looking forward to us working together on the next book.
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As always, I am simply mesmerized by the scope of Robbie’s writing talents. ❤
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This is my first experience with her writing, but I’m hooked! Thanks for stopping by, Annette!
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Thank you, Annette. You always say lovely things. Hugs.
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Thanks for highlighting Robbie here, Mark. I read “While the Bombs Fell” soon after Robbie published it, knowing this persepective from her mom’s memories would be fascinating. I was not disappointed. Great point of view – “real” and sincere and eye-opening.
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It was my pleasure to host Robbie. She is an amazing writer and I’m sure her book will do well. Thanks so much for visiting!
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Hi Pam, thank you for your lovely comment. I am so glad you enjoyed While the Bombs Fell and found it real. That is a wonderful compliment.
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a clever perspective to look at the war from a child’s point of view.
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Thank you, Jim. I think children relate better to other children and I hope that this sort of story helps to keep the memories of war, and how horrible it is, alive for the younger generation so that they don’t forget about it.
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I certainly hope it achieves that noble purpose!
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My mother was a teenager during the war, and when I read Robbie’s book I remembered that Mum had told me lots of similar stories. This was an enjoyable read and brought back memories for me.
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Thank you, Stevie, for adding your thoughts and for you support. It must have been tough being a teenager during the war with all the deprivation and the lack of freedom due to the blackouts and bombings.
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Yes. She told me that one evening she was sitting in her front room when all the windows were blown out. When she ran outside, half the houses in her street had been demolished.
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Very frightening for her.
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Great share. Really enjoyed this post and the book.
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Thank you, James. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and Robbie’s book.
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You’re welcome. Glad to connect too.
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Thank you, Jay, for adding your recommendation here. Have a lovely day.
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You too! You’re welcome.
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Many Congratulations, Robbie on your interview! Well done (I’m so behind with my reading…I’ve ordered “While the Bombs Fell” for Christmas. ) I was an evacuee in 1939, when i was seven and recalled many harrowing times in my own memoir. All wars are evil. Here’s to lots of good health and fortune in 2020. Hugs xx
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Thank you, Joy for visiting today and for supporting Robbie by purchasing a copy! You have quitea story to tell yourself, ebing a war evacuee at the age of seven. You’re right, all wars are evil.
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Thank you, Joy, I appreciate your reading and commenting here. I have your book on my kindle too. I also always feel like I am behind in my reading and I know I read exceptionally fast. There are just so many good books out there.
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Ditto on the book reading, Robbie. Lots of great reads, but limited time.
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Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
I am over at Mark Bierman’s blog, Adentures in Writing, today, with a post about my aims and intentions when I wrote While the Bombs Fell. Thank you, Mark, for having me over for a visit.
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Glad to have you, Robbie!
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Lovely to see Robbie here with While the Bombs Fell… and to see the result of a mother daughter collaboration.
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It was a pleasure to have her guest post. Thanks for commenting!
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Hello, Sally, thank you for visiting me here. This was such a lovely book to write with my mom. I do enjoy collaborations with my family members.
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It is like family who sing together..lovely harmonies. xxx
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Happy to see you here, Robbie! I enjoyed While the Bombs Fell and your thoughts here as to why you wrote it. Great post:)
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Thanks Denise! This is quite a story.
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Hi Denise, I am glad you enjoyed this post, especially as you have read this book of my mom and mine. I appreciate your support.
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Robbie, I wish you all the very best with this endeavor!
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Thank you, GP, for stopping by and wishing her all the best.
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Thank you. This book is proving to be quite popular which is lovely.
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Hi Mark, thank you for hosting me with this post. My mom and I both appreciate it.
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It was my pleasure, tell your mom that, too. 🙂
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What a wonderful interview, Mark! Thank you for having Robbie over for a visit and I loved her explanation about why she wrote this book and the intention she had for it.
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Thanks for your visit, Jan. Always a pleasure when you stop by! Robbie has a great story to tell and she did it well!
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Hi Jan, I am glad you enjoyed this post. Sometimes I read a comment somewhere and it inspires a post like this.
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It was interesting insight on why Robbie wrote: “While the Bombs Fell.” Thanks, Mark for hosting Robbie today.
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Thank you for visiting today, John.
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I couldn’t find any cookies or I would have stayed longer. Thanks for the coffee though.
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My brother is a UPS driver, I’ll get him to deliver. 🙂
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😁
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Hi John, lovely to see you here. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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I haven’t read this book, but I’ve heard wonderful things about it. I know Robbie always paints a vivid picture with her words and her research is impeccable, so I have no doubt this is an engaging tale.
Great share, Mark, and all the best to Robbie!
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Thanks for stopping by, Mae. Robbie certainly has talent.
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Hi Mae, thank you for reading and for your lovely comment. This particular book is special to me because of its subject matter. My mom and I are very close. She is always so pleased when we get feedback on this book.
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That’s awesome, Robbie. My mom was my BFF before she passed in 2012. Cherish that time with your mom. I think it’s so special you wrote a book with her.
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