Poppy Day (43 page)

Annie Murray was born in Berkshire and read English at St John’s College, Oxford. Her first job took her to Birmingham, where she met and married her husband. They have four children. Her first ‘Birmingham’ novel,
Birmingham Rose,
hit
The Times
bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written nine other successful novels, including, most recently,
Family of Women.
Annie Murray now lives in Reading.

Also by Annie Murray

Birmingham Rose

Birmingham Friends

Birmingham Blitz

Orphan of Angel Street

The Narrowboat Girl

Chocolate Girls

Water Gypsies

Miss Purdy’s Class

Family of Women

My thanks to Colin Fox at Reading University who taught me far more about the First World War than could ever be encompassed by this book; to some of the many historians who have written on this period, especially Jay Winter, Denis Winter, Lyn MacDonald and to Terry Carter for his chronicling of the experiences of the Birmingham ‘Pals’ Battalions, the 14th, 15th and 16th Royal Warwickshire Battalions; as ever to Dr Carl Chinn at Birmingham University; to the Birmingham City Sound Archive and the Imperial War Museum; to my agent Darley Anderson and editor Suzanne Baboneau for their help in every way – I couldn’t ask for better; to Marsha Hamilton for just being Marsha and putting up with me turning up now and then.

A special thank you and lots of love to my husband John, technical expert, cell mate and tolerant fellow traveller. xxx

For Sam, my son.