About the book
I-SPY AT THE SEASIDEHello, children! Welcome to your very own I-Spy Book. In these pages you’ll be able to look for all kinds of secret, exciting things that are found only by the sea.Blackpool, 1959. The Singleton family is on holiday. For seven-year-old Beth, just out of hospital, this means struggling to fill in her ‘I-Spy’ book and avoiding her mother Ruth’s eagle-eyed supervision. Her sixteen-year-old sister Helen, meanwhile, has befriended a waitress whose fun-loving ways hint at a life beyond Ruth’s strict rules.But times are changing. As foreman of the local cotton mill, Ruth’s husband Jack is caught between unions and owners whose cost-cutting measures threaten an entire way of life. And his job isn’t the only thing at risk. When a letter arrives from Crete, a secret re-emerges from the rubble of Jack’s wartime past that could destroy his marriage.As Helen is tempted outside the safe confines of her mother’s stern edicts, with dramatic consequences, an unexpected encounter inspires Beth to forge her own path. Over the holiday week, all four Singletons must struggle to find their place in a shifting world of promenade amusements, illicit sex and stilted afternoon teas, in this touching and extraordinarily evocative novel.
Editions of Palace of Strange Girls
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780007269396
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780007276073
- EBook
- ISBN 9780007285501
Read an Excerpt
I-SPY AT THE SEASIDEHello, children! Welcome to your very own I-Spy Book. In these pages you’ll be able to look for all kinds of secret, exciting things that are found only by the sea.Blackpool, 1959. The Singleton family is on holiday. For seven-year-old Beth, just out of hospital, this means struggling to fill in her ‘I-Spy’ book and avoiding her mother Ruth’s eagle-eyed supervision. Her sixteen-year-old sister Helen, meanwhile, has befriended a waitress whose fun-loving ways hint at a life beyond Ruth’s strict rules.But times are changing. As foreman of the local cotton mill, Ruth’s husband Jack is caught between unions and owners whose cost-cutting measures threaten an entire way of life. And his job isn’t the only thing at risk. When a letter arrives from Crete, a secret re-emerges from the rubble of Jack’s wartime past that could destroy his marriage.As Helen is tempted outside the safe confines of her mother’s stern edicts, with dramatic consequences, an unexpected encounter inspires Beth to forge her own path. Over the holiday week, all four Singletons must struggle to find their place in a shifting world of promenade amusements, illicit sex and stilted afternoon teas, in this touching and extraordinarily evocative novel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Palace of Strange Girls about?
I-SPY AT THE SEASIDEHello, children! Welcome to your very own I-Spy Book. In these pages you’ll be able to look for all kinds of secret, exciting things that are found only by the sea.Blackpool, 1959. The Singleton family is on holiday. For seven-year-old Beth, just out of hospital, this means struggling to fill in her ‘I-Spy’ book and avoiding her mother Ruth’s eagle-eyed supervision. Her sixteen-year-old sister Helen, meanwhile, has befriended a waitress whose fun-loving ways hint at a life beyond Ruth’s strict rules.But times are changing. As foreman of the local cotton mill, Ruth’s husband Jack is caught between unions and owners whose cost-cutting measures threaten an entire way of life. And his job isn’t the only thing at risk. When a letter arrives from Crete, a secret re-emerges from the rubble of Jack’s wartime past that could destroy his marriage.As Helen is tempted outside the safe confines of her mother’s stern edicts, with dramatic consequences, an unexpected encounter inspires Beth to forge her own path. Over the holiday week, all four Singletons must struggle to find their place in a shifting world of promenade amusements, illicit sex and stilted afternoon teas, in this touching and extraordinarily evocative novel.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Palace of Strange Girls?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general
Where can I read a sample of Palace of Strange Girls?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780007269396
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Palace of Strange Girls?
Sallie Day
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Palace of Strange Girls is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780007269396) and paperback(ISBN 9780007276073) and ebook(ISBN 9780007285501)