A Cockney Rosebud by Josie Bruce
Enchanting Rosie is born post-World War 1—1920—but into what? Those few (male) breadwinners who returned from the bloody combat would find the East End of London Docklands, ravaged, with little hope of regular work—if they could work, with life-changing injuries and psychological trauma.
The women remained strong, but in quiet despair. Families and communities supported each other, with their futures in question. Mothers reigned supreme, but alcohol and the public houses exerted their influence. Rosie might have changed the world. With talent, unfailing family and community bonds, and strong matriarchal role models, she had a chance. But the family was dysfunctional, and bonds break as families are distanced and communities scattered, and her time to bloom fades—with World War 2—into the war-torn earth.
Journey with Rosie’s memoir, through her childhood and formative years—1920s/1930s/1940s—as she captures her eternal memories, and I share them in this biography. Share her grief as her close family, home, possessions and history are wiped out, faith is tested to breaking point, and her dreams and ambitions are torn from her soul. But, also, wallow in the nostalgia of days past. Times without the internet and mobile phones. Times when children played in abandonment—and in the fresh air. Explore the social history of bygone days, of knitting, talking, cooking and wearing hats—and the lives of the proud East Enders. And rejoice that Rosie makes it through.