Cover

About the Book

Ragley 1952.

Lily has just arrived, ready to begin her first year as a teacher at the village school. There to welcome her is John Pruett, who, after his years in the war, has settled into the role of headmaster. Tom, the local bobby, is also on hand to make her feel at home up north. But Lily has a secret lurking in her past that threatens the new life she’s trying to build.

Can she move forward and begin to love again?

In his new novel, Jack Sheffield invites you to travel back in time. Back to the days when owning a television made you the envy of the neighbours, Woolworth’s still had pride of place on the high street and the village panto was the height of entertainment.

Dedication

For all my friends in the village of Medstead in Hampshire and, in particular, the church community of St Andrew’s.

Acknowledgements

I have been fortunate to have had the support of my editor, Bella Bosworth at Penguin Random House, who came up with the idea of a prequel to the Teacher series. Since then, assistant editor Molly Crawford has worked tirelessly to bring this novel to publication. Thanks also to the excellent team, including Larry Finlay, Bill Scott-Kerr, Jo Williamson, Hannah Bright, Brenda Updegraff, Vivien Thompson and fellow ‘Old Roundhegian’ Martin Myers.

Special thanks as always go to my hardworking literary agent and long-time friend, Philip Patterson of Marjacq Scripts, for his encouragement, good humour and the regular updates on the state of England cricket.

I am also grateful to all those who assisted in the research for this novel – in particular: Mary Adams, ex-student of Royal Holloway College, retired teacher and author, Four Marks, Hampshire; Helen Carr, primary-school teacher and literary critic, Harrogate, Yorkshire; Tony Greenan, Yorkshire’s finest headteacher (now retired), Huddersfield, Yorkshire; Ian Haffenden, ex-Royal Pioneer Corps and custodian of Sainsbury’s, Alton, Hampshire; John Kirby, ex-policeman, expert calligrapher and Sunderland supporter, County Durham; Roy Linley, Lead Architect, Strategy & Technology, Unilever Global IT Innovation (now retired) and Leeds United supporter, Leeds, Yorkshire; Susan Maddison, retired primary-school teacher, proofreader and maker of excellent cakes, Harrogate, Yorkshire; Elke Pollock, German translator and gardening enthusiast, Medstead, Hampshire; Dudley Skinner, 25th Bomb Disposal Company, Living History Group, Medstead, Hampshire; and all the terrific staff at Waterstones, Alton, including the irreplaceable Simon (now retired), the excellent manager Sam, plus Scottish travel expert Fiona.

Finally, sincere thanks to my wife, Elisabeth, without whose help the Teacher series of novels would never have been written.

Map

Prologue

Promises.

Many are made, but some are broken.