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About the Author

Katie Flynn is the author of 47 bestselling novels which have sold over 5 million copies. Her first book, A Liverpool Lass, was published in 1993. Katie Flynn was the pseudonym of the author Judy Turner, who was inspired to write the novels after hearing family recollections of life in Liverpool during the early twentieth century. Judy sadly passed away in January 2019 at the age of 82. Her daughter Holly worked as her assistant for many years and together they co-authored a number of Katie Flynn novels, including Christmas at Tuppenny Corner. The Katie Flynn legacy now lives on through Holly who writes new books, often based on ideas she discussed with her mother.

Holly lives in the north east of Wales with her husband Simon and their two children. When she’s not writing she enjoys walking her two lurchers, Sparky and Snoopy, in the surrounding countryside, and cooking forbidden foods such as pies, cakes, and puddings! She looks forward to sharing many more Katie Flynn stories with readers in the years to come.

Also available by Katie Flynn

A Liverpool Lass

The Girl from Penny Lane

Liverpool Taffy

The Mersey Girls

Strawberry Fields

Rainbow’s End

Rose of Tralee

No Silver Spoon

Polly’s Angel

The Girl from Seaforth

Sands

The Liverpool Rose

Poor Little Rich Girl

The Bad Penny

Down Daisy Street

A Kiss and a Promise

Two Penn’orth of Sky

A Long and Lonely Road

The Cuckoo Child

Darkest Before Dawn

Orphans of the Storm

Little Girl Lost

Beyond the Blue Hills

Forgotten Dreams

Sunshine and Shadows

Such Sweet Sorrow

A Mother’s Hope

In Time for Christmas

Heading Home

A Mistletoe Kiss

The Lost Days of Summer

Christmas Wishes

The Runaway

A Sixpenny Christmas

The Forget-Me-Not Summer

A Christmas to Remember

Time to Say Goodbye

A Family Christmas

A Summer Promise

When Christmas Bells Ring

An Orphan’s Christmas

A Christmas Candle

Christmas at Tuppenny Corner

A Mother’s Love

A Christmas Gift

Liverpool Daughter

Under the Mistletoe

Over the Rainbow

Available by Katie Flynn writing as Judith Saxton

You Are My Sunshine

First Love, Last Love

Someone Special

Still Waters

A Family Affair

Jenny Alone

Chasing Rainbows

All My Fortunes

Sophie

We’ll Meet Again

Harbour Hill

The Arcade

The Pride

The Glory

The Splendour

Full Circle

Dedication

In memory of Sir Nicholas Winton, who organised the Kindertransport.

December 1938

Rozalin Sachs – Roz to her pals – woke with a start to find her father’s hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Fearing the worst, she swivelled her eyes to meet his, and her heart sank when he whispered the words she had been dreading. ‘They’re here …’

Nodding in mute understanding, she pushed the bedcovers aside and slipped her feet into her shoes before tiptoeing over to her mother who stood waiting by the back door. Samuel – Roz’s father – placed his well-worn dark brown fedora onto his head then pushed it into place. He cast a final glance over his shoulder before addressing his wife and daughter. ‘Ready?’

The women exchanged a glance and Roz slipped her hand into her mother’s before giving a brave nod.

Though they had hoped this night would never come, they knew the odds were stacked against them, so Samuel had put a plan into place months before, just in case.

Even before the dreadful night of destruction, which the Nazis had proudly referred to as Kristallnacht, Roz and her family had witnessed synagogues being purposely set alight. Anyone who dared object was taken away, arrested as though they were criminals. Roz had had friends who had been in school one day but not the next, and rumours were rife that the soldiers were arresting Jewish people in the middle of the night without explanation. Indeed, they had been woken on more than one occasion by people shouting as their loved ones were taken from them.

Samuel Sachs, a partner in a firm of accountants, had done his best to keep his head down, doing most of his work from home so that he didn’t draw attention to himself. He had only ventured out to join his wife and daughter as they, like many others, queued hour upon hour for a visa in the hope that they might leave Germany and start a new life, somewhere far away from the Nazi regime which was rapidly gaining in strength.

The visa had been granted a few days earlier and Samuel had secured a post, working as an assistant accountant at an insurance firm in the Liver Building in Liverpool, England. His wife Inge, an English teacher, had yet to find a job, but they had been assured by the head of the accounts department at Samuel’s firm that she would have no problem finding work as a private tutor once they reached English shores. Consequently, they planned to take a train to Holland, where they would catch a ferry to England.

‘We’re close, but we’re not there yet,’ Samuel had told his daughter over supper as she examined the visa. ‘We must remain vigilant, and only go out if absolutely necessary. We won’t be leaving for a few days yet, and we can’t afford for anything to go wrong.’

Roz, who was excited at the prospect of a new start, looked up from the visa. ‘You’d think they’d be glad to see the back of us,’ she said. ‘They want us gone, and that’s what we’re doing.’ She furrowed her brow. ‘It must be costing them a lot of money to look after all these people they’re arresting – you’d think they’d make it easier for people to leave.’

The dark look her mother and father exchanged didn’t go unnoticed. ‘What?’ Roz asked innocently, but her father shook his head.

‘Eat your supper, then off to bed, only don’t forget, you’re not to get changed into your nightie. Put on your bed clothes, just in case we have to leave in a hurry.’

By bed clothes her father meant day clothes which they now wore to bed. Roz used her bread to mop up the gravy from her plate. ‘I’m sure they’d understand if we showed them the visa. Like I said, we’re—’

Inge cut her daughter short. ‘They don’t care, Roz, they’re cruel, heartless, vicious …’ She held a hand to her forehead. ‘You can’t reason with someone who’s so full of hate, they’re too blind to see.’

Roz’s cheeks flushed; her mother rarely raised her voice.

Samuel placed a hand gently over his wife’s, then reached across and placed his other hand over Roz’s. ‘A few more days and we’ll be gone, and this will all be behind us.’ He glanced at Roz’s plate which she had wiped clean. ‘Off to bed, bubala.’

Roz kissed her parents goodnight and headed across the hallway to her bedroom where she quickly washed, then changed from one pinafore dress into another. Bowing her head, she prayed for a peaceful night and for someone to stop the Nazis and their evil ways. Yawning, she climbed between the sheets, never for a moment thinking that she would be woken just a few hours later.

Now, with the soldiers banging their fists even harder against the front door, she gave a final look around their stylish townhouse apartment, wondering what would become of the possessions which were too big for them to take. Her father announced that the coast was clear and she found herself being manoeuvred to one side so that he might lock the door behind them, muttering that this would help to hinder the soldiers’ progress.

As they stepped out into the night, Roz kept her fingers crossed that they wouldn’t be spotted. The last thing they needed was for someone to raise the alarm and alert the soldiers to their movements. Using the cover of the buildings, they made their way to where her father had parked his car a couple of streets away. Looking over his shoulder as he unlocked the doors, Samuel ushered his family inside, whilst he took the crank handle from under the driving seat. He placed it into the slot just below the grill and gave it a few turns, but the engine was cold and didn’t want to start. With a look of grim determination, Samuel continued to crank the handle until the engine eventually roared into life. Relieved that they were finally on their way, he took his place behind the wheel. He turned to his wife, who nodded, then his daughter, but as he did so, to his horror, he saw several soldiers running towards them. Assuming that they must have been alerted by his starting the engine, Samuel thrust the car into gear and pulled away from the kerb. His mouth went dry as he called out to Roz, who had turned in her seat to watch the soldiers who had doubled their efforts to catch up. But they were no match for a car and several of them had already given up and turned back. Grinning, Roz made a rather rude gesture at the last soldier, before settling back in her seat.

‘We’re free!’ she cried, a relieved smile spreading across her face.

‘Not yet, we aren’t,’ hissed Inge. ‘We’ll not be free until we’re on that ferry.’

‘They’ll not catch us now,’ Roz said confidently, ‘not on foot.’

Inge arched her beautifully shaped eyebrows. ‘Do you not think they also have cars?’

Fear flooded Roz. Of course they had cars, and what’s more, she had just made the sort of gesture which would shock her parents, and probably cause the soldier to be more determined than ever to catch them. She looked over her shoulder, but it was impossible to see anything in such darkness. She turned back to stare out of the windscreen. ‘Where will we go? We’re too early for a train …’

Her mother turned to face Roz, a reassuring smile on her lips. ‘We can park near the station. Your father scouted the area the other day, and he found a wonderful spot where we can sit nestled behind some trees, out of sight from prying eyes. We should be safe there until the train arrives.’

Roz relaxed a little. ‘What about the car?’

Her father shrugged. ‘I’m sure they’ll discover it sooner or later, but we’ll be long gone by then and there won’t be anything they can do about it.’

‘But they’ll take it as their own, maybe even use it to arrest more of our people,’ Roz cried indignantly. ‘I’d rather you set it alight than that.’

‘And alert every Nazi for miles around to our existence?’ Samuel wagged an admonitory finger. ‘You have to start thinking with your head, bubala, not your heart.’

Roz wanted to retaliate by suggesting they find a river and push the car into it, or set it alight just as the train arrived and then make a run for it, but she knew she was being childish, and at fifteen years old she should know better than to make petulant comments. Frowning, she leaned forward as they passed the turning to the station. ‘How far is the hiding place from the station?’

Inge turned to face her daughter again. ‘We’re not catching the train here; we’re going to Berlin. No one knows us there, so we needn’t fear someone telling the authorities where we are.’

Roz’s jaw fell. ‘But that’s hours away!’

Samuel nodded. ‘The Nazis will assume we’ve gone to the station here in Frankfurt.’

Roz looked at him uncertainly in the reflection of the rear-view mirror. ‘You’re sure they won’t follow us to Berlin?’

Samuel shook his head. ‘No, they believe they’re catching people unawares, so they’ll expect us to go for the nearest station.’ He tapped his left temple with his forefinger. ‘They’re soldiers, they’re not paid to think, but rather do as instructed without question.’

‘So, we’re safe!’ said Roz.

Her father grinned. ‘As safe as we can be, and certainly a lot safer than if we’d stayed at home.’

Inge gently squeezed her husband’s hand and smiled lovingly at him. ‘Having our things ready in the boot of the car was a good idea.’

Samuel glanced back at his daughter. Her eyes were drooping and she had linked her hands together, laying her cheek against them as she slowly drifted off to sleep. He turned back to Inge. ‘I shouldn’t have had to hide our things in the car, because none of this should be happening.’

‘I know, but it is, and at least we’re safe, which is more than I can say for others.’ She wiped away a tear as it touched her cheek, then pointed out the windscreen. ‘Snow.’

He nodded. ‘Luckily it’s only just starting. I wouldn’t like to think what could have happened had we tried to escape with a blanket of snow on the ground.’

The snow continued to whirl down, slowing their journey considerably, and when they finally reached Berlin the roads were covered in a thick layer of white. Samuel, who had only visited during fine weather, was having difficulty recognising the road layout. In fact, he was so busy peering at a street sign that pointed the way to the station, he completely failed to see the pedestrian step into the road in front of them.

Inge screamed in alarm and Samuel automatically swerved, but with the snow and ice beneath its wheels, the car spun violently out of control before hitting a lamppost and coming to rest on its roof.

With the wind knocked out of her, Inge struggled to breathe. She tried to see how her husband and daughter were, but she could barely see for the thick flurry of snow engulfing her.

Roz had come to, but instead of sitting in the back of the car she found herself lying on a bed of snow. Bleary-eyed, she looked around her as she tried to work out where she was, but it was no use, she hadn’t the strength to keep her eyes open, let alone think for herself.

Hearing shouts of alarm, she knew that people were rallying round. Whatever had happened, help must be on its way.

CHAPTER ONE

Roz shifted in her seat, then winced as a pain shot down her side. Grimacing, she guessed she must have fallen asleep in an awkward position, so she readjusted herself and tried to drift back to sleep. Only this time something else was keeping her awake. It was the sound of children chatting, singing songs, and, in the case of some, crying softly. Roz peered out through her eyelashes as she tried to work out where she was. She appeared to be in some sort of corridor, surrounded by children. Not wishing to draw attention, she continued to peek between her lashes, but her parents were nowhere in sight. Opening her eyes fully, she became aware of a boy sitting opposite who was staring at her with great interest. Roz, who didn’t like the idea of being stared at whilst she slept, shot him a stern glare before looking around the corridor. It was at this point that she saw she wasn’t in a corridor at all, but rather on a train, and judging by the swiftly moving scenery outside the window, they were travelling at speed. The realisation as to what this meant filled her with joy. They were on their way to Holland! Wondering where her parents might be, she started to crane her neck in order to see further, when the carriage fell so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The reason for the deathly silence soon became clear. Two German soldiers had stepped into their carriage from the corridor. Roz felt her heart plummet. What on earth were Nazi soldiers doing on a train bound for the coast? Did they know about the Sachs’ attempt to flee the country? Were they here to stop them at the final hurdle?

One of the soldiers halted abruptly and pointed at Roz. Speaking in German he asked her what had happened.

Roz stared back at him blankly. What was he talking about? And why had he singled her out in particular? Could he know of her escape from Frankfurt?

Growing impatient, the other soldier demanded that Roz answer the question.

Roz’s heartbeat quickened in her chest. Her father had told her not to speak to soldiers, but to let him or her mother do the talking for her instead, only they weren’t here.

As the first soldier stepped towards her, the boy who had been staring at Roz came to her rescue. He quickly explained that Roz had been hit by a car, which was the reason for her injuries, and that the shock must be causing her silence.

The soldiers, as well as Roz, glanced down at her side. A small gasp escaped her lips. So that was why she was in such discomfort! Only why was the boy saying she had been hit by a car? She had no memory of an accident. She wanted to object, to say he had got it wrong, but as she examined her forearm swathed in bandages, she thought better of it. After all, something had clearly happened, even if she couldn’t remember it. As she continued to examine her injuries, she remembered her necklace and quickly checked to make sure it hadn’t come off. A wave of relief swept through her body as her fingers curled around the treasured gift from her parents.

Looking around, the soldier demanded to see her belongings as proof she had a right to be on the train.

Roz frowned. She assumed he must be referring to her suitcase, but seeing as she couldn’t remember boarding the train, she certainly couldn’t tell him the whereabouts of her belongings. Much to her relief, the boy came through for her again when he bent down and pulled out a suitcase from under the bench she was sitting on.

The soldier picked it up, flicked open the latches and looked inside, then tipped the contents onto the floor and stirring them with the toe of his jackboot. Having found nothing of interest, he stared at Roz in a derisive manner and barked at her to pick them up, before striding off with his accomplice, both of them laughing at Roz’s obvious discomfort.

Gasping in pain, she knelt down to gather her belongings, glancing shyly at the boy who had spoken up on her behalf.

He had sparkling dark eyes and they were smiling kindly down at her. She looked around at the other children in the carriage, all of whom were watching them with keen interest.

‘Do you speak English?’ she asked the boy, who nodded.

‘I don’t understand how I got here, or what’s going on,’ she explained as he held the suitcase open for her. ‘And I’d rather people didn’t know my business, until I know what’s going on myself.’

He smiled grimly. ‘I don’t blame you. I was there when they brought you into the waiting room at the station, and I rather suspected you’d be all at sea when you woke up. I was hoping you’d wake up so that I would have the chance to explain what was going on before the soldiers made an appearance. Rumours spread fast on the train, and I knew they were checking the carriages. It was only going to be a matter of time before they got to us.’

Roz snapped the clips shut and tucked the suitcase beneath her seat. She held out a hand. ‘I’m Rozalin Sachs, but you can call me Roz.’

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