Though the women came to the U.S. from all parts of the British Isles, they were an unusually homogeneous group, averaging 23 years of age, from working- or lower-middle-class families and having completed mandatory schooling to the age of fourteen. For the most part they emigrated alone and didn't move into an existing immigrant population.

In 1914, Britain faces a new kind of war. For Edward and Beatrice Hunter, their children, servants and neighbours, life will never be the same again. For David, the eldest, war means a chance to do something noble; but enlisting will break his mother¿s heart. His sister Diana, nineteen and beautiful longs for marriage. She has her heart set on Charles Wroughton, son of Earl Wroughton, but Charles will never be allowed to marry a banker¿s daughter. Below stairs, Cook and Ada, the head housemaid, grow more terrified of German invasion with every newspaper atrocity story they read.

In this coming-of-age novel, “a treasure trove of good writing and human insight” three friends grapple with romance and women’s suffrage during WWI (The Irish Press). From the author of the Lu Wilmott series, a stunning saga of friendship, ambition, and love. Otis Hewetson is seventeen years old, pretty but unconventional and rebellious. She spends the summer of 1911 on a glorious holiday with her parents, and on a quest for independence. But little does she realize how her new friendships with Jack and Esther will change her life forever. Their paths are destined to cross as they grow from adolescence through to marriage, the fight for women’s rights and the bitter bloodshed of the Great War . . . “It is encouraging when someone like Betty Burton manages against the odds to become a roaring success.” —The Guardian

In 1914, Britain faces a new kind of war. For Edward and Beatrice Hunter, their children, servants and neighbours, life will never be the same again. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Barbara Taylor-Bradford. For David, the eldest, war means a chance to do something noble; but enlisting will break his mother's heart. His sister Diana, nineteen and beautiful, longs for marriage. She has her heart set on Charles Wroughton, son of Earl Wroughton, but Charles will never be allowed to marry a banker's daughter. Below stairs, Cook and Ada, the head housemaid, grow more terrified of German invasion with every newspaper atrocity story. Ethel, under housemaid, can't help herself when it comes to men and now soldiers add to the temptation; yet there's more to this flighty girl than meets the eye. The once-tranquil village of Northcote reels under an influx of khaki volunteers, wounded soldiers and Belgian refugees. The war is becoming more dangerous and everyone must find a way to adapt to this rapidly changing world. Goodbye Piccadilly is the first book in the War at Home series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, author of the much-loved Morland Dynasty novels. Set against the real events of 1914, Goodbye Piccadilly is extraordinary in scope and imagination and is a compelling introduction to the Hunter family.