The House Opposite

It was curious that the aerial bombardment of London, which had ennobled so much that was normally sordid, should only debase a love affair between two people who had managed for three years to overcome the threat to their relations implicit in all such. To die together would be simple. It would not be so simple to be dug out still alive from the same collapsed building.

Elizabeth Simpson is a secretary having an affair with her married boss. Her father is an air raid warden and her terrified mother takes her courage from concealed bottles of rum. Owen Cathcart, their neurotic teenage neighbour, slips out during night raids to watch the fireworks and collect souvenirs of shrapnel. And Bob Craven, a soldier Elizabeth uses as cover for her illicit romance, plans his taxi rides to see the most dramatic bomb damage.

In this riveting drama of life during the Blitz, the extraordinary immediacy and vivid, intimate detail stem directly from the first-hand experiences of Barbara Noble, who lived and worked in London throughout the war. The result is a unique social document and an unforgettable reading experience.

'The most satisfying picture yet of what life was like in London during those hectic months.' Times of India

About the Author
Noble, Barbara: - Barbara Noble was born in 1907. The author of six novels, she was also head of the UK office of Doubleday Books and responsible for the publication of thousands of further works by other writers. Born in London, Barbara Noble was educated at home by her mother. Her first novel, The Years that Take the Best Away, was published to acclaim when she was only 22. After moving to London, and continuing to write and publish novels, she took a job with 20th Century Fox, eventually becoming story editor, buying and negotiating film rights for production. In 1953 she became the UK editor for Doubleday, a job she held for 20 years. In this rôle, she published works by Margery Allingham, Daphne du Maurier, Olivia Manning and Ruth Rendell, among many others. After retirement, Barbara Noble continued to work as an editor on a part-time basis into her eighties. She died in 2001.