Hopes and Dreams - Dee Williams

Dolly Taylor and Penny Watts have been friends all their lives. Growing up in Rotherhithe, they left school at fourteen, and work in a factory making shell cases. Their childhood sweethearts, Tony and Reg, are away fighting and, as World War II rages on, Dolly dreams of escaping to far-off lands.

But, for now, American soldiers provide the excitement, breaking the monotony of factory life and nightly air-raids with music and dancing. Despite her loyalty to Tony, Dolly is attracted to Joe, a handsome Gl, and when he proposes, she can’t resist. But on reaching America, Dolly is shocked by the cold reception she receives. As she struggles to make friends and understand the man she married, Dolly wonders if she has made a terrible mistake. Will she have to return to Rotherhithe to find happiness?