Book Blurb

When Sally Golding achieves her dream job, to work caring for children in a ‘home’, she becomes deeply involved with the children. One in particular, Davey, touches her heart.

The older brother to John, he is often blamed for John’s misdeeds by his housemother, Marjorie, who seems to have taken a great dislike to him.

Davey’s problems become much worse when Marjorie marries his father, Tony Adams and the boys go home to live with them. Marjorie subjects Davey to violent abuse; Davey dreams of finding Sally and her becoming his mother.

But Sally has problems of her own. Now in an abusive marriage, she needs all her strength to cope. And Joe, who is in love with Sally, is struggling to keep his life together having lost her to Evan, her husband.

However, fate has things in store for all of them.

Will Davey manage to escape from his personal hell?

Will Joe finally achieve his dream to be with Sally?

And what of Marjorie – what is it that happened in her life to make her the way she is with Davey?

This story shows the great power of love – and that of forgiveness.

KATHERINE BLACK REVIEW

This is a story that opens to, Sally, our very green heroine seeking work in a children’s home. It starts off sweet, but don’t be fooled, this is no children’s story.

I found it absolutely riveting because I was brought up in just such a place. That’s irrelevant except to say they were among the worst five years of my life. The home in this story is trying its best, some places in the 70s were hell on earth. I’m sure this is exactly representative of the better ones. We certainly didn’t have lovely ‘ Aunties’ that took us to their homes for tea and sleepovers, only severe matrons and a housemaster with the nickname, Hitler, that says it all.

I wanted the life around the home to continue, and when we veered off into other characters’ lives, I wanted to drag them all back to the children. It was fascinating.

This is a poignant story of love and resilience. The human connection is mixed with an increasingly dark tale of how life ‘just is’ for some people. Davey faces horrible cruelty and Sally’s determination to protect him warms the story. The narrative is harsh and uplifting in waves, with the complexities of relationships governing the telling.

This story showcases the realities of abuse and the glimmers of hope that emerge through kindness. The detailed settings are sublime. I adore descriptions of architecture and place.

Tapping into the antagonistic characters’ world drives the book and gives the reader its point of morality that not everything is always black and white. It’s a story of healing and forgiveness and ultimately—of love. Beautifully written and highly recommended.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Bernie Morris

Sad, but well-written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 August 2024

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Davey and his little brother, John, had to go into a children’s home when their father was unable to cope after the death of their mother. This was not an unusual situation back in the day (late 60s?) when single parents did not realise just how much home help they could actually get. Trouble was Davey was constantly blamed for the mischief of his little brother, by his house mother, Marjory, who seemed to have taken against him and continually gave him good hidings and, as Davey had promised his Dad he would look after John, he did not complain, not that he could have without getting his brother into trouble. His one spark of happiness was Sally, who sometimes took over as ‘Auntie’ (carer) when Marjorie was off. She was both kind and loving, and promised Davey that she would always help him if he ever really needed her. Things got even worse when Davey’s Dad married Marjory and she became his stepmother, but even that was not the worse thing that eventually happened.
What I got from this book was mostly sadness to think that such things could so easily happen right under the noses of the authorities, mostly due to the fear of children, both of reprisal, and of not being believed. Of course, many new regulations have been set in place since then, yet, in some cases these things still happen.
However, very well written by the author who has got her point across.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Sue Harris

A deeply moving and compelling read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 September 2015

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The Sixpenny Tiger is a real page turner, but be warned, you will need a box of Kleenex at hand.
At the core of the story is the sensitive issue of child abuse, where the main character, young Davey finds himself an innocent victim of a sustained and unjustified campaign of physical abuse.
Jeanette takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, with unexpected twist and turns. Davey remains positive, believing in the love and compassion of the one person in his life who he knows can, and will, help him. A deeply moving read with a highly charged and complex story-line,
delivered with skill and empathy.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

David Alexander McCalden

written in Jeanette’s own brilliant style. It is a text that will engaged …

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 September 2015

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This novel presents a thrilling narrative, written in Jeanette’s own brilliant style. It is a text that will engaged you and is out of Jeanette’s usual area of writing. However, it has a stamp of authority as Jeanette work in this area of child care during her formative years. She pulls no punches, and shares the joys and the sadness of this work in a way that is so open in the story line, it is a clear insight into the troubled area of child care in homes. She is to be applauded. Best read for a long time. D.A.M.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

About Jeanette Taylor Ford

I’m a multi-genre author who has allowed my fascination with old buildings colour my writing; which has produced a few ghostly tales with a difference. My Castell Glas Trilogy, inspired by the wonderful Gwrych Castle in North Wales ran into fantasy, with not only ghosts but witches too and so many other unexpected people, all mixed together to form a riveting tale.

A four hundred year old house inspired my popular River View Series, which has been a joy to write, although I never intended to write crime! Set in my beloved Herefordshire, I’ve loved living there again in my mind and associating with my characters who reside in the village of Sutton-on-Wye, along my two detectives, D.I. Dan Cooke and D.S. Graham Grant.

My Robin’s Ring trilogy for children, although not reflected in reviews on Amazon, are loved by all children who have come into contact with them and I love visiting schools to interact with the pupils.

My retirement from my job as a teaching assistant has given me the opportunity to indulge my love of writing and I ask for no more than to give pleasure to my readers, although I’m thrilled to be the recipient of four awards. When not writing, I’m making cards or doing other crafts, exploring my Family History and all sorts of other things. I am married to Tony, a retired teacher, and we have six children and eight grandchildren. We live near Nottingham, England.