It's 1952 and Beth is 16 and living in London. It's a time when smog frequently chokes London and causes untold deaths. Pollution coupled with bad weather are the cause and it is so bad that garden fences cannot be seen from house windows. Beth is struggling to find a way in life that will challenge her and give her enjoyment but instead has to take work waitressing where she meets Terry.
As I started to read this book I found a powerful story of life in London during the 1950s. I grew up in the 1960s but still saw a lot I could identify with and enjoyed the story telling. I could not make out where the story was going to go and what it's genre truly was as we were told of so many issues affecting young women of the time and the story jumped around. I would say that one of the most significant points to me was how you couldn't just get hold of someone. No phones in houses let alone mobiles and 2 days for a letter to arrive - yes I grew up like that but Domino brought back to me what I had long since forgotten. The issues for young women however, made apparent through Beth's frustrations, are mostly as relevant today as they were then.
Sadly the latter part of the book lacked the power and style of the early part of the book as it settled down into what I can only describe as 'A Woman's Novel' - if that is not too patronising. In part romance, part fairy tale, part happy families.
Publisher - Thornberry Publishing Ltd
Genre - Adult Fiction, Romance
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