April Grove, a Street at War books in order

Q: "How many books are in the April Grove, a Street at War series?"

"There are nine books in the April Grove, a Street at War series, published between 1994 and 2005."

Q: "What is the first book in the April Grove, a Street at War series?"

"The first book in the April Grove, a Street at War series is Goodbye Sweetheart, published in 1994."

Q: "Is the April Grove series based on a real place?"

"April Grove is fictional, but it is closely based on the streets of Portsmouth where Lilian Harry grew up during the Blitz. She has said her childhood memories of wartime life in a naval port city shaped every book in the series."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Goodbye Sweetheart	1994	Lilian Harry	Buy
2	Goodbye Sweetheart: Second Edition	1994	Lilian Harry	N/A
3	The Girls They Left Behind	1995	Lilian Harry	Buy
4	Keep Smiling Through	1996	Lilian Harry	Buy
5	Moonlight & Lovesongs	1997	Lilian Harry	Buy
6	Tuppence to Spend	2003	Lilian Harry	Buy
7	Under the Apple Tree	2004	Lilian Harry	Buy
8	Dance Little Lady	2004	Lilian Harry	Buy
9	A Farthing Will Do	2005	Lilian Harry	Buy

The April Grove series begins in September 1939 as war is declared and the residents of a terraced street in Portsmouth face the reality of their husbands, sons, and brothers leaving for the front. Goodbye Sweetheart (1994) follows several families through the early months of the conflict to the evacuation at Dunkirk. The Girls They Left Behind (1995) picks up afterward, focusing on the women who keep daily life going through bombing raids, rationing, and war work.

The later books carry the story into the mid-war years, with Keep Smiling Through (1996) set in May 1941 when the residents are weary and the port city is under heavy attack. Moonlight & Lovesongs (1997) and the remaining titles continue through the war years, following romances, losses, and the small acts of resilience that hold the community together. Harry wrote the series with an insider’s understanding of what life in a bombed port city actually looked like and felt like.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the April Grove, a Street at War series?

There are nine books in the April Grove, a Street at War series, published between 1994 and 2005.

What is the first book in the April Grove, a Street at War series?

The first book in the April Grove, a Street at War series is Goodbye Sweetheart, published in 1994.

Is the April Grove series based on a real place?

April Grove is fictional, but it is closely based on the streets of Portsmouth where Lilian Harry grew up during the Blitz. She has said her childhood memories of wartime life in a naval port city shaped every book in the series.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order