CHRISTMAS AT EMMERDALE

The popular TV soap opera marked the end of the First World War with a three part TV special, bringing to life the Yorkshire village in the midst of war and the lives and loves lost. Beginning in August 1914, the lives of everyone in the village of Beckindale are affected. For Maggie Sugden, she is trapped in a marriage to a cruel man following the downfall of her father's farming empire. When the men are sent to war, Maggie is left to run their farm on her own until she has to admit defeat or hire a conscientious objector and get ostracised by the community. Now mistress of Emmerdale Farm, her heart still belongs to Ralph Verney who, along with Joe Sugden, has gone away to do their duties. The prequel to the Emmerdale Village includes how the Dingles arrived in the village and the general reaction of the villagers to the newly recruited soldiers. She is caught between an ongoing feud between the Dingles and the Kings and struggling with her own secrets at home. With no time to worry about the War, tragedy strikes and Maggie finds herself more alone than ever. She realises she has to do something to bring the village back together. Can Christmas save the families at Emmerdale? A nostalgic read, 298pp in fairly large print.