Rough Music, available on Amazon

Rough Music is a long novella, about a country rock band (by Nadine SUtton). Its set in the late 1970s and is about an American band who are on the way up. The 2 lead singers Jeff Randles and Brandon, are both unfaithful husbands, and they try to make compromises between doing good work and making money..They used to be a bar band but are now enjoying some success on TV and at the Opry but they are always trying to make real music and help people. But the price of success and fame is a lot of touring and it means that they seek solace in sleeping around and taking drugs. Jeff Randles then finds that a one night stand has consequences.

Alcott's novels

After Little Women ALcott wrote two more books, Little Men which is about the school at Plumfield and focusses on the boys, particularly a young lad called Dan who is scarred by an unhappy childhood and is rough and dangerous. John Brooke dies, and in the next book Jo's Boys, the focus is on the boys and the March grandchildren as they grow to addulthood. There is now a college at Plumfield which takes women students as well as men. Demi Brooke Megs son, has become a journalist, which amuses Jo, though as a famous writer she is often pestered by reporters and fans wanting to see her or get her autograph. Daisy is housewifely, and wants to marry Nat Blake, one of the boys from the school who is now studying music. Emil, Professor Bhaer's younger nephew has gone to sea, and Franz, the elder one is working in business in Germany. Josie, the youngest Brooke wants to become an actress and Meg does not like the idea of her daughter taking up such a louche profession. Dan gets into trouble, when prospecting in the west. He sympathises with Indians, but he ends up in a row with a chard sharp and hits him and kills him. He goes to prison for manslaughter, and only comes home when he is injured saving children in a train crash. While he is recovering from his injuries, he falls in love with Bess, Amy's daughter and Jo tells him that he could never marry her. He never marries, and dies young, killed defending some Indians. Daisy marries Nat Blake and Demi marries a college girl Alice Heath. The novels are directed at young people and are very moralistic. Alcott's family were against drinking, and womanising, and very strict in their views - even disapproving of the Opera -so the books tend to portray most of the characters as rather improbably virtuous. But within the limits of the genre, they have their faults and have to struggle to follow the right way... and the story is lively enough to make them readable

Rough Music, Available on Amazon

This is a long novella, about a country rock band (by Nadine SUtton). Its set in the late 1970s and is about an American band who are on the way up. The 2 lead singers Jeff Randles and Brandon, are both unfaithful husbands, and they try to make compromises between doing good work and making money..They used to be a bar band but are now enjoying some success on TV and at the Opry but they are always trying to make real music and help people. But the price of success and fame is a lot of touring and it means that they seek solace in sleeping around and taking drugs

Beds and Blue Jeans by Nadine Sutton

This is a long story available on Amazon. Its a tale of a young singer who is trying to make it in the music business, in Nashville and how he moves from bed to bed and bar to bar, looking for love. Sam is living with a girl who has had his baby, but he is an attractive young man who appeals to women. He finds his girlfriend boring but tries to keep up their relationship, for the sake of their baby. He loves his work, and in time he and his lady start to build up a stable marriage.

Good Wives II

Amy and her Aunt and cousin set off for Europe and Laurie and his grandfather also leave America. Jo works in New York for several months and makes a new friend, a German professor who has 2 orphaned nephews and makes a living teaching German. Jo returns home after a while and finds that Beth is increasingly fragile. She tells her sister that she knows she's not going to recover, and Jo after a struggle, tries to devote herself to supporting her. Laurie tries to write music in Europe but realises that he has only a moderate talent, and gives up the idea of being a composer. Amy enjoys her time there but is worried about Beth, but the family tell her to stay until they are all coming home. She and Laurie meet and she scolds him for being idle. Meanwhile Beth dies, peacefully but Jo is miserably unhappy. In Europe, Laurie finally realises that he is over his love for Jo and he asks Amy to marry him. She agrees and they write home with the news. A few months later they return to America and Laurie comes to see Jo and tell her that he has married Amy in Paris. She is pleased for him but she is lonely without Beth. She has her parents and her writing but she wishes for more. Then, when Amy and Laurie have arrived at a party for them, Professor Bhaer turns up. He is going out west, to teach and decides to visit her. He has always feared that he was too old for Jo and that she loved Laurie but she tells him that Laurie's was a boyish feeling and she is happy that he has now married his Amy. She and Bhaer get engaged and plan to marry when he is a bit better off. Then Aunt March dies and leaves Plumfield to Jo. She decides that they will open a school for boys who have no mothers and that there will be a mix of rich and poor pupils. She and Bhaer marry and have 2 sons, Robert and Teddy and Jo gets her school with about 12 boys. Amy and Laurie have a daughter Bess and Meg and John have 2 daughters and a son.

Good Wives

The Second part of Little Women has been published separately as Good Wives, but in some editions both books are together. It follows the March girls into young adulthood, and starts with Meg's wedding to John Brooke. They marry a couple of years after the events of Little Women. John goes to war but is wounded and sent home, and he goes into business, working for Mr Lawrence. Laurie is now going to college, but does not like the idea of become an India Merchant like his grandfather. He enjoys socialising, as well, but wishes he could be a musician like his father, and live some of the time in Europe. However he loves his grandfather and tries to please him in hopes that the old man will be tolerant of his wish to devote himself to music. Jo has given up working for Aunt March, and stays home writing stories and making a bit of money and looking after Beth who is still frail. Amy has taken up the position as companion to the old lady, and she is taking art lessons. Meg has been preparing for her wedding. She and John have a small house near to the Marches' home and the 2 of them are very happy. However Jo is worried that Laurie is getting too fond of her; she loves him as a friend but is not interested in marriage and does not love him as a lover. Mrs March thinks that the 2 of them are not compatible. They both have quick tempers and would quarrel. The wedding takes place and Meg and John settle down to married life. Laurie asks Jo to marry him but she refuses and Old Mr Lawrence suggests that he and Laurie should go away to Europe to take his mind off things. Jo is more depressed when her aunt, Mrs Carroll, invites Amy to go to Europe as well with her cousin Florence, Jo feels that she should have been asked as she is older, but is reminded that she is always prickly with her richer relations. She decides to go away from Boston for a while. She gets a job as governess to a friend of Mrs March's in New York

Little Women Part II

Jo is rather jealous when Laurie tells her that John Brooke, his tutor seems to be falling in love with Meg, and Meg is confused, liking him but feeling too young to marry. Then bad news comes from the South, Mr March is very ill and Mrs March has to leave their home and go to him in hospital. Mr Lawrence sends John Brooke with her, as an escort, and Hannah, the maid is to look after the girls. Mr March recovers a bit, but Beth has been the one who most visited the Hummel family and when she goes to see them one day, she finds that their baby is very ill and the child dies. The doctor tells Mrs Hummel that all the children have scarlet fever and that Beth might well get it too. The girls all feel guilty that none of them visited the Hummels on a regular basis, and now Beth, who is delicate, has been exposed to infection. Meg and Jo have had the fever earlier, so Amy is sent away to Aunt March, to keep her safe. Beth becomes ill and Hannah and her older sisters nurse her. She worsens and Laurie decides to send for Mrs March. Jo realises that Beth may be close to dying. Then he tells her that he has sent for her mother and she will be there soon... Beth survives the crisis, and Mrs March comes home, and looks after her daughter. Beth recovers, and at Christmas, shortly afterwards, Mr March is able to come home. Mr Brooke proposes to Meg who accepts him.

Little Women By Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is the most famous novel by Alcott, based on her own family life. It is a coming of age story about 4 sisters and begins during the Civil War. Louisa's family were poor because her father, Bronson Alcott was very bad at making a living. He had high ideals but was not practical at all and the family had to depend on occasional help from outside and the girls and Mrs Alcott working. Louisa wrote wild improbable stories, and made a little money with them, but her simple moral tale of the Marches was her big success. The story of the March family starts with their father being in the army as a chaplain and away from home. He was a well to do man but lost his money, when the children were small and now, the 2 older daughters Meg and Josephine or Jo, have had to get jobs. Upper and middle class women did not work as a rule but Meg has become a governess to some rich children and Jo acts as companion to her rich but cranky Aunt March. Amy, the youngest is rather spoiled and has some talent for art, and goes to school while Beth is very shy and studies at home as she hates to go to school. It is Christmas, when the book starts and Mrs March, who does a lot of work for soldiers' charities, tells them that she has found a family starving and cold and asks them to give up their Christmas breakfasts to the children. They agree, as they are very good hearted and they form a relationship with the poor immigrant family. Nearby, there is a rich old man, Mr Lawrence, who lives with his grandson, Laurie. He is an India merchant and wants his grandson to go into the business but Laurie is not keen and wants to be a musician. The March girls have few male relations so they are a little wary of Laurie, but Jo who is boyish, feels sorry for him being lonely, seeing only his tutor and grandfather, and she ventures to visit him. A friendship begins and Laurie visits the Marches and since Jo encourages him, he tries to apply himself to his studies and agrees to go to college when he is older. Meg gets occasional invitations to mix in local society, but she finds it difficult as she is poor and can't afford dresses and her mother also disapproves of flirting or dressing too fashionably so she does not fit in well. Jo has her trials, she loves to write and to take an interest in boyish sports, and her family disapprove of the boyishness. She has a quick temper and is often sharp with people. . The girls all have burdens to deal with. Beth has to overcome her shyness a little to visit Mr Lawrence and play his piano, she is rewarded when he gives her a small piano of her own. Amy gets into trouble at school for disobedience and is punished, but she leaves school and studies at home. She and Jo have a terrible row when Jo refuses to take her young sister to a play - she burns one of Jo's stories and in anger, Jo fails to tell her that the ice on the pond is not safe for skating when she goes with Laurie. Amy falls in and Laurie rescues her and Jo realises that she has to control her temper better and not bear grudges.

Novella by Nadine Sutton, Rough Music

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Music-Nadine-Sutton-ebook/dp/B01AEQS0G0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18GXCTQGW919B&keywords=nadine+sutton+rough+music&qid=1693668929&sprefix=nadine+sutton+rough+music%2Caps%2C329&sr=8-1 This is a long novella, about a country rock band by Nadine SUtton. Its set in the late 1970s and is about a band who are on the way up. The 2 lead singers Jeff Randles and Brandon, are both unfaithful husbands, and they try to make compromises between doing good work and making money..They used to be a bar band but are now enjoying some success on TV and at the Opry but they are always trying to make real music and help people. But the price of success and fame is a lot of touring and it means that they seek solace in sleeping around and taking drugs.

Moors Murders

I have been re reading a book about the Moors murders, by Emlyn Williams. It came out many years ago, fairly soon after the couple were tried and imprisoned. Williams wrote in novelistic fashion, rather than documentary and he has been criticised for this. But much of what he wrote seems to be correct, and he interviewed many people who were involved with Brady and Hindley. He got to know David Smith, who was Myra's brother in law and who betrayed the couple to the police. Hindley and Brady killed 5 children and teenagers, but Brady lured Smith to his house to help with the murder of the last victim, and David Smith while he helped to clean up after the murder, went to the police. He was a tough lad who had been in trouble often with the law, but the barbaric killing horrified him. In spite of the style it is an interesting book

Rough Music by Nadine Sutton, Available on Amazon

This is a long novella, about a country rock band - by Nadine SUtton. Its set in the late 1970s and is about a band who are on the way up. The 2 lead singers Jeff Randles and Brandon, are both unfaithful husbands, and they try to make compromises between doing good work and making money..They used to be a bar band but are now enjoying some success on TV and at the Opry but they are always trying to make real music and help people. But the price of success and fame is a lot of touring and it means that they seek solace in sleeping around and taking drugs.

Pamela Belle

Pamela is a talented writer who has written several novels about the English Civil War period. One is about a young woman called Silence, from a Puritan family, who married to an older man, who is away fighting for Parliament. WHen a royalist troop comes to her house, she falls in love with one of the officers and has an affair with him. Later her husband dies and she is a widow, and free to marry Nick Hellier. A later novel in this series is about Louise, Silence's granddaughter whose husband becomes involved in plotting with the Dutch heir to the throne, William and helping him to become king and remove James II.

Beds and Blue Jeans, novella by Nadine Sutton

This is a long story available on Amazon. Its a tale of a young singer who is trying to make it in the music business, in Nashville and how he moves from bed to bed and bar to bar, looking for love. Sam is living with a girl who has had his baby, but he is an attractive young man who appeals to women. He finds his girlfriend boring but tries to keep up their relationship, for the sake of their baby. He loves his work, and in time he and his lady start to build up a stable marriage.