The Girl on THE MOON

THE STORY SO FAR: Eighteen-year-old Audrey goes to London at the height of the Blitz. She’s looking for a girl called Stella Sweeney, who might be the birth mother of Danny, a little boy at the children’s home where Audrey works. All Audrey has to go on is a photo of Stella sitting on a cardboard moon and an address in the East End. In London, Audrey learns that Stella can often be found in a local pub that’s a bit rough, and Audrey’s parents aren’t very happy about her going there. At the pub, Audrey finds Stella, but she is shocked by her wild ways… drinking beer and flirting. Audrey reports back to Vera Sutton, her boss at the children’s home, saying she doesn’t think that Stella is a suitable person to bring into Danny’s life. But Vera is determined to find out more for herself.

Sitting on a low wall, Vera rubbed the heel of her foot. It had been a tiring journey up to London, not helped by the July heat. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she glanced at the street name to check she was following Mr Sweeney’s directions correctly.

She had called on Stella’s father first, at the address that was written on the back of the postcard.