The Running Years — Claire Rayner

She was born in 1893, in the slums of London. The daughter of immigrants, the descendant of exiles, she was part of a people doomed to wander, forever strangers in the lands they had chosen as home. But Hannah Lazar was different. She was born and bred a Londoner, and London was where she belonged. As strong-willed as she was beautiful, Hannah would uproot herself from the gloomy poverty of her parents' lives to enter a world of elegence and wealth. As her ancestors had journeyed from land to land with only their own resilience and determination to help them survive, Hannah would move from the slums of the East End to the salons of Mayfair; to a life that she could call her own. 


About the Author: Claire Rayner, nurse, agony aunt and prolific author was born in London in 1931. Married in 1957, she began writing when she left nursing with the birth of her first child. Claire had a long and varied career. Her concern and insight into medical issues led her to launch a number of high-profile campaigns including raising awareness of incontinence, tackling the problems of migraine and the Medical Passport scheme. Her gift for communication resulted in probably her best-known role as agony aunt for problem pages in 'The Sun', the 'Sunday Mirror' and 'Today' newspapers. She was also a frequent contributor to radio and television broadcasts on matters of health, relationships and contemporary morality. She regularly spoke on matters relating to care of the elderly in her capacity as Commissioner to the Royal Commission on Long Term Care of the Elderly. Claire is the author of over eighty books, which range from fiction to a broad range of medical subjects, from sex education to home nursing and family health. As a journalist she contributed to many popular magazines including 'Woman' and 'Woman's Own'. She also had work published in professional journals including 'The Lancet' and 'Nursing Times'. Among her fiction work is the ambitious twelve-volume series ‘The Performers', the six-volume ‘The Poppy Chronicles' and the five-volume 'George Barnabas' series. Her fiction is characterised by meticulous research and the credible, well-rounded characters.