EastEnders – Book One: Home Fires Burning

EastEnders – Book One: Home Fires Burning is the first novel in the series of books by Hugh Miller, which tell the background story of many original characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

This book focuses on the effect of the Second World War in the fictional London borough of Walford, and tells the stories of Louise Beale and Dr. Harold Legg. Each chapter alternates the character whose story is being told, for example, chapter one focuses on Lou and Albert Beale, whereas chapter two focuses on Dr. Legg.

Plot summary

Chapter one of the book starts in 1941, during the Second World War, when Albert Beale has just received his call-up papers from the War Department, and the Beales are moving into Lou's mother's council house, number 45 Albert Square, which was left to Lou in her mother's will. Lou's brother, Terence, brings Albert some illegal goods that have been rationed, and Albert buys a box of Cadbury's Milk Tray for Lou. As Terence leaves, the rent man, called Mr. Emmett, arrives and signs number 45 over to Lou.
Meanwhile, trainee doctor Harold Legg, and his colleague Mike Phillips are helping their senior, Dr. Lumley, in the Emergency Room at St. Bartholomew's hospital, where there are many casualties from bomb explosions. Harold is given the task of cleaning up a patient, and a trainee nurse is sent to help him. He slowly becomes smitten with the nurse, and starts a conversation with her, although he doesn't discover her name. At lunch, his life-long friend, Roger Lewis, also a trainee doctor, tells him that the nurse's name is Judith Martin, and to Harold's dismay, that she's seeing a houseman from the hospital.
Some time later, we find Lou missing her husband, as he has ben at war for two weeks. Her sister Elsie has moved in with her, and tries to get Lou to pull herself together. Elsie has learnt that the local troublemaker Reg Cox has offered to set up Lou's fruit and vegetable market stall. Elsie converses with the landlord of the local pub, The Queen Victoria, Gus Leonard, in front of Lou to attempt to persuade her to reconsider accepting Reg's offer. Lou decides to stop brooding over Albert's absence, after a conversation with her four-year-old daughter, Dora.

Elsewhere, Harold is having dinner with his father, Gregory, and interfering mother and sister, Miriam. He disagrees with Miriam over her extreme Jewish views, and decided to walk out, going to his uncle Leon's house in stead. He talks to his uncle about Nurse Martin, and the next day tries to find her. He eventually gives up, but then bumps into her and introduces himself. They arrange to meet the following Friday night for a date.

After Harry became ill with a pulmonary virus, Reg Cox visits her and gives her a chocolate bar for the children.

In August, Lou decides to stop trading from her stall, as fruit has been rationed. As she goes to put her barrow in its store for one last time, she discovers Reg Cox and his friend George have been using it to store illegal contraband. She tells them she won't tell anyone if they give £50 to the Red Cross collections box in the pub.

In a lecture at St. Bartholomew's, Harold gives an excellent answer to the lecturer's question, that his rival, the pompous Mike Phillips, cannot answer.

Characters who appear

See also

• EastEnders books