A FORMER Romsey resident has seen success with a book she wrote about the lives of her parents.

As previously reported, Barbara Jackson, 78, wrote The Girls He Left Behind as part of a fundraising effort for The Edwina Mountbatten and Leonora Children’s Foundation.

The book tells the story of Barbara’s parents, Ronald and Joan, and their relationship. The couple met at the age of 15 and fell in love, eventually getting engaged. Ronald, a soldier of the Hampshire Regiment, would later die during the battle for Caen in 1944 during World War II after he went over to France as part of Operation Neptune.

The book was published in February of this year, and, at time of writing, has raised £500 for the hospice, with Barbara, who lived in North Baddesley for 13 years, before moving to Spain, hoping to raise £1,000.

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She said: “I have sold many copies of the book and, with the addition of a couple of small donations, the Edwina Mountbatten and Leonora Children’s Foundation, which funds research into paediatric cancers, have received in the region of £500. My target is to raise £1,000 so I will keep trying to publicise it until I do.

“I was recently thrilled to receive a personal letter from Her Majesty Queen Camilla thanking me for sending her a copy of my book and telling me she was looking forward to reading it and I also had a letter from Countess Mountbatten herself thanking me for donating all the proceeds of my book to her daughters fund!”

Based in Romsey, The Edwina Mountbatten and Leonora Children’s Foundation provides relief to sick, distressed or needy children all over the world.

The Girls He Left Behind is available to purchase on Amazon.