Order of Ellie Dean Books

Ellie Dean is a pen name of Australian author Tamara McKinley, who uses this pen name to write historical saga novels. She writes the Cliffehaven series. Originally from Tasmania, Ellie moved to England with her grandmother to complete her education. Ellie has two daughters and three sons as well as several grandchildren. She lives in East Sussex, England.

Ellie Dean made her debut under this pen name in 2011 with There’ll Be Blue Skies. Below is a list of Ellie Dean’s books in order of when they were first published:

Publication Order of Beach View Boarding House/Cliffehaven Books

Publication Order of Oceana Trilogy Books

(as Tamara McKinley)

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

If You Like Ellie Dean Books, You’ll Love…

• Anna Jacobs
• Fenella J. Miller
• Donna Douglas

Ellie Dean Synopses: There’ll Be Blue Skies by Ellie Dean is the first book in the Cliffehaven series. At the age of sixteen, Sally faces a daunting future when she’s evacuated to the English south coast. Having grown up in London’s East End, the unfamiliar surroundings and sounds terrify her. As they leave behind the familiar landmarks, Sally conceals her tears, determined to step into the role of a Grown-Up Girl, responsible for her six-year-old brother, Ernie. Being a caregiver isn’t new for Sally; their real mother, Florrie, known for her carefree lifestyle, doesn’t even show up at the station to bid them farewell. Ernie, who has been crippled by polio from an early age, is accustomed to relying on his older sister.

Their destination is Cliffehaven, where they are taken in by the Beach View Boarding House, a welcoming abode run by the kind-hearted Reilly family, led by the warm and caring Peggy. Life starts to look up for Sally. She secures a job at a uniform factory to contribute to their expenses and cover Ernie’s costly medical treatments. However, trouble arrives when Florrie shows up in Cliffehaven, bringing chaos in her wake. Sally is then faced with the difficult task of determining where her true loyalties lie.

Far From Home is the second book in Ellie Dean’s Cliffehaven series. The backdrop is September 1940, and Staff Nurse Polly Brown has secured a posting at Cliffehaven Memorial Hospital on the south coast to be closer to her badly injured husband, Jack. However, this difficult decision necessitates parting ways with their beloved five-year-old daughter, Alice, who is embarking on a journey to safety in Canada. Polly’s heart aches as she bids farewell to Alice, and she heads to the Beach View Boarding House in Cliffehaven.

In this new environment, Polly forms a friendship with Danuta, a young Polish woman who has tragically lost her entire family in the war. Despite Danuta’s qualifications as a nurse, the matron at Cliffehaven Memorial Hospital refuses to acknowledge them, and she is relegated to working there as a lowly skivvy. As Polly grapples with the grim realization that Jack’s chances of survival are slim, a telegram arrives at Beach View, bearing the devastating news that the boat Alice was on has been torpedoed by a German U-boat.

Keep Smiling Through by Ellie Dean is book 3 in the Cliffehaven (aka Beach View Boarding House) series. The year is June 1940, and despite facing adversity, seventeen-year-old Rita Smith has a resilient spirit. Having lost her mother at a young age and with her father engaged in vital war work, she finds solace in the tight-knit community of Cliffhaven. However, as Italy aligns with Germany, Rita’s closest friends and neighbors are interned as enemies of the state.

Amid the backdrop of a war-torn Europe, Rita’s determination to contribute to the war effort grows stronger. Although she is compelled to abandon her dream of joining the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), she steps forward as a volunteer fire warden. When her own home falls victim to destruction, Rita makes a solemn vow not to lose her resolve and throws herself wholeheartedly into her role in support of king and country. Her heart longs for the day when she can be reunited with those she holds dearest.