Kindle
$0.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$10.58
Paperback
$8.15
Buy used:
$10.58
FREE delivery June 4 - 20. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by Bahamut Media
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: Shipped within 24 hours. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Jo Bloom
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Ridley Road Hardcover

by Jo Bloom (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 470 ratings
See all formats and editions
Previous page
  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  3. Dimensions
    5.55 x 1.18 x 8.74 inches
  4. ISBN-10
    0297608282
  5. ISBN-13
    978-0297608288
  6. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Product details

  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0297608282
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0297608288
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 1.18 x 8.74 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 470 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jo Bloom

Jo Bloom

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Jo's debut novel, Ridley Road, was published in 2014 and adapted into a major four-part series for BBC One in 2021. Jo has worked as a freelancer in the communications field for over twenty years, with a focus on arts publicity and e-learning. She also contributed to the book review section of Time Out, London for a few years. Prior to this, she lived and worked in Prague and New York. She now lives in Brighton with her family. Permission is Jo’s first contemporary novel.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
470 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

ClaireSnibbe
5.0 out of 5 stars True love in post-war London
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
Vivienne Epstein is young, vivacious and in love with Jack, a journalist friend of her late beloved father. She moves from Manchester to London in search of a new life with the focus on finding Jack. She finds work as a hairstylist and meets many fellow Jews, some of whom are involved in thwarting the strong anti-Semitic movement in the London of the mid 1950's. It is at one of the rallies at Trafalgar Square where she finally sets eyes on Jack - wearing a Nazi uniform ... But all is not as it seems. Loved this love story!
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Louise Harris
4.0 out of 5 stars A really good read and an eye opener
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015
A really good read and an eye opener. I spent time in Dalston when I lived in London but i had no idea it was fertile ground for fascist meetings in the 60s. This isn't a heavy book, but it's a very well drawn story, and I liked the characters. The love story was touching too and a nice antidote to the dark reality of fascism.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars more YA than adult
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Liked the history. Had not heard about it before. However, the characters were only skin deep and the dialogue was more suited to prepubescents than adults. SKip the romance, read it for the history only.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Bookaholic Holly
5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Debut...
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2014
Vivien Epstein’s life looks set to change the minute she returns to her home in Manchester and sees the mysterious but rather gorgeous Jack Fox sat in her front room chatting to her father.
A whirlwind romance takes place between the pair, but twenty year old Vivien is left heartbroken when Jack disappears back to London and doesn’t contact her.
When Vivien’s beloved father dies she makes the decision that she is going to pack up and head to London on her own to look for Jack. She finds his address on an old letter when sorting through her father’s things and is determined to track Jack down and form a new life for herself amongst the bright lights of Soho.
After a shaky start Vivien finds accommodation and lands a job at Oscar’s, a leading hair salon where the girls working there soon take her under her wing. However, finding Jack proves to be more difficult than she anticipated.
East End London is not the most pleasant of places for a young Jewish girl to be trailing the streets looking for her lost love. It’s 1962 and fascism is strongly coming into force, targeting the Jewish community and re-igniting the beliefs of Hitler.
It’s through a series of events involving anti fascist protests on Ridley Road that Vivian finally comes face to face with Jack again and it seems she’s in for a shock…

There is so much I want to say about this novel. I had an inkling I might enjoy it as I’ve read books set in the sixties before and it’s very much an era I enjoy reading about. I like the fashion, the music, the way of life- there’s something about this time period that I find fascinating so I was eager to dive in to Ridley Road, however I had no idea just how much I would enjoy this eye-opening, compelling debut from Jo Bloom.
Before starting Ridley Road I knew little about fascism and just how prominent it was on the streets during the early sixties. No word of a lie; what I learnt from this novel really shocked me. The way that the Jewish community were treated makes for upsetting and at times, difficult reading. Jo Bloom must have put an extensive amount of research into this topic and she writes about it sensitively and authentically. The fascists’ behaviour and admiration towards Hitler is shocking and I can’t believe that I was unaware of the battles that the Jews faced such a short time after the horrors of World War II. Jo has written so passionately about this era that I am now thirsty to learn more about this period of history and the 43 and 62 Group.

I was a massive fan of Vivien’s throughout the story. She was a well formed, strong young lady who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go out and get it. The romance between her and Jack makes the perfect back drop for the story and it’s gripping and addictive to discover the struggles they encounter to be together. You’ll find yourself desperately hoping that they can overcome the difficulties that they face, although there are times throughout the story when their relationship looks bleak.
Jack is also an astounding character who I really admired. I was genuinely worried and concerned for him and found myself holding my breath of his behalf at times. Just a tad tense…
There’s is also a fantastic cast of supporting characters in Ridley Road. I found myself really warming to Stevie, Nettie and of course, the girls at Oscar’s. They made such a perfect team and I loved the relationship they had with one another.
Ridley Road is packed full of twists and turns and it’s never obvious what it going to happen or how things are going to turn out, which will keep you frantically turning the pages until you reach the conclusion.

This is a superb debut from Jo Bloom. Brilliantly researched, informative, shocking and extremely moving I can’t recommend this novel enough. Packed full of different themes with a brilliant range of characters, plus a heartbreaking romance thrown in on top I defy you to read this novel and not shed a tear/become completely engrossed/thoroughly enjoy it…
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Louisa T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Ridley Road is gripping and beautifully written. With a light touch
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2015
Ridley Road is gripping and beautifully written. With a light touch, Jo Bloom combines a compelling love story with a little-known political theme: the resurgence of fascism in 1960s London. The protagonists are strong and deftly drawn: vulnerable warm-hearted Vivien, and journalist Jack, who is not what he seems. Bloom draws you into their world, so that you really care about whether they overcome the obstacles they face and manage to forge a life together. I was both entertained and informed, which made the book a brilliant and satisfying read. I loved the patterning of light and shade throughout: the vibrant street culture of coffee bars, mini dresses and beehives is described so vividly, I actually felt I was walking the streets with the characters. Yet at the same time, Bloom reveals a sinister underbelly of anti-Semitism and street violence. The recent upsurge in anti-Semitism makes this feel even more pertinent. I thoroughly recommend Ridley Road and look forward to more books from Ms Bloom.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mr Clyde
5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2016
Jo Bloom's beautifully written debut novel gripped me from page one and enthralled to the end. Mostly set in London in the Swinging Sixties, this tender love story also throws light on an unsettling time in British political history. Cleverly plotted and vividly described it tells the tale of young apprentice hairdresser, Vivienne, who, after her father’s death, moves from Manchester to the ‘big smoke’ in search of Jack, the man who captured her heart months before. The storytelling is seamless, the characters thoroughly engaging and it packs a considerable emotional punch. A memorable read.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
s.a.eickhoff
1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
Badly written
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Blossom Rayner
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking and compelling
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2015
This is a real page-turner and stayed in my mind long after I had finished reading. It covers a fascinating and quite unknown part of recent UK history - the rise of the Fascists in the 1960s, and how Jews fought back. The themes in the book are still so resonant today. It's also about one woman's story, with a love affair at the centre. Her immersion into the warm and friendly world of Soho hair salons is a nice counterpoint to the sections which deal with the Fascist meetings and marches. I had tears in my eyes at one point... recommended.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Louisa T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Ridley Road is gripping and beautifully written. With a light touch
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
Ridley Road is gripping and beautifully written. With a light touch, Jo Bloom combines a compelling love story with a little-known political theme: the resurgence of fascism in 1960s London. The protagonists are strong and deftly drawn: vulnerable warm-hearted Vivien, and journalist Jack, who is not what he seems. Bloom draws you into their world, so that you really care about whether they overcome the obstacles they face and manage to forge a life together. I was both entertained and informed, which made the book a brilliant and satisfying read. I loved the patterning of light and shade throughout: the vibrant street culture of coffee bars, mini dresses and beehives is described so vividly, I actually felt I was walking the streets with the characters. Yet at the same time, Bloom reveals a sinister underbelly of anti-Semitism and street violence. The recent upsurge in anti-Semitism makes this feel even more pertinent. I thoroughly recommend Ridley Road and look forward to more books from Ms Bloom.
13 people found this helpful
 Report
JaquiP
4.0 out of 5 stars Lived and loved every moment of this book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
Thoroughly enjoyable. Once I started the book I kept reading at every possible moment especially as the tension mounted and I became seriously concerned for the safety of Jack and also Vivien. Liked the characters greatly well rounded and we'll described. Good natural sounding dialogue I was totally absorbed by the plot, the brilliant portrayal of the places. Seriously good. Great read. Maybe the ending a bit too drawn out. But tense and an excellent read. Very taken with Jack.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Barantchick
3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, but ending weak.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
Good on character and atmosphere. Not totally original, I remember a Radio 4 series set in the 30s that covered similar ground and was a bit more exciting. The writer builds a good plot and then let's it down by having a weak ending. Needed a big finale where the fascists get routed. But it mostly happens off screen.
Report
Rhona Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book. Nothing like TV series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book shone a light on what was happening in a apparently civilised country that had supposedly defeated Fascism relatively recently. The characters behave in a manner that their gender, age, class and religion were expected to do in the early 1960s. Those expecting a rehash of the abomination of the BBC serial will be surprised to learn how people actually behaved then- the UK was still a patriarchal society where women’s choices were limited and they definitely didn’t go tottering over rooves in stilettos while carrying a suitcase. The ending of the book is where you would realistically expect the main characters to be.
Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A warm engaging tale
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Doesn't move fast but you get so involved with the characters life. It's an engaging, charming if slightly scary tale
Report