Thursday 14 March 2024

The Clarks Factory Girls at War - May Ellis

 

Can love blossom in times of trouble?

Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory.

But when Britain declares war on Germany, the Somerset village of Street is shaken to its core. The Clarks factory is at the heart of life in the village, but the Clark family are Quakers and pacifists. Before long, there are fierce debates amongst the workers and tensions between those who oppose the war and those who believe the village men should go to fight.

Each of the girls must decide her own position but as brothers and sweethearts leave for France, Louisa is relieved that her sweetheart Mattie, a Quaker, who won’t be signing up. But she’ll soon find that they face fierce opposition at home as well as across the Channel.

Will the girls’ friendship be enough to keep them together, as everything around them falls apart?

A heartwarming and gripping new saga series perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Rosie Clarke.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/clarksfactorysocial


My Review:

As a fan of a good historical saga, especially set around war times, I was intrigued by this especially as I haven’t read anything from this author before.

I have to admit, even with as much reading as I do, and being a history fan, I had limited knowledge of the Quakers (Friends) and their ideas around war (life). I love reading a story that gives me something to learn as well as entertaining.

Clarks is such a well known name, this was also something that had grabbed my attention initially. Reading about the community it created within the workplace, and the wider area was also interesting even though the characters are fictional.

At first, I struggled with the book, I found it a little slow going but it did pick up pace as it progressed. The characters are nice and likeable. Louisa, Jeannie, and Kate become firm friends through their work despite coming from different backgrounds.

There are many strands to the storyline, and as this is the first in a series, I presume we will see how each develop over the coming books.

A historical glimpse into factory and community life at this time, it references believes and ideas at the time which may surprise readers to learn, highlighting the issues with inequalities in gender, age, religious beliefs etc.

An interesting start to this series!

Author Bio:

Alison lives in Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor, volunteering at her local library and for the Alfred Gillett Trust (custodians of the Clark’s archives). Her first book, a contemporary romance, was published in 2014. Since then she has had five more novels published, including another romance and a YA time travel adventure. Her current series, based on the factory workers at Clark’s Shoes was inspired by her move to the area and her love of social history (and the treasure trove in the archives!).

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alison_Knight59



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