"Got yer nose in another book, 'ave yer?'
Peggy Sparks looked up from the page in front of her into the disapproving face of Elsie Cooper, who had just boarded the busy morning train and was making a beeline for her. Peggy had known Mrs Cooper all her life and couldn't remember ever seeing her smile or laugh, or do anything except look perpetually disappointed with the world...
***
The Blurb
Can two young women and one book change the course of war?
1940. Whip-smart librarian Peggy Sparks is determined to make sure that her brother Joe returns from the frontline to their London home, which they share with their beloved mother and grandmother. So when she is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job at the heart of the war effort, Peggy jumps at the prospect of making a real contribution to her country.
But when she finds herself working under the fanciful socialite Lady Marigold Cecily, Peggy discovers that those around her are more keen on dancing at the Café de Paris than on ending the war. Writing accounts of her daily life is the only thing keeping Peggy's hopes alive. But when she finds her inner-most thoughts accidentally published by the Ministry of Information, Peggy realises she needs Marigold's help to save her job, and to bring her brother home . . .
My Review
This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel set during World War II.
The main character is a young woman called Peggy Sparks. Her brother, Joe is away fighting in the war and she lives in a household with her mother, grandmother, sister-in-law and her niece and nephew, Nancy and Charlie. When Peggy is offered at job in the Ministry of Information she leaps at the opportunity to do something that will help bring Joe home. She might live in a very female environment but she soon learns that at work, she is in very patriarchal territory.
The characterisation in this book is superb and I utterly believed in these characters. Peggy was a very strong character and she was easy to identify with. There were also some other excellent characters in this book. Marigold, who works with Peggy brought some humour to the book at times and I loved Peggy's grandmother, Alice; a very strong and single-minded woman indeed.
The author has done a fantastic job of portraying the time and place in which the book is set. The atmosphere of London during the war comes over well and I felt immersed in it.
What struck me most in this book is the spirit of hope that these stalwart Londoners possessed. Even in times of despair, they still remained hopeful. This came alive on the page and the author did an excellent job. She is clearly a very skilled storyteller and I cannot wait to read more of her work.
The book is being released in paperback today and I highly recommend you get hold of a copy of this marvellous book.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1035401116
Publisher: Headline Review
Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback
No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Having realised early on that books are pretty much the best things in life, Annie has been lucky enough to spend her entire career working with them. Her first job after leaving university was as a bookseller in a bookshop on Charing Cross Road, London and then she worked for eleven years in publishing. Following redundancy in 2009 she was thrown into the world of stay-at-home motherhood. Realising that her brain was starting to fester like an old potato in the bottom of the vegetable tray, she enrolled on a creative writing course and decided to try and write her first novel. It took her two years to finish it and another two to get her first publishing deal. In July 2013 Not Quite Perfect was published and she enjoyed a rather exciting summer as it reached number one in the Kindle bestsellers.
She has since written seven other novels including the USA Today bestseller, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. She loves to write about characters with whom readers can make a real connection and about subjects we can all relate to – parenthood, love, families, grief, friendship, music, laughter. Annie wants to carry readers along in a story which makes them laugh and shed the odd tear but which ultimately leaves them feeling uplifted and hopeful. It’s quite honestly the best job in the world.
You can also find Annie at:
(book courtesy of the publisher)
(author media courtesy of the author)
(all opinions are my own)
(bookshop.org afilliated)
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