Left on the Shelf: Wartime Comes to West India Dock Road by Renita D'Silva

Friday, 25 July 2025

Wartime Comes to West India Dock Road by Renita D'Silva - #bookreview #blogtour

Charity pegs laundry to the line. The air that brushes her face, although carrying a hint of smoke from last night's air raid, is fresh and frisky in the unseasonable autumn sunshine. It is at odds with the general mood of the residents of West India Dock Road...

The Blurb

1940. The Blitz rages, but life goes on in the heart of London’s East End.

Charity has spent her life keeping her family together – raising her younger brothers, running the family boarding house on West India Dock Road, and now shielding her fragile parents from the relentless bombardment outside their door. When her teenage brother runs away to enlist, she faces a battle she never expected – one that could tear her family apart. But help comes from an unexpected new arrival…

Across the road, Divya, a young Indian woman with a gift for cooking, has found a happy home among the dockside community. But as she feeds the neighbourhood at her bustling curry house, she secretly yearns for news of the man she loves, who is fighting for their freedom. Will she see him again?

As the bombs fall and the East End burns, the residents of West India Dock Road must rely on each other like never before. In a world shattered by war, friendships will be tested, love will be lost and found, and courage will be discovered in the most surprising places.

My Review

This book is the second in the West India Dock Road series. I loved the first book New Arrivals on West India Dock Road, and this follows on very well. You can also find my review of that book by clicking on the title link.

We are reacquainted with Charity and Divya at the height of the Blitz in London's East End. This book was slightly different to the first in that most of the chapters were told from Charity's perspective and some in the form of letters written by Divya. This was a good way of mixing up the narrative, and the author does it well.

I felt that this book was more about Charity whereas the first was more about Divya. Charity is a fabulous character. We find her continuing to run her lodging house, whilst raising her younger brothers and caring for her parents. She is a remarkable woman, and her inner strength is incredible. There was much more in this novel about her father, Paddy, and how he became the damaged man that Charity cares for following the First World War.

Divya's letters are alternated between Jack and Raghu; both of whom we have met in the earlier book. However, this works extremely well as a standalone, and reading the first is not necessary to enjoy this book.

The author has created a wonderful cast of characters, not just in Charity and Divya but in all of the secondary characters too. As Divya receives letters from Jack that are intended for all his friends in West India Dock Road, we are reacquainted with the residents once again. Equally, she composes her replies on behalf of the street. This conjures up the camaraderie and spirit of these people who are left behind while their menfolk are away fighting.

The descriptions of the dishes that Divya creates in her curry house left me feeling hungry and longing to sample some of her dishes. The Indian porridge sounded divine, and I must try and find a recipe so I can try it for myself.

I absolutely loved revisiting these characters and hearing where life has taken them since the last book. Geographically, most of the characters are in the same place, but experientially, they have progressed a long way.

The book oozes with the atmosphere of East London during the Blitz, and the author has done a fantastic job in her portrayal of this. This series of wartime sagas has something a little different to offer than many other novels.

Heartbreaking and richly evocative, this is a story of resilience, love, and the enduring spirit of a community under difficult circumstances.

As soon as the third book in the series is released, I shall be snapping up a copy. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a wartime saga.