By: Jean Fullerton
Many thanks to Bookouture for the ARC of the book and the stop on the book tour!
About the Book
East London, 1942: With the men at war, can the women of the East End band together to defend their loved ones, their city and their country?
Chestnut-haired Corporal Effie Weston has grit beyond her twenty years. Determined to do her duty, she has joined up to the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force to defend London’s East End from the Blitz. She and her new friends Alice, Nell and George know their work is as vital as any man’s. They must rely on every bit of their training – as well as each other – to face the dark days of war.
Working together, their friendship helps them to carry on as the air raid sirens wail nightly over the city. In the middle of all the chaos, Effie is not looking to give her heart away. But when a chance encounter on a station platform throws her into the path of handsome Flight Officer Nathan Fitzgerald, she’s stunned by the warmth in his kind eyes and the spark it ignites in her. Their connection only deepens the more time they spend together.
When her parents object to her relationship with Nathan, Effie is heartbroken. Grasping every scrap of courage she can, she dries her eyes and resolves to fight for her happily ever after with the man she loves. But her world shatters when Nathan’s plane is shot down over France, and he’s declared missing in action.
Can Effie’s friends help her hold onto the hope that Nathan will return from the front? Or will her bright chance at happiness be lost in the turmoil of war?
My Review
This is a really enjoyable WWII historical fiction book. There were a few things that I didn’t know about WWII that I learned reading this book! I had never heard of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and I didn’t know that men from Barbados had joined up to help fight! I still have so much to learn!
Effie’s personal growth and beliefs throughout the course of the book was evident. Both in her position in the WAAF and in her own life. Her strength and resilience were admirable. The author did such a great job of writing Effie’s parents well, to the point that I really disliked them! They were true to the times, so I can’t fault the author. But it really angered me.
While there is romance in this story, it didn’t overtake the story, and it was very sweet. Effie was feeling love for the first time and you rooted for them to figure it out, work it out, and hope that they wound up together in the end.
Overall, a great read. If you enjoy historical fiction, check this one out!
About the Author
Born and bred in East London, Jean was a District Nurse by trade working throughout East London. She has published twenty-three sagas, including the popular World War Two Ration Book series, which, like all her books, is set in East London. Jean has also written her autobiography A Child of the East End, about growing up in post-war Stepney and Wapping. She is currently working on first book of her new four book WW2 series.
http://jeanfullerton.com/
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