The War Girls of Goodwill House: The start of a brand new historical saga series by Fenella J. Miller for 2022
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- Create Date：2022-01-16 05:21:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Fenella J Miller
- ISBN：B09HTCVBBJ
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Reviews
Amanda
，
I have been a fan of Fenella’s work for a while now。 I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there。 I read the synopsis for ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Fenella – historical fiction at its best。 I couldn’t wait to dive in and so without further ado， I grabbed a cup of tea， grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon of reading。 Oh boy， I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The War Girls I have been a fan of Fenella’s work for a while now。 I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there。 I read the synopsis for ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Fenella – historical fiction at its best。 I couldn’t wait to dive in and so without further ado， I grabbed a cup of tea， grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon of reading。 Oh boy， I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ but more about that in a bit。It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’。 In fact I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first page。 The book seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t willing to break。 I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would be swept along by the story and so wrapped up in the lives of the different characters that I would still be sat there reading over an hour and several chapters later。 I became very reluctant to put this book to one side for any length of time。 Reading it became an addiction and I was constantly in need of my next fix。 I couldn’t turn the pages of the book quickly enough as I made my way through the story。 All too quickly I reached the end of ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and I had to say farewell to Joanna， Sarah， Angus and the rest of the cast。 I found ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ to be a gripping story which held my attention throughout and which certainly kept me guessing。‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ is superbly written but then I have come expect nothing else from Fennella J。 Miller。 Fenella has one of those easy going writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with。 In fact reading one of Fenella’s books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading an actual book。 I hope that makes sense。 Fenella has clearly done a lot of research into the period in which the story is set and this shines through in the quality of her work。 Reading ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ felt a bit like being on an emotional rollercoaster ride and I found myself going through all the emotions that the characters went through。 I love the way in which Fenella makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action。In short， I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The War Girls Of Goodwill House’ and I would recommend it to other readers。 I will certainly be reading more of Fenella’s work in the future。 The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*。 。。。more
Grace J Reviewerlady
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Another fabulous tale from an author who knows how to hook her readers and reel them in！Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah have been very sheltered in their lives so far at Goodwill House， but now that Lord Harcourt is off fighting in France， they are having to fend for themselves and discovering a lot of things they’ve been shielded from – and not all to the good。 With limited finances， they need to come up with some way of keeping their home and allowing Sarah to follow her dream of b Another fabulous tale from an author who knows how to hook her readers and reel them in！Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah have been very sheltered in their lives so far at Goodwill House， but now that Lord Harcourt is off fighting in France， they are having to fend for themselves and discovering a lot of things they’ve been shielded from – and not all to the good。 With limited finances， they need to come up with some way of keeping their home and allowing Sarah to follow her dream of becoming a doctor。 Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent is seeking accommodation for WAAF’s sent unexpectedly to the nearby RAF base， and that may just help with Sarah and Joanna’s monetary issues; however， Lady Harcourt may take some persuading but Sarah is one determined young woman who has her sights set firmly on success。 Angus has only admiration for this young lady – he has never met her like before！I do love a WWII based series， and Fenella J Miller really knows how to write them！ This is a fantastic start to what promises to be a great new saga。 The characters are beautifully created and developed; the storyline is entirely believable and so very interesting！ Packed with domestic war details and the decisions which families were forced to make， this is a gripping story and a fine stand-alone read。 The best thing， of course， is that it is the first in a new series and I am so looking forward to the next one。 Well-written as always， this easily deserves a full house of shining stars and my hearty recommendation。 。。。more
Julia
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The War Girls Of Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a marvellous historical novel set at the beginning of World War II。War brings changes。 Large traditional family homes need to be used to accommodate those in the services。 Cold， empty mansions spring back to life in the midst of death。 Draughty old houses are transformed。Living near an airfield opens up life for the villagers with tea dances and parties to which all are invited。Years of oppression for some characters ends with the advent of The War Girls Of Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a marvellous historical novel set at the beginning of World War II。War brings changes。 Large traditional family homes need to be used to accommodate those in the services。 Cold， empty mansions spring back to life in the midst of death。 Draughty old houses are transformed。Living near an airfield opens up life for the villagers with tea dances and parties to which all are invited。Years of oppression for some characters ends with the advent of war。 A domineering head of a household is away at war which allows the subservient women to begin to bloom。 For years women were seen as status symbols for the upper classes。 Now they can show that they are more than just a pretty face as the old order begins to crumble。In the midst of death， life and love still happen。 It is beautiful to witness a romance beginning to bud。Fenella J Miller has perfectly captured the atmosphere of the 1940’s with her full descriptions。 The afternoon tea dance at the Ritz played out in my head， along with the rest of the novel。This was a fabulous read that I really enjoyed。I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood via Net Galley。 A favourable review was not required。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Karen
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The novel begins at Goodwill House in Stodham， Kent in January 1940。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her seventeen-year-old daughter Sarah live there， while Lord Harcourt is away due to the War。 They are struggling financially and Sarah is having to do more of the work the servants would have covered previously。Then they are asked to billet six WAAF girls who have been assigned to the nearby RAF base at Marston， as the base has no facilities to accommodate women。 Goodwill House is huge and has many roo The novel begins at Goodwill House in Stodham， Kent in January 1940。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her seventeen-year-old daughter Sarah live there， while Lord Harcourt is away due to the War。 They are struggling financially and Sarah is having to do more of the work the servants would have covered previously。Then they are asked to billet six WAAF girls who have been assigned to the nearby RAF base at Marston， as the base has no facilities to accommodate women。 Goodwill House is huge and has many rooms that are never used， so the Harcourts happily take in the girls， especially as they are paid for doing so。 Sarah Harcourt is a great character！ While the 1940s setting is beautifully done， Sarah is quite a modern woman， while still being very realistic and believable。 She is feisty and determined to be independent。 It is also interesting to see the contrast between Sarah and her mother and how the changes to their life help them evolve。 I was much more interested in the story of the Harcourts and the WAAF girls and visitors rather than the men at the RAF base。 Some of the details about the military ranks and the way the planes worked were beyond me， but it didn’t detract from the overall story and I am sure some readers would love those details。 I did though absolutely love the relationship between Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent and Sarah。 The pacing of the novel was perfect， there was enough drama to hold my interest throughout and the characters were beautifully written so I cared about them and wanted to know what was going to happen。9 out of 10 。。。more
Annette
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I really enjoyed this book and it kept my attention through out。 It moves fairly quickly and takes place about six months during the early days of the war。 I did think it ended a bit abruptly and could have gone on for a few more chapters。 I think historical fiction fans will enjoy it。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
Sally Coles
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A great start to the new Goodwill House series。 The setting is set with the Harcourts and their lack of funds needing a boost to keep the house in the family。 I loved Sarah she was a great character and as with other books by this author a strong woman in control。 Looking forward to the next in the series
Rachel
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The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a wonderful WWII-era historical fiction saga that is the first in a new series。 I just loved it。I really enjoyed Ms。 Miller’s The Girls in Blue series， so I am so excited that I was able to read this new series from the start。 Goodwill House is an older family estate in England that is having a difficult time up to this point of adapting to the changing times and the War。 The man of the house has volunteered for duty and unfortunately financ The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J Miller is a wonderful WWII-era historical fiction saga that is the first in a new series。 I just loved it。I really enjoyed Ms。 Miller’s The Girls in Blue series， so I am so excited that I was able to read this new series from the start。 Goodwill House is an older family estate in England that is having a difficult time up to this point of adapting to the changing times and the War。 The man of the house has volunteered for duty and unfortunately finances weren’t quite figured out before he left。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and their headstrong daughter， Sarah， become creative， and through a series of decisions of slimming down where they can， taking in paying guests， and taking in WAAF when they can， things are finally looking brighter。 Both women have their flaws， worries， and dreams。 Both have been somewhat sheltered thus far and as they decide to take on more tasks and deal with obstacles， learn their own strength and intelligence。 I just loved the mother and daughter bond （despite the hiccups） and I know that they will work everything out in due time。 I love that Joanna found her voice and realized she can do so much more than she was ever given credit for by the men in society。 I also love Sarah and her passion to become a Doctor。 She has drive， intelligence， and initiative， although can be quite stubborn and outspoken。 I love that through these trials she adapts， matures， and also finds love with RAF officer Angus Trent。 I am super excited to see what is in store for them in the next book as well。 The ending is wonderful and it sets it all up perfectly for the next book。 Can’t wait！ 5/5 stars Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/12/22。 。。。more
Staceywh_17
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The first in a promising new series about Goodwill House， which I for one can't wait to read。I'm a sucker for historic fiction & I love reading books about the war girls & their ventures。Beautifully written & researched， I found this book a delight to read， its descriptions immediately transporting me into the hubbub of wartime Britain。Engaging， with its characters realistic & believable。 With romance & the RAF， what more could you want？ The first in a promising new series about Goodwill House， which I for one can't wait to read。I'm a sucker for historic fiction & I love reading books about the war girls & their ventures。Beautifully written & researched， I found this book a delight to read， its descriptions immediately transporting me into the hubbub of wartime Britain。Engaging， with its characters realistic & believable。 With romance & the RAF， what more could you want？ 。。。more
Amanda Milton
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The War Girls Of Goodwill House -Book Review 📚Wartime Romance，Family and the RAF ！！📚The War girls of Goodwill House is Book 1 in in a new wartime saga series by Fenella J Miller。Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah are plunged into a life of independence when husband and father Lord Harcourt goes of to war。I absolutely loved reading about the adventures of Lady Joanna and Sarah as they forged a life of independence for themselves。I loved the the characters of Lady Joanna of Sarah，both cha The War Girls Of Goodwill House -Book Review 📚Wartime Romance，Family and the RAF ！！📚The War girls of Goodwill House is Book 1 in in a new wartime saga series by Fenella J Miller。Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah are plunged into a life of independence when husband and father Lord Harcourt goes of to war。I absolutely loved reading about the adventures of Lady Joanna and Sarah as they forged a life of independence for themselves。I loved the the characters of Lady Joanna of Sarah，both characters were believable and I loved going in a journey with them as they became more confident within themselves 。My favourite part of the book was the love story running through the book involving Angus and Sarah and I’m looking forward to reading how there relationship progresses in future books。The whole book is really well written and researched and you can really get the sense you are back in wartime Britain。The ending of the book made me want too read more about how the family cope in the coming years and I am looking forward to reading further instalment of the series。This book is perfect for fans of the Land Girls series of books and fans of wartime saga series。This author is new to me，but I’m looking forward to reading more of her work。Bookworm rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Aviraj Singh
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Highly fast paced as though the author wanted to complete the entire series in one book， while the story is of Mother and Daughter more time is spent in the daughter's romance and all problems got solved in a few pages ， not such a good starter although i am expecting high from the author based on previous books i have read by them Highly fast paced as though the author wanted to complete the entire series in one book， while the story is of Mother and Daughter more time is spent in the daughter's romance and all problems got solved in a few pages ， not such a good starter although i am expecting high from the author based on previous books i have read by them 。。。more
Dive Into A Good Book
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Goodwill House was a diamond during its hay day。 Enormous， tons of rooms， servants， parties， and it sits upon acres of gorgeous land， perfect for picnics。 It is the astonishing home for Lord David Harcourt and his family。 Times have changed， lived in servants are a thing of the past and now it is just Sarah and her mother Lady Joanna rattling around this giant， drafty， cold estate。 Sarah's father is fighting in Northern France， and he left limited funds to run the house。 Sarah is left to make ch Goodwill House was a diamond during its hay day。 Enormous， tons of rooms， servants， parties， and it sits upon acres of gorgeous land， perfect for picnics。 It is the astonishing home for Lord David Harcourt and his family。 Times have changed， lived in servants are a thing of the past and now it is just Sarah and her mother Lady Joanna rattling around this giant， drafty， cold estate。 Sarah's father is fighting in Northern France， and he left limited funds to run the house。 Sarah is left to make choices in her father's place， in order to pay the bills and to keep the estate functioning。 Only seventeen years old， Sarah knows what she wants in life。 She has the motivation and the mind to become a talented doctor。 She does not want to end up in a loveless marriage like her parents and is determined to set out on her own。 The only problem is the money situation her father left them in。 Will she be able to come up with a plan to continue with schooling and to become the Doctor she has always dreamed of being？I am still not sure what I think of this book。 The writing is a bit stiff， which makes it hard to truly fall for the characters and to be swept away by the book。 The descriptions are fantastic， you feel the bone chilling draft blowing through the house， you can imagine the ice-cold snow blanketing the landscape， and the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen。 Thank you to Fenella J。 Miller， Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this travel back in time。 。。。more
Cheryl
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This was the story of the way that Joanna， Lady Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah， coped with the changes that the war brought to their lives。 Joanna’s husband， Lord Harcourt， was in France with the army but he had been very strict with his family， only allowing them to do the things he deemed fit。 Now the two women had to mange the household and their dwindling finances。 This was an interesting read， Sarah， in particular showed how resourceful she could be。 It did seem to accurately portray the This was the story of the way that Joanna， Lady Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah， coped with the changes that the war brought to their lives。 Joanna’s husband， Lord Harcourt， was in France with the army but he had been very strict with his family， only allowing them to do the things he deemed fit。 Now the two women had to mange the household and their dwindling finances。 This was an interesting read， Sarah， in particular showed how resourceful she could be。 It did seem to accurately portray the attitudes and lifestyle of the period。 Camp coffee was still used by some people in the 60’s and I can say the taste will never leave me and not in a good way！ There was a romance in the book but as this is the first in the series， there are a number of issues that aren’t resolved。 There are also a number of interesting secondary characters。 I have read a number of books by this author and they have always been a good read。 I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kristina
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The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J。 Miller is an engaging historical novel。 I started reading this story and I was quickly engrossed。 We travel to Goodwill House in Stodham， Kent， England in January of 1940。 It is bitterly cold inside the large and drafty Goodwill House。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah are on their own with Lord David Harcourt away fighting in France。 David only left Joanna with postal orders to handle the household finances since he was sure the war would The War Girls of Goodwill House by Fenella J。 Miller is an engaging historical novel。 I started reading this story and I was quickly engrossed。 We travel to Goodwill House in Stodham， Kent， England in January of 1940。 It is bitterly cold inside the large and drafty Goodwill House。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah are on their own with Lord David Harcourt away fighting in France。 David only left Joanna with postal orders to handle the household finances since he was sure the war would be over in a few months。 When Sarah answers a call from Flight Lieutenant Angus Trent asking if they could house some incoming WAAFs， she quickly agrees。 This is the solution to their problem。 The pay for boarding the WAAFs will give them some much needed income。 When Sarah first meets Angus， she is put off by his attitude。 But after a couple of encounters， Sarah finds herself looking forward to spending time with the pilot。 What does the future hold for Joanna， Sarah， and Angus？ I enjoyed reading The War Girls of Goodwill House。 It is well-written with developed， realistic characters。 I liked Sarah who is seventeen and very grown up for her age。 For the first time， Joanna and Sarah are out from under the overbearing and smothering thumb of David。 With a lack of funds， they need to find a way to earn money。 They have a large drafty house （colder inside than outside） and an RAF base nearby。 It was the perfect arrangement to take in boarders。 Joanna was having to learn a whole new set of skills so she could help manage the house。 Sarah is a capable young lady who wants to become a doctor。 She was accepted at Oxford， but it looks like that will not be possible without the proper funds。 Sarah is a resourceful woman who works to find a way to achieve her objectives。 I enjoyed the authors descriptions of the area， the base， and Goodwill House。 I could envision the places from the author’s word imagery， and I could feel the cold conditions the characters were experiencing。 I thought the author captured the time period。 The War Girls of Goodwill House is a spiffy novel。 I was sorry when I reached the end of the book。 I cannot wait to return to Goodwill House in the next book。 The War Girls of Goodwill House is a captivating tale with a plucky pilot， a deficiency of funds， a polar parlor， helpful houseguests， biting blizzards， a crashed car， and a prospective physician。 。。。more
Karen
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The War Girls of Goodwill House is set at the beginning of the second world war。 Sarah and her mother， Lady Harcourt are rattling around the huge major house not really knowing what to do with themselves since Lord Harcourt had joined the BEF in France。 They soon discover that their finances aren't what they expected them to be and have to make decisions。 Sarah is turning into a strong young woman who knows her own mind and her mother， having been under the control of her old fashione ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The War Girls of Goodwill House is set at the beginning of the second world war。 Sarah and her mother， Lady Harcourt are rattling around the huge major house not really knowing what to do with themselves since Lord Harcourt had joined the BEF in France。 They soon discover that their finances aren't what they expected them to be and have to make decisions。 Sarah is turning into a strong young woman who knows her own mind and her mother， having been under the control of her old fashioned husband for 20 years， is learning to find her feet。 Brilliant women， fantastic novel - I do hope this is going to have a sequel！ Loved it 。。。more
Brenda
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Set at the beginning of WWII in England， The War Girls of Goodwill House is the first book in a fascinating new series。 War changes everything and luxury is becoming a thing of the past。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah， are left to try to make ends meet financially when Lord Harcourt leaves to fight。 Money is in short supply so they decide to take in paying boarders to earn an income。 Bedrooms are numerous in the vast house but heating and servants are scarce。 The Women's Auxiliary Set at the beginning of WWII in England， The War Girls of Goodwill House is the first book in a fascinating new series。 War changes everything and luxury is becoming a thing of the past。 Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter， Sarah， are left to try to make ends meet financially when Lord Harcourt leaves to fight。 Money is in short supply so they decide to take in paying boarders to earn an income。 Bedrooms are numerous in the vast house but heating and servants are scarce。 The Women's Auxiliary Air Force boarders are interesting and enterprising。 Needs must。Sarah is desperate to become a doctor but a lack of funds restrict her。 Her First Aid knowledge， responsiveness and compassion are put to the test several times throughout the book。 Her mother who has lived under the thumb of her husband and general male domination of the times begins to come into her own。 I like her evolution。 Enter RAF officer Angus Trent who helps as much as he can whilst showing interesting in one of the women。 I am curious to learn more about him and his past （surely he has one！） in future books。 There are hints here and there of others' secrets which leaves a lot to the imagination which is a good thing。 And then there is the Dowager。。。this conjures up a lot of possibilities as well！ I am a sucker for cliffhangers and surprise endings but this wasn't really either。。。it was sort of offhand to me and didn't seem to flow。 Still， this is a series to anticipate！Historical Fiction， Women's Fiction and General Fiction readers ought to read this。My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this delightful book！ 。。。more
Trudy Dowling
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Fenella J。 Miller is a new author to me。 The War Girls of Goodwill House has me wanting to read more。 I can't express how happy I am to know that this story is just the beginning of series。 I have become quite fond of many of the characters。 A few， not so much。Goodwill House is an estate that is now almost empty of residents。 The Lady of the House， Joanna Harcourt， is learning to survive on very little with her husband now defending England in France。 I have to admit I always took it for granted Fenella J。 Miller is a new author to me。 The War Girls of Goodwill House has me wanting to read more。 I can't express how happy I am to know that this story is just the beginning of series。 I have become quite fond of many of the characters。 A few， not so much。Goodwill House is an estate that is now almost empty of residents。 The Lady of the House， Joanna Harcourt， is learning to survive on very little with her husband now defending England in France。 I have to admit I always took it for granted that those weren't issues for the aristocracy。 To say this story has been an eye-opener is an understatement。 Luckily for Lady Harcourt; her daughter， Sarah has a good head on her shoulders。 Sarah has dreams of Medical school at Oxford until she finds out there isn't the money to send her。 That won't stop her from achieving her goals， even if they don't fit with society。 Sarah finds ways to keep the manor going。 She finds ways to bring in needed funds all while continuing to work toward a career in medicine。 Their struggles give glimpses into living through WW2。 The reader is shown how a country can come together in a common goal。 The reader learns of the challenges for WAAFs when recruiting is done before plans are in place。 The RAF just wasn't prepared to house them safely。 I loved learning so much more about the RAF in the beginnings of the War as the worked to fight back against Hitler。 Books like The War Girls of Goodwill House teaches us about our history with our the dryness of a history textbook。 The author brought the human touch to our past。 Not all was good。 Not all was bad。 Teamwork and civilian support helped the British succeed。 。。。more
Sue Plant
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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely new book in the new series by this authoran interesting story how a father goes off to war leaving behind his wife and daughter to get on with it。。。and how they made it workby taking in first the ladies from the forces and then others， and seeing how the changes occurred， to how the mother and daughter thought of themselves and were about to grow in themselves。。。its an interesting read and i cant wait for the next on would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely new book in the new series by this authoran interesting story how a father goes off to war leaving behind his wife and daughter to get on with it。。。and how they made it workby taking in first the ladies from the forces and then others， and seeing how the changes occurred， to how the mother and daughter thought of themselves and were about to grow in themselves。。。its an interesting read and i cant wait for the next one in this series as there are some lovely characters in this book 。。。more
Jeanie
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