🎄Festive Read ~ A Christmas Miracle for the Railway Girls by Maisie Thomas

 

Penguin
13 October 2022

Railway Girls #6

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

Manchester, 1942. There are surprises in store for the railway girls this festive season...

When Cordelia's daughter Emily falls for a young chap who doesn't meet the approval of her father, Cordelia is reminded of her own first love - a love that she has never forgotten.

Mabel is determined to get to the bottom of a spate of local burglaries. Her heart is in the right place as she sets out on a quest to clear her friend's name, but there will be unforeseen consequences.

It's nothing short of a miracle when Colette returns to Manchester. But it's not going to be easy for her to keep living the life she once knew, and an impossible situation lies ahead.

There will be more than one storm for the railway girls to weather but with the friendship and support of one another, there's hope that all will be well by Christmas...

📖 My review..

It’s always such a treat to be back in Manchester with The Railways Girls and this latest story, set in 1942,  is particularly poignant as it sees the return of a much loved character with a storyline which really tugs away at the heart strings. As we have discovered in previous stories, the railway girls are a very close knit bunch and whilst they are all from very different social backgrounds when the going gets tough they all pull together. There is a true sense of camaraderie amongst the women who, in their various roles, do so much to keep the northern rail network functioning, and even with the threat of bombs dropping around them they still maintain the stoic war time spirit of making do, and carrying on regardless.

I’ve spent a few delightful afternoons in the company of this strong set of women who refuse to be beaten by whatever life throws at them, be be it sheltering from falling bombs, organising a Christmas Eve children’s party or the rescue of a much loved friend. Within any of the books in this series there is a real sense of how the Second World War impacted on daily life and it’s all so beautifully recreated by a skilful author who has developed this delightful series into something rather special. 

Whilst this one definitely has a festive feel to it, it is perfectly possible to read the story at any time of year. However, as this is book number six in the series I would advise that you start right the beginning with the first book as that way you will find so much to enjoy in this popular series and will grow to love the railway girls as much as I do.

A Christmas Miracle for the Railway Girls is every bit as wonderful as I hoped it would be and is the perfect escape from the stress of a hectic Christmas.  

🍴Best read with..Colette’s potato floddies and a strong cup of tea.

About the Author

Maisie Thomas was born and brought up in Manchester, which provides the location for her Railway Girls novels. She loves writing stories with strong female characters, set in times when women needed determination and vision to make their mark. The Railway Girls series is inspired by her great aunt Jessie, who worked as a railway clerk during the First World War. Maisie now lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her railway enthusiast husband, Kevin, and their two rescue cats. They often enjoy holidays chugging up and down the UK’s heritage steam railways.

Twitter @MaisieThomas99 #AChristmasMiraclefortheRailwayGirls

@PenguinBooksUK

🎄Festive read ~ Christmas with the Railway Girls by Maisie Thomas

 

Penguin
11 November 2021

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

Manchester, 1941

Christmas is the season for family and friends, and this year the railway girls will need each other more than ever.

Cordelia appears to have the perfect life. When her daughter Emily arrives home unexpectedly, she can't wait to introduce her to her friends. But when things don't go to plan, Cordelia must decide where her loyalty lies.

Things aren't going too smoothly for Alison either. Her beloved boyfriend has yet to propose, but there's a charity fundraiser dance and she's dressed up specially. Surely, tonight must be the night.

Colette's friends are envious of her devoted husband; he meets her after every shift on the railway, and accompanies her around town. But Colette has a secret, one that will change her life—if only she knew who to confide in.

With the festive season fast approaching, the railway girls are hoping for some Christmas magic..

🎄My thoughts..

It's such a treat to join the railway girls as they quietly, and confidently, go about their collective war work, on the northern rail network, during WW2. For those who have read the previous books in this lovely series this is the welcome return of old friends and we pick up the story pretty much where The Railway Girls in Love finished. 

It's been interesting to see the development of these characters over time and whilst this story focuses the attention on Cordelia, Alison and Colette, it's always so good to see the gang reunited as they set the world to rights in their regular meet ups in the railway buffet. There's a warmth to these stories which really captures the imagination and whilst this book tackles some sensitive issues about relationships, it does so with an uncanny knack of seeing right into the heart and soul of the matter. I'm being deliberately vague as to the ins and outs of the story as this is one of those books which you want to sink into without any spoilers from me!

Beautifully written with a strong sense of time and place and a wonderful supporting cast I found Christmas with the Railway Girls to be quite an emotional roller-coaster of a read, and with my thoughts firmly fixed on one character in particular I really hoped that everything would work out well. There's such strong authenticity to the stories that it really makes the war time era come alive in the imagination, from making do and mending, to always being there for one another in times of crisis. I found myself smiling at the thought of the railway girls reusing Christmas wrapping paper, time and again, as that's something that my own mother, herself a young woman during WW2, frequently did, much to the amusement of the rest of us. Years after the war ended, my mother would never scrunch pretty paper and throw it away !

As a northerner what makes these lovely stories so special for me is the sense of making the best of a situation which is so much a part of our genetic makeup. It is really lovely to see the same traits coming through in the Railway Girls who, infinitely kind, always make the best of what they have and share, regardless of their social class, a deep and abiding friendship with each other. Whilst there is an undeniable nod towards Christmas, this is a story which can be read comfortably at any time of the year. My only advise is to read the books in the order they were published as that way you will grow to love these characters just as much as the rest of us do.

Reading Christmas with the Railway Girls is the perfect antidote to festive stress.

About the Author

Maisie Thomas was born and brought up in Manchester, which provides the location for her Railway Girls novels. She loves writing stories with strong female characters, set in times when women needed determination and vision to make their mark. The Railway Girls series is inspired by her great aunt Jessie, who worked as a railway clerk during the First World War. Maisie now lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her railway enthusiast husband, Kevin, and their two rescue cats. They often enjoy holidays chugging up and down the UK’s heritage steam railways.

Twitter @MaisieThomas99 #ChristmasWithTheRailwayGirls

@PenguinBooksUK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Railway Girls in Love by Maisie Thomas

 

📖 Thrilled to be part of this Blog Tour 📖

Arrow
15 April 20201

Railway Girls #3

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Love is in the air, and together the railway girls can overcome even the hardest of times.

Mabel has finally put the past behind her, and her relationship with the dashing Harry is stronger than ever. That is, until an old flame shows up, leaving Mabel questioning her future.

Meanwhile Joan has made amends with Bob - if only she could do the same with Gran. And there's still that family mystery she wants answer to, isn't there?

As a mother and grandmother, Dot Green has always put her family first. Her job as a parcels porter has brought new purpose to her life, so is it finally time to start following her heart . . .

Life as a railway girl is busy but as war rages on and air raids disrupt daily life, the women realise they need each other more than ever, especially when there might be wedding bells on the horizon.

📖 My thoughts...

This is the third book in The Railway Girls series of historical novels and it continues to focus on the lives of Mabel, Joan and Dot as they go about their lives working on the railways during WW2. In this latest novel, the girls are working just as hard, helping to keep the railway network running, but with the effects of war biting ever harder, the women need to pull together even more. The support that each of the women give to each other is what makes this series so special.

There's a lovely familiar feel to the story, and returning to Manchester, in 1941, is like coming home, especially as we have grown to love and admire both the stoicism and northern good humour of this group. Meeting again with Mabel, Joan and Dot is just such a delight, especially, as in this novel, we look more at their personal relationships, and with a hint of love and marriage on the horizon for one of the characters, it shows off the wonderfully warm camaraderie which has developed between these lovely women. Simple survival on the home front is very much in evidence and the author writes with a lovely light touch, showing what life was like during the early years of the war when our towns and cities were a target for German bombers. 

There's a great deal of research needed to maintain a successful historical series and the author does a great job at bringing wartime Manchester to life. Like all towns, Manchester had its share of war time tragedy and I think this stoicism in making do and mending is what comes across so beautifully in The Railway Girls in Love, as even on a bad day when things are going wrong for them, they simply get up, and with strength and humour, they carry on with their lives.

Whilst it is perfectly possible to read The Railway Girls in Love as a standalone saga, as with all series, it is better if you start at the beginning in order to appreciate this author's skillful ability to bring place and people alive, and enjoy getting to know, and love, The Railway Girls.

About the Author

Maisie Thomas was born and brought up in Manchester, which provides the location for her Railway Girls novels. She loves writing stories with strong female characters, set in times when women needed determination and vision to make their mark. The Railway Girls series is inspired by her great aunt Jessie, who worked as a railway clerk during the First World War. Maisie now lives on the beautiful North Wales coast with her railway enthusiast husband, Kevin, and their two rescue cats. They often enjoy holidays chugging up and down the UK’s heritage steam railways.

Twitter @MaisieThomas99 #RailwayGirlsinLove

@arrowpublishing