In 1938, in the riverside town of Erith, Sarah, Maisie and Freda have arrived for their interviews at F.W. Woolworths. After instantly hitting it off, the trio’s biggest concern is will they each be given one of the three available positions?
The girls quickly form a firm friendship and are taken under the wing of Sarah’s Nan, Ruby. However, two of the girls are hiding a secret from their past, ones that they believe could ruin everything. Little do they know that in the coming months their hearts and heads will face a greater test.
With World War II looming over them all, will the choices they make be considered reasonable or rushed?
Although Elaine Everest is an accomplished author, The Woolworths Girls is her debut novel, and what a debut it is! Everest writes effortlessly and has a real talent for transporting the reader to another time. As a lover of historical fiction, and this era being my particular favourite, I did enjoy the twist on the usual narrative. In this book war is merely a back drop, one that does have a great effect on the story itself but is not the sole theme. Instead we see the weight war brings to the home front, how the women were required to step up in the workplace and the daily worries they faced.
The characters are completely beguiling; Maisie is lovable from the get go with her larger than life nature and her quick wit. Freda although quieter than the other girls is strong-willed and loyal and of course Ruby, the feisty matriarch with so much love to give. Even Vera, the nosy neighbour, had me laughing out loud. The only person I didn’t particularly warm to was Sarah, as the main character I felt her story, although most typical of this time, was a little lacklustre.
This is a tale of family and friendship, difficult decisions and hard work that shouldn’t be missed.