Sunderland, 1942: Polly's heart and her future are hanging in the balance…
Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news.
The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin.
As the war continues, the shipyard girls must support one another as they bravely soldier on.
Many thanks to Arrow publishing via NetGalley for my copy of Courage of the Shipyard Girls to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Courage of the Shipyard Girls is the sixth in the Shipyard Girls series by Nancy Revell which follows a group of women working in one of Sunderland's busiest shipyards during World War Two. I've been following this group of extraordinary, courageous, hard working and determined women right from the very beginning and each and every one of them has established a firm place in my heart. Nancy Revell has built up a strong set of characters each with their own troubles and strife’s to deal with amidst the backdrop of war.
I love how some characters come to the fore in one book but then take more of a back seat in the next. Having a significant amount of women to focus on, if each book featured them all in a prominent role I feel the author would be stretching the storylines far too thin and for the reader the books would become hard to follow, having to focus on too many people at once. Each character wouldn't get their time in the spotlight that they deserve to highlight their issues and share their experiences with the reader. No character is ever forgotten about and we always still get to see a continuation of their various storylines but in this book it is Polly and the traumatic situation that has befallen her alongside a major turning point for Helen that is the main focus.
You have to have hope until you know for certain is one of the main themes running through the book and this couldn't be more apt than for Polly. Her fiancée Tommy Watts has been declared missing, presumed dead whilst clearing mines from boats in Gibraltar. Polly is devastated and this heartache pervades throughout the book as she can't begin to fathom that she may never see her beloved again. The author wrote so tenderly yet realistically of the sorrow and pain of not knowing for certain what had happened to Tommy. But as the title suggests courage, bravery, belief and hope must still remain a part of Polly because until something is confirmed she will not give up believing that Tommy could still somehow be alive. Polly was in very real danger of completely falling apart, of breaking away from the unit the women have created through their work welding in the shipyards. I felt she wanted to become distant, lost in her own thoughts of grief but also anger that this had happened to Tommy. But the women wouldn't let that happen. They were there for her every step of the way and if needed they would have propped her up and encouraged her to keep going for that is what Tommy would have wanted
That's what I love about this series, apart from all the brilliant little storylines all bubbling away since book one, some of which are starting to reach a climax, is the focus on the strength of the bonds of friendship the women have established. These links are beginning to go beyond friendship to mean something an awful lot more. They have become like one large family, a sisterhood which can never be broken despite what hardships and struggles the war throws in their paths. Led by Rosie, whose storyline had a significant presence in the first few books, these women are all unique and special in their own ways but when they come together they are a force to be reckoned with and will always band together to help anyone who needs it. Rosie didn't have as much of a role to play this time around given her new husband Peter is away doing his bit for the war but I sense in the next book things are about to get an awful lot more complicated for Rosie.
Gloria too, has had very significant storylines in the past but here I felt she very much took on a supportive and encouraging role for Helen. Gloria was almost the mother figure Helen lacks in her life and at a time when she needs it the most. Gloria had gotten to know Helen better, she could see beneath the façade that Helen had created and that underneath it all she was weak and vulnerable and needed someone to give her the right advice and support she so desperately needed. All the other girls dislike Helen intensely, and to be honest they had very good reason to, but since the previous book as I have seen a softer side to Helen, I am really starting to warm to her and this book confirmed that feeling even more. Helen really has been through the wringer and has been taken advantage of and discarded by more than one person. She feels abandoned and used but at the same time she is filled with a rage for what has happened and I thought the way she exacted her revenge was not over the top but rather subtle but at the same time there was force and true strength and resilience behind it.
As for her family members, well her mother Miriam is one of the most evil characters I have read about in a long time. The way she treats Helen is abhorrent and the hold she has over people and the strings she is pulling should never have been allowed to have happened. She is a despicable person and I really hope that in the future she very much gets the comeuppance she truly and utterly deserves. I want certain things to come out in the open to see the reaction of others. She should have been loving and caring towards Helen especially in her situation but she was the exact opposite and that's why I am glad that Gloria was there to step into that role. I'm not saying that relationship came quick and easy, nothing in life does but I am enjoying seeing both women strengthen the bonds of friendship into something more. They are both aware of the bigger picture and are working towards achieving a more positive outcome for everyone. They say a leopard never changes its spots but Helen is undergoing a transformation and it is a joy to behold. I only hope the other girls will be able to see this too. As for the introduction of Dr. John Parker and his role in Helen's storyline, I hope this will turn into something more in the future. Things are simmering along nicely and I am keen to see what direction the Nancy Revell will take Helen's storyline in next.
Courage of the Shipyard Girls moved along at a nice pace and advanced each persons storyline, some perhaps more so than others, but I have come to expect that with this series of books. I know whoever we didn't get to see much of this time around will feature more heavily in the next book or two. I'm really enjoying this series and observing how things are progressing for the women. The topics dealt with are relevant to the time but also all the time is the constant worry and threat of fearing for loved ones away fighting or else that bombs will fall upon them taking someone they love dearly. The last quarter of the book had me rapidly turning the pages as a spectacular scene fraught with tension, worry and danger unfolded. It was brilliantly written and my heart was in my mouth throughout. I couldn't believe what was unfolding before my eyes and there was more than a mild sense of panic that permanent heartache and devastation would ensue. Things got a little too close for comfort and I think all the characters felt that too. As for that final page, well that has certainly set the cat among the pigeons and I was gutted the book had to end with so many questions and an even more intriguing storyline that was being set up.
Courage of the Shipyard Girls was another enjoyable read from Nancy Revell that has solidified how much I love this series. Thankfully there will be another book to come later this year when Christmas with the Shipyard Girls will be published.
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