March, 1942: new mother Alice Milwood is itching to return to her job as a shop assistant at Liberty’s.
Despite her husband still being missing in action, Alice is determined to give baby Arthur the best possible start. She soon settles back into the rhythm of life on the shop floor, and the Liberty Girls rally to help keep everything on an even keel.
But when the American GIs start swarming into London, there are more complications to come. And each of the Liberty Girls has their own impossible storm to weather.
As they each fight their battles on the home front, only their close friendship will give them the strength they need to carry on.
Many thanks to Random House UK,Cornerstone for my copy via NetGalley of The Liberty Girls to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
The Liberty Girls by Fiona Ford sees us return to the world famous store for a second time as we follow a group of remarkable young women who work there during the difficult war years. It has been several months since I finished Christmas at Liberty's, a book which I really loved so admittedly it take me some time to re-familiarise myself with the various characters and their back stories. But once I had things fresh once again in my mind thanks to little recaps here and there which I think would also be helpful for readers new to this series, I really did settle down and enjoy this story that took me back many years to a time where women always showed such great strength, courage and determination.
I have never been to the Liberty's store that that the women who feature in this book are so passionate about but Fiona Ford makes me feel like I have. Such detailed research must have been undertaken in order to make the spirit, unity and uniqueness of the shop come alive on the pages. I feel as if I was there with the girls as they worked in the various departments and did their best to keep the shop they believed in up and running when world events were conspiring against them. The Liberty Girls balanced perfectly the daily dramas that went on inside the doors of the world famous shop alongside the issues and problems the girls faced in their own personal lives at home. How they come together to form a unit that goes way beyond friendship and one which ultimately develops into a special family and makes for a heartfelt story.
The characters are all complex and some have many flaws but it is how they manage to deal with what life throws at them during the war years that makes this a compelling read. The majority of the characters that we had been introduced to in book one do feature again although some take on more secondary roles as our attention really focuses on Alice Harris. In a brief prologue set in June 1930 we are given an insight into her upbringing and life situation. Things are not easy for her as her father was a criminal who due to a sticky situation abandoned both Alice and her sister Ivy for a life in America. Their 'Aunt Dot' continued to care for them and as we move forward to 1942, Dot still features very much in Alice's life.
In fact Dot is the matriarch figure for all the girls who work at Liberty's and she is now starting to job share with Alice. Dot is someone who they feel they can turn to in times of a crisis and Alice relies heavily on for her childcare for her young son Arthur. They share a house together which becomes a focal point for the girls where they can gather and share the good times and bad. Most of the story is told from Alice's point of view and we get a really in-depth insight as she to how she is coping with raising Arthur, keeping her job at Liberty's and just getting through each day while she waits of news for her husband Luke who is missing in action.
Alice seemed to be someone who was juggling a lot of balls in the air and returning to work and finding changes afoot at Liberty's was not what she needed. Times are challenging but Alice and her friends know they have a roof over their heads, food on the table each evening and a group of great friends who would always support each other no matter what happens. Liberty's had always been the one constant in Alice's life where she can work to earn money to do her best for Arthur but she also enjoys the camaraderie and spirit that is evident amongst the girls. The girls feel that they can survive whatever life throws at them but as various things are sent Alice's way which are trying and difficult to manage, will she crumble or will she emerge stronger and resilient out the other side?
Alice was a new mum who was just trying to do her best. She was bright with a huge heart but I thought she was in danger of making some bad decisions at various points during the book. She was put under pressure with things coming at her from all directions. Ivy, her sister makes a reappearance claiming to be back on the straight and narrow and seeking somewhere to stay. Surely you can't turn away your own flesh and blood even if you have your niggling doubts as to their true intentions. I loved the way Fiona Ford wrote the character of Ivy because like Alice - Dot, Mary, Flo and Rose all believed that she was a reformed person having unleashed the shackles of her fathers bad deeds and that she just wanted to get on with her life and turn positive into negatives. In one chapter you felt that she was on a good road and had taken Rose under her wing and then in another chapter you thought hold on a minute what exactly is she up to.
I loved how throughout my opinion of Ivy changed several times over and that it showed you have to give people the benefit of the doubt until the truth finally emerges be it good or bad. I say she took Rose under her wing because Rose was still very much suffering in this book as the traumatic event that had previously befallen her had had such a huge impact on how she could live her life on a day to day basis. Alice, Mary or Flo couldn't get through to her at all. She had become a shell of a person to what she was before and I hate saying this but at times I felt no sympathy for her situation because she was just being so nasty and mean to people who had been her friends for so long and helped her in her hour of need. Rose was full of hatred and anger and wanted to isolate herself from the Liberty's family and it caused consternation, frustration and worry for people who truly did care for her. I thought the Rose/Ivy plot-line was brilliantly written and I thoroughly enjoyed all the drama that unfolded surrounding it.
There are numerous strands to the overall plot which kept the book moving along at a good pace despite the initial slow start. Beatrice Claremount is appointed the new boss of the girls department at Liberty's and she is a wagon of a character who has no time for pleasantries and lays down strict rules that must be adhered to. She makes life a misery for Alice but I loved how Alice stood up to her even though she herself got in trouble from the powers that be. This is a prime example of where I thought Alice needed to not make rash and poor decisions but at the same time it showed what heart Alice had and she hated to see such injustice was being dealt at the hands of Beatrice. At one point I did think what was going on with Beatrice was too similar to a storyline in book one with matters of the shop floor but then I suppose there had to have been drama in the shop as well as in the girls home lives as this provided opportunities to show how they could come together and work as team to overcame adversity and manipulation. I thought the reason for Beatrice's carry on was slightly weak given how devious she had been. I wanted something a little bit more substance as to the reason for her actions, I felt a better explanation was needed.
As Alice battles on the shop floor to keep the job she loves with all her heart she also has a lot to deal with on the home front. So when the American GI's arrive into town and she meets one on an overnight work trip she cannot be blamed for engaging in a dance or two and allowing a friendship to develop given how lonely and under-appreciated she feels with regard to her marriage. She faces many conundrums and decisions and it was brilliant to read as to how she navigates work, love, being a mother and a sister whilst keeping the friendship and togetherness of the Liberty Girls alive. Will Alice choose the right path when faced with so many choices? Will she have to compromise her integrity or will she just follow her heart? Will she listen to the advice of those that know her best?
No doubt about it many threats and demands are sent in the direction of Alice and the Liberty Girls which also keep the reader intrigued and guessing until the very last moment. The latter half provided us with so much drama and that's why I am really enjoying this series because it's not all shop based which could become slightly mundane and run of the mill yet at the same time amidst all the tension, misconduct, angst and misfortune there is a brilliant rapport, good will and affinity amongst the girls which was undoubtedly needed during such difficult times. My only disappointment is that I will have to wait until next year for the third instalment in what is shaping up to be a brilliant series as Wartime at Liberty's will not be with us until February 2020.
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