Reviewed by Emma Crowley
1952, Liverpool. The Second World War has cast a long shadow over Victory Street, and who knows if the remaining families will ever fully recover?
In the face of hardship, Bella Harrison is determined to see the bright side. She is back recording songs with her singing trio, The Bryant Sisters, and against all odds, Bella and her husband Bobby are finding ways to muddle through life as newlyweds whilst raising little Levi, Bella’s child with Black American pilot Earl Franklin Junior.
Meanwhile Earl’s daughter Dianna is adjusting to her new life in Liverpool. Determined to forge her own path, she has her heart set on becoming a nurse. However Dianna soon discovers that the reality of nursing is long hours of gruelling work, performed under constant scrutiny from the dreaded matron – who seems to take pleasure in making Dianna’s life miserable. When a handsome art student catches her eye, Dianna finds herself at the crossroads between ambition and love.
But just as the young women settle into their new lives, the close-knit community of Victory Street is rocked once more. Can the daughters of Victory Street face their challenges together, and seize a chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of The Daughters of Victory Street to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
The Daughters of Victory Street is the fourth in the Bryant Sisters series by Pam Howes. Don’t be apprehensive by the fact that we are fairly deep into this series and you may be a newcomer to it. It is very easily read as a standalone as the author provides plenty of information as to the background of the characters and what has happened to each of them and how they are all connected. In fact, said background information was very useful for me as a refresher as it had been some time since I had read book three. But soon it all came flooding back to me and I found this to be another, quick read following the ups and downs of Bella and her extended circle of family and friends. It’s not a taxing read by any means but is just perfect for when you need something light and not too hard going. You quickly become invested in the goings on of all the characters and it’s great to see how they have all evolved since I first read about them. The addition of new characters is always welcome too and helps push the book on and expand it out from the range of characters that I have become very familiar with.
It’s 1952 and the war is long over but it’s effects are still being felt with rationing still in place but for Bella and her family but they make the best of every situation they find themselves. They are doing well with the entertainment business set up by Basil and Earl and there is a great sense that everyone is one big happy family be they related or not. That’s what I love about these books it’s the sense of community, love and friendship that is evident with every turn of the page. They have all been through so much and are always there for each other through thick and thin, the good times and the bad. They share in each other’s laughter and jubilation when warranted but are also there to offer sound advice or a shoulder to cry on when needed.
Bella is the stalwart of the family and there is a slight shift away from her in this book as the attention turned to Earl’s daughter Dianna. Earl wanted her to follow him into the entertainment business and form a singing duo with her brother Levi but you could sense her reluctance from the start. She was a young girl who knew her own mind but at the same time she doesn’t want to let her father down or be a disappointment to him. But I don’t think he would ever think of her in that regard. She studies hard in school and gets the place she so desperately wants on a nursing course. But times are sent to try her and the issue of race plays an important role in Dianna’s story the further I delved into the book. It’s important to have such a theme included in a book set during this time because this issue was becoming all the more prevalent in society at the time and this issue has always been present since book one. Dianna being the only black girl in school wasn’t easy. She was teased about her colour and mixed up family and this only makes her long to follow in her aunt’s footsteps and become a nurse. The theme of race was dealt with well here but could have done with even more fleshing out than was given. We see Dianna mature and grow and to be honest by the end of the book she had turned out very different than from when I had first read about her and I was surprised at the turn of events in her life path.
There are a lot of characters to become familiar /reacquaint yourself with and perhaps a character list at the beginning would help readers new to the series. At times even I found myself double checking as to who was who. I enjoyed the plot regarding Bella and Bobby’s young daughter but again I felt there was a lot going on with everybody that plots, be they major or minor, were rushed along in order to fit in as much as possible. Given it was a short book I don’t think having a few more pages added wouldn’t have done much harm and added some needed depth in places.
Bella is back singing with the Bryant Sisters and I’m glad we got an insight into how Fran and Edie were doing. Fran has certainly been through the ringer and it’s like she is still on the run or in hiding because of what her husband put her through. She has a lonely existence and misses her old life so it was brilliant to see with some gentle encouragement from her friends that love and care for that she was ready to take steps back to the life that she deserved because unless she had been given that little shove I think she would have remained forever alienated and done nothing about it. Fenella, Basil, Mary, Martin and many more all feature and each have their brief storylines. One in particular took me by surprise and I have to say I was sad to see it happening. I was really hoping that Pam Howes wouldn’t allow the inevitable to happen but I suppose life isn’t all a bed of roses and one has to show the bad times come almost as much as the good times in some cases. There was lots that happened in quick succession as I neared the end of the book and at times it did feel slightly rushed as if events were being sped through.
Overall, The Daughters of Victory Street was a delightful, entertaining and pleasant read despite some of the issues I have outlined above. It felt like a catch up with old friends and there is warmth and family relations at its heart. Given the abrupt ending I feel one more based on these characters would round off the series nicely.
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