The Guernsey Girls (The Guernsey Girls, 1)
This first novel in a new series by author Mary Wood follows the developing friendship between two young women: the wealthy Olivia Riverstone and her aunt’s maid, Annie Freeman. After a train derails in 1936 whilst Annie is accompanying Olivia to London (where she is to begin her studies in French, German, and Russian), Annie is rewarded for her heroic efforts to save Olivia by being offered a position as Olivia’s permanent companion – a job she eagerly accepts. United by their shared trauma, Annie and Olivia’s relationship goes from strength to strength as they help each other navigate their respective experiences of love and heartbreak, as well as the difficulties of pursuing their vocational ambitions as women in the mid-20th century. However, with concerns about Hitler’s rise to power becoming ever pressing, it gradually becomes clear that Annie and Olivia’s personal struggles are not the only battles they must face. War is on the horizon, and the two young women must prepare to join their nation in the fight against the Nazi regime.
Fans of Mary Wood’s previous works will be delighted with her latest publication, which stays faithful to her usual blend of historical fiction and romance. She delivers the personal accounts of the lives of two young women set against the backdrop of pre-war Britain and demonstrates how people struggled to balance the coexistence of individual and national worries in a world on the brink of major conflict. While still dealing with ambitious and interweaving plots, the development and pacing of the storyline in The Guernsey Girls are more convincing than in some of Wood’s previous works, which often relied too heavily on plot twists and shocking events to advance the narrative. A heart-warming tale that encourages resilience and hopefulness in the face of adversity.
