Harpers Heroes (Harpers Emporium #4) by Rosie Clarke
Genre: Historical fiction, WW1, Sagas
Read: 6th July 2021
Published: 19th November 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
The Harpers Girls come face to face with the harsh reality of the cruelty of war.
Oxford Street, London 1915
Sally Harper quietly battles to keep Harpers afloat in the difficult days of the war, whilst husband Ben is working all hours for the War Office.
Beth Burrows is fighting concern for her husband Jack, now at sea with the Merchant Navy, and the fear she may never see him again and be blessed with a child.
Driven to exhaustion, Maggie Gibbs, is now working as a nursing assistant on the battlefields in France. With the everyday horrors of the casualties of war to contend with she suffers her own personal tragedy when her fiancé's plane ditches in the sea.
Can the Harpers Girls and their loved ones survive the perils of war and find a path to future happiness?
A heart-warming saga following the lives, loves and losses of the Harpers Girls. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Pam Howes and Dilly Court.
MY REVIEW:
Having thoroughly enjoyed "Rainy Days for the Harpers Girls" I was excited to continue the series with the fourth book HARPERS HEROES. And the story really is about the heroes of Harpers, or those associated with the department store through family members or friends, as the Great War begins to touch the lives of everyone. Beginning in 1915 at the height of wartime, the women are doing their best to keep spirits up and the home fires burning in support of their menfolk away in the battlefields and the muddy trenches.
I admit I had to refresh my memory as to where book 3 left off to pick up the stories of the Harpers girls. But once I did, I was soon back in the throng of things behind the counter or walking the floor of Harpers Emporium. I remember the story that touched me the most in the previous book was that of Marion Kaye and in this installment I still have a soft spot for her, what with all she's had to face and the way she makes the best of it all.
HARPERS HEROES opens with Sally Harper, as a new mother to baby Jenny, balances the running of Harpers and motherhood all whilst worrying about her husband, Ben, in his work for the War Office. Whilst rationing has not yet begun for the most part, Sally is finding shortages in many of their usual lines with their suppliers and having to find an alternative way to sell substandard products slightly faulty and not up to Harpers usual standards. But even selling them on for a fraction of their usual price with a donation made to the wounded soldiers, she is able to keep Harpers wheels turning and the business thriving. She trumps Harry Selfridge in buying up all the suppliers' faulty goods and selling them on for a fraction of their price and still making a profit. And if that wasn't enough, Sally has also taken to visiting wounded soldiers and endeavouring to make top surgeons available to the men and to treat them. After calling a Newcastle-based doctor several times to no avail, Sally boards a train and makes the journey to his office in Newcastle to secure his services. Is it any wonder she is admired by all who cross her path?
Beth Burrows has been promoted to supervisor of her department hoping to distract herself from concern for husband Jack who is often at sea with the Merchant Navy bringing in much-needed stock for the country. When weeks go by without word from him, Beth begins to fear the worst. Since her marriage to Jack, Beth has moved into the Burrows home she now shares with father-in-law Fred who also works at Harpers. Her close friend Maggie also lived with them until she signed up for the VAD as did Miss Minnie until her marriage in the previous book to Mr Stockbridge. Beth spends a lot of time supervising her department and caring for the girls working under her, but when some devastating news arrives from the War Office, Beth fears her world is about to collapse.
The youngest of the original Harpers girls, Maggie Gibbs left the store to join the war effort. Leaving behind her job, her friends and all she knows, Maggie signs up to the VAD as a volunteer nurse's aid and heads to the front for six months in a field hospital. The work is hard and it's gruelling but Maggie believes she is making a difference to the soldiers she helps - some of them in their final hours. Secretly engaged to Jack Burrow's brother Tim, Maggie keeps this fact secret as nurses must be unmarried and unencumbered of children to be able to devote their time and energies to the patients they help care for. Her hope is that if she can help the men, then she is also helping Tim who is with the Flying Corps. The couple hoped to meet up when they both had leave should Tim ever be in the vicinity of the hospital where Maggie is stationed. But she has heard little from him since being in France and she hasn't seen him in months. Does this mean the worst? Or that mail is taking its time getting through? Even on her toughest days, Maggie continues to have hope that they will be reunited again soon and marry when the war is over and she returns to Harpers.
Newly married Rachel Bailey has been promoted to floor walker, overseeing all the departments throughout Harpers and greeting customers. Her husband William is also heavily tied up with his work with the War Office and is absent more often than he is at home. Taking comfort in her friends when she feels a little lonely, Rachel is thrilled when Sally introduces her to the hospital that she herself frequents comforting the wounded soldiers who have returned from the front for lengthy treatment or convalescence. It isn't long before Rachel finds her niche there and no longer accompanies Sally but rather visits the soldiers herself, giving hope where it's needed.
Marion Kaye is a recent addition to the store but is already part of the Harpers family. Her story which was tragic and heartbreaking in the previous book now thrives as Marion finds her feet both personally and professionally. After the tragic death of her mother at the hands of her abusive father, Marion holds the fort at home caring for her younger siblings - Kathy, Dickon and Milly - whilst her older brothers Dan and Robbie are off fighting the Hun. Marion is lucky to have the help and care of her neighbour Mrs Jackson to take in 7 year old Milly after school while she is at work. She had recently been stepping out with neighbour Reggie Jackson but refused his offers of marriage because as the oldest sibling her brother and sisters' care falls to her to do what she can to keep them fed and clothed. But now that Reggie is also away fighting, Marion worries that she may have missed her chance at happiness should something happen to her Reggie. Then when a knock at the door one day reveals her brother Dan's heavily pregnant wife, Marion doesn't hesitate to take young Sarah in and between them the two women have the Kaye household soon running smoothly. Until the day Marion returns home to find Sarah in premature labour. Marion has seen her mother give birth enough to know what to expect, but is she able to do enough to save Sarah and the baby?
Harpers' resident window dresser, Mr Marco, surprisingly left the safety of the Harpers family to sign up and do his bit for the war. But whilst in training, he was singled out by his superiors for his fluency in French, German and Italian as well as his musical ability. He was therefore placed undercover as a nightclub singer playing the piano in an establishment with dubious links to the enemy. He befriends a young German officer who slips him tidbits of information that Marco moves up the Resistance chain to help thwart the German's advance. But his cover is threatened when the young officer is captured for leaking information. Will he buckle under torture and unveil Marco as a spy?
Meanwhile, there are other stories that are intricately linked to one another from Britain to France between Harpers and those on the frontline from Sally to old friend Mick Sullivan to Maggie to her colleague and friend Sadie to love interest Pierre to Marco. The way they entwine is cleverly done as the details of life at home and those on the front are woven together against the backdrop of the Great War.
There is so much detail in HARPERS HEROES that the stories are quite complex and very involved but wonderfully written. It is an enjoyable read, particularly Marion's story which touched me in the last book also. I have to say I think she is my favourite character probably because of where she comes from and all she has had to endure and yet still she picks herself up and keeps going regardless. The other woman seem to a little more privileged than Marion which is maybe why I relate to her more as she has had to work for her place. Though each character has definitely grown and evolved over time.
I think I enjoyed the previous one more because there was an undercurrent of mystery and subterfuge running throughout whereas this one is more a collection of stories amidst a war. It is still a great read and I definitely recommend it but I think it is best read in order from the beginning, though there is enough information to keep the reader up to date from previous novels. I did feel the book simply ended with no real direction and the following book is really needed to continue the story.
I already have the next book "Wartime Blues for the Harpers Girls" lined up to read next in anticipation of its release (which incidentally was yesterday).
I recommend this book and the series to lovers of historical fiction and wartime dramas.
I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #HarpersHeroes in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Rosie loves shoes, especially those impossibly high heels you can buy and has a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choos but can't wear them so they sit on the mantlepiece.
Rosie also writes under the name of Anne Herries and Linda Sole.
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