Victory Bells for the Harpers Girls (Harpers Emporium #6) by Rosie Clarke
Genre: Historical fiction, WW1, Sagas
Read: 1st May 2022
Published: 3rd May 2022
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Can the Harpers Girls look forward to some happy times as a new dawn rises over London?
Sally Harper is busy juggling running London’s Oxford Street Store Harpers and looking after her beautiful new-born daughter, whilst husband Ben is overseas on another dangerous mission, this time to rescue a friend in need.
Young Becky Stockbridge finds herself in a difficult situation which could bring shame to her and her family. Will Becky, with the help of her friends find her happy ever after and keep her secret?
Marion Jackson is blessed with a son as she eagerly awaits the return of her husband Reggie. But all is not right when Reggie returns. Is Marion strong enough to save her family from yet another crisis?
As the war clouds retreat and the victory bells ring, tears and joy mingle with those of sadness as the world counts the true toll of war and celebrates peace.
MY THOUGHTS:
What a delightful addition to the Harpers Emporium saga series! I have truly come to love each of the characters and look forward to meeting up with them again. I can easily say that this is one of my favourites and I eagerly await each new installment.
VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is the sixth book in the series although it can be read as a standalone. But to appreciate it completely I recommend starting from the beginning, although I have yet to read the first one. Ironically, I didn't enjoy the second Harpers book but then it was my introduction to the series and I felt a little lost when I began it. However, since then I have enjoyed each and every book and will endeavour to revisit the second book after diving into the first one to see where it all began.
It goes without saying with a title like this, VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is set towards the end of the war although it is not the focus of the story. It is more about each characters' personal victories in the wake of the armistice and how the war has changed them and their loved ones. It is more about where the Harpers girls go from here now that the war has ended. By the book's end, there is an opening for a new direction for the girls which sounds promising.
While each book has been a different story, the Harpers store has been the one constant throughout as the girls have made new friends and supported each other through difficult times. Some became VADs to assist nurses at the Front whilst others did their own bit to help keep the home fires burning. And now that the war was coming to an end, what will it mean for the Harpers girls and their loved ones? And how will the changes affect them all?
The year is 1918 and after four years of constant battle and tragic losses, everyone hoped that this year would bring an end to the war. And as the chink in the enemy's armour begins to widen, we see a new hope of peace begin to materialise. But no one is untouched by the ravages of war and we see the impact that it has had on the girls, their loved ones and families. The often dismissed notion of "shell shock" (that we call PTSD today) is introduced as is its effects on some men, one character in particular, despite it being dismissed by many at the time. The challenges that were often faced with returning servicemen and that of their families at home eagerly awaiting their return, only to be presented with a shadow of the man they used to be. And while there is an obvious happiness at being reunited, there was also a quiet sense of unease and anxiety. For those that did return left pieces of themselves behind on the battlefields.
For Harpers, the unavailability of items that were easily sourced prior to the war lead Sally Harper, wife of owner Ben Harper, to come up with some imaginative alternatives. As a run store encased in family values, where there is a need the way is thus paved with hope and opportunities. Harpers cares for its employees and loved ones and so a new direction is offered. Childcare for women who need to work while their men are away at the Front. Returning servicemen needing quiet space, compassion and understanding. And thus opens new doors for the Harpers girls.
Then with the end of the war in sight comes a new enemy - the Spanish flu. Beginning in the trenches, it spreads its tentacles far and wide to the home front the world over as women and children fall victim and succumb, often quickly, leaving family and friends devastated. No one is untouched.
This heartwarming, and often heartbreaking, story is filled with births, marriages and deaths - hatches, matches and dispatches - as each characters' lives are changed in ways they may never have foreseen prior. Sally welcomes the birth of her newest baby, Becky Stockbridge harbours her own secret pregnancy to find love where she least expects it and a much-loved character the focus in a previous story succumbs to the new pandemic. We revisit the original Harpers girls - Maggie and Colin as they make a new life for themselves with the possible adoption of children in the midst, Rachel and William also make a new life but away from the bustling life surrounding Harpers, Beth is reunited with husband Jack after years at sea, Sally keeps things running at Harpers whilst husband Ben is away on yet another secret mission. As well as the newer Harpers girls in Marion, Becky, Sadie and even Minnie.
As the saga moves on, so too do the characters as change brings opportunity and new hope. Families grow while some dwindle. The ebb and flow of life as the war comes to a close bringing with it joys and sorrows. While there may be new hope, things will also never be the same again.
VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is a wonderful addition to this heartwarming series as each of the characters' lives face challenges and change. I have loved watching them all grow and blossom through adversity and shine in spite of it.
I have enjoyed the journey I have taken with the Harpers girls but I must say I think VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is my favourite thus far. There is just something about it that offers new hope and promise. And I cannot wait for the next book to see where the girls will go from here.
A delightfully epic read that is a joy to lose oneself in, VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is a feel-good read that marks the end of an era in history and offers a new hope for those who have survived the Great War, both at home and on the Front. Can be read as a standalone, but wholly recommended to enjoyed in order from the very beginning so readers can get to know each of the characters as they grow and evolve over the years.
A wonderful heartwarming series, VICTORY BELLS FOR THE HARPERS GIRLS is a fantastic addition that I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to more from Harpers and whatever is to come in the future.
I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #VictoryBellsForTheHarpersGirls 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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