REVIEW: The Women of Fishers Wharf by Tracy Baines

The Women of Fishers Wharf (Fishers Wharf series #1) by Tracy Baines

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas

Read: 15th October 2022

Amazon

Published: 17th October 2022

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Great Grimsby, 1912

After the death of his father and brother, newlywed fisherman Alec Hardy decides to make a fresh start with his young wife Letty and move from Lowestoft to the thriving fishing port of Grimsby in search of a brighter future.

Young Letty is from farming stock and knows nothing of the hard life as a fishermen’s wife but is willing to leave behind her warm hearted and loving family and embrace the challenge.

But where Alec goes, so does his widowed mother, Dorcas and she has yet to come to terms with taking second place in her son’s life. She resents her son’s choice of wife and the two women clash.

With Alec at sea for weeks on end and with her grieving and bitter mother-in-law as her only companion Letty seeks escape among the streets of Fish Dock Wharf.

Can Letty help them break free from the shadows of the past or will she be bound by Dorcas’ insistence that they cling to the old ways?

MY THOUGHTS:

I've read and enjoyed Tracy Baines' Variety Girls series but this book THE WOMEN OF FISHERS WHARF is so much better! Maybe it's the era that's different that I like without the usual wartime background, I'm not sure. But it is a wonderful historial saga tale set in the North East in 1912 around the fish dock wharves and the community it surrounds.

Letty Hardy is a young idealistic young women, having just married the love of her life Alec who is a fisherman. She made the brave move from her life on the farm to Grimsby with her new husband and his mother so that Alec can find work on a fishing trawlers. But she didn't anticipate just how hard life in Mariners Row would be, and how much harder it would be with her mother-in-law Dorcas.

Alec finds work almost immediately on the Black Prince as a third hand, leaving Letty at home with his mother. The two women do not get along, Dorcas showing her disapproval at her son's choice of wife obvious. In her opinion Letty knows nothing of the fisher wives way of life, having come from the land not the sea. And try as she might, Letty cannot seem to reach an even keel with her mother in law. They cannot see eye to eye on anything - from braiding nets to their neighbour Anita to Letty's volunteer work at the mission to her desire to make something of herself and helping to support them while Alec is at sea. Each time Letty tries to extend an olive branch Dorcas rebuffs her, both women stubborn in their own way. But Letty wants more for herself than threading needles and braiding nets for the menfolk and Dorcas sees that as a snub at their way of life.

Whilst out looking for work one day she was lead to the Parkers, where she offered her services on a trial basis. Letty knew she could turn this business around and make it profitable again. And despite Percy Parker's reticence, he soon warmed to young Letty who not only brightened the poky old shop but their lives as well. Meanwhile Alec was making plans of his own. He wants his skippers ticket so he could man his own boat and one day take ownership of a fleet of trawlers of his own. 

Life in the fishing community is a hard one - for the men who brave the rough open seas and for the wives at home waiting for the safe return of their menfolk. Some make it back, some don't. The community around he fish docks is a thriving one and they each look out for their own, doing what they can to help. And when tragedies strike, they rally around.

All the characters in this tale are warm and welcoming, even the ones who aren't come around. Everyone helps each other and friendships are formed. THE WOMEN OF FISHERS WHARF is an easy read and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the easy style with which it is written, drawing the reader into the story and keeping us there throughout.

I can't wait to see where this saga takes us next and eagerly await the second book. Although it is the first in a new series, it can easily be read as a standalone. But the characters are all so warm and inviting you just want to revisit them again.

A perfect easy read for those who enjoy historical sagas.

I would like to thank #TraceyBaines, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheWomenOfFishersWharf in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tracy Baines was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. When she was eight her parents took over the management of the pub opposite the pier, The Pier Hotel. One of the rooms had been closed up and her father reopened it as a music venue bringing performers such as Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Billy J Kramer and Billy Fury to start the ball rolling.

So began her love of live entertainment, and with something of a virtual free pass, Tracy and her sisters got to see many variety performers who appeared in summer seasons and pantomimes on the end of the pier show.

From the age of sixteen, Tracy worked backstage during summer seasons, pantomimes and everything else in-between on the pier.  She met her husband when he was appearing with the Nolan Sisters and she was Assistant Stage Manager.

The first two books in the Variety Girls series are set in Cleethorpes, in the square mile that was her childhood home.

Tracy lives in Dorset with her husband and springer spaniel, Harry. Her children and grandchildren live close by.

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