The Highland Girls at War (The Highland Girls #1) by Helen Yendall
Genre: Historical fiction, Wartime fiction, WW2, Sagas
Read: 6th November 2022
Published: 4th November 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Can the Highland girls prove everyone wrong?
Scotland, 1942.
The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women’s Timber Corps, arrive in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country – but they’re also all looking for something more…
Lady Persephone signed up to show everyone she’s more than just a pretty face – but it’ll take more than some charm and her noble credentials to win handsome Sergeant Fraser over.
Tall, strong Grace has led a lonely life working on a croft, with just her mother for company. All she wants is to find her place in the world – even if that’s a thousand miles from home.
And Irene misses her husband terribly, so until he returns home from the frontline, she’s distracting herself with war work. But one distraction too far leads to devastating consequences…
Can the Lumberjills get through their struggles together – even when tragedy strikes? Don’t miss this poignant and heartwarming WW2 novel for fans of Rosie Clarke, Dilly Court and Rosie Archer, from the author of A Wartime Secret.
MY THOUGHTS:
Beginning in 1942, this book focuses on a different aspect of the war rather than the usual WAAFs, Wrens, Land Army or ATS. It tells the story of the women who joined the Women's Timber Corp (WTC) and in this case, they are situated in the remote and largely unforgiving Highlands. The work is hard and the conditions harsh. Who'd have thought women would be felling trees? That was man's work, as society saw it. And so did many of the women before being recruited.
I am happy to say that this is the first in a series, particularly with how it ended, leaving everything open-ended and just more than a few loose ends. But what will the future hold for the remaining women of the WTC? And who else will join their ranks?
The story opens with one Lady Persephone Baxter-Mills (which is something of a mouthful), Seffy for short, at her Aryeshire estate (or rather castle) doing nothing but growing bored with...well, doing nothing! She has only her best friend Emerald's wedding to look forward to and even then she has been subjected to wearing the most awful bridesmaid dress in lime green!
So when her brothers, twins Percy and Tol, arrive home with the exciting news that have joined up with the RAF, Seffy couldn't be outdone, announcing that she was also signing up. Her parents and brothers laughed. Seffy? Lady of the manor? Born for nothing but marriage and breeding? Join the forces? With such an amusing announcement, nobody could believe she would last a week but they laid a bet of £10 that she wouldn't last a month...to which her father upped the stakes by cutting off her allowance for the interim. That should do it...or so they thought.
After her initial interview, she was recruited to the WTC and she with the belief that she would be working with the horses. Upon arriving at the camp, Seffy is shocked at the conditions. How is she to survive? But survive she must. She meets the other women allocated to her lodgings. Grace had lived her life with her mother on a small farm but decided she wanted something more. Her mother had not been impressed. Irene was working in a teashop when she saw the Women's Land Army marching passed with one of them telling her about the WTC, after which she marched back into the shop and handed in her notice. She had a husband away in the forces whom she hadn't seen in two years. Hazel was a slip of a woman who has lost her husband and her dog in a direct hit in their shelter. There was also Jean, Joey, Morag and Enid.
Seffy was looking forward to making some friends...but that was not to be when she immediately rubbed everyone up the wrong way with the way she talked and acted. She meant no harm but she had no idea she came across as condescending and looking down on them. As if that wasn't bad enough, the work was beyond hard and after the first day she was ready to toss it in and go home. Almost. But then she remembered the bet she had with her brothers and father who thought she wouldn't last five minutes. She just HAD to prove them wrong; that she could do it.
Then word reaches the women of the Canucks (Canadian Forestry Corp) stationed nearby and they are eager to meet these men. Soon they are enjoying dances, movies, boat rides and a little canoodling under the stars when they are not felling trees and lugging them via lorry to the sawmill. It isn't long before friendships and romance bloom between some of the lumberjills and the CFC servicemen.
Seffy is even surprised to discover her Aunt Dilys living in a castle of sorts nearby and takes to sneaking some of the women there for a much-longed-for bath. This goes some way into endearing her to the women somewhat, despite some still thinking she is a stuck up madam. Before long, Seffy proves her worth amongst the women and becomes a valued member of their group.
But tragedy strikes the women at their core, leaving one of the women risking her position with the WTC and Seffy blaming herself. Can she move past what happened and prove to her family that she was made for more than just marriage and breeding?
THE HIGHLAND GIRLS AT WAR is a delightful easy read set in the Scottish Highlands from the summer of 1942 through to the winter of 1943. I expected there to be more focus on the war given its title but was relieved to discover that it is merely a backdrop for the main story...which is that of the women doing man's work, working as lumberjills felling trees, and their subsequent romances and dalliances. It is enchanting without the sheer sadness that usually floods wartime fiction and readers will fall in love with Seffy, Irene, Grace, Jean and the others. Dilys is also an interesting story arc having worked for the Forestry Commission (later renamed the WTC) in WW1, as is her companion Marigold. I really enjoyed those two affable women.
I do have one complaint though...and that may well be because I'm so used to it in other books...and that is I'd prefer it if the narrator of each chapter was named at the beginning of each so that we are aware of whose narrative it was, despite the narrative changing mid chapter several times (which could have made way for it becoming another chapter). I don't know, it may just be me but it did make it difficult to follow whose narrative I was reading when it ended up being Callum instead of Seffy or Irene or Grace. If not named, then each particular narrative made clear as to who it is would be a little more helpful.
Overall, THE HIGHLAND GIRLS AT WAR is entertaining and am easy compelling read. Perfect for fans of wartime fiction. And I look forward to discovering what happens next...as I really didn't like the way it ended.
I would like to thank #HelenYendall, #Netgalley, #HQStories and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheHighlandGirlsAtWar in exchange for an honest review.
A lumberjill
MEET THE AUTHOR:
She studied English and German at Leeds University and has worked in a variety of roles: for a literary festival, a university, a camping club, a children’s charity and in marketing and export sales. But her favourite job is the one she still has: teaching creative writing to adults.
Although a proud Brummie by birth, Helen now lives in the North Cotswolds with her husband and cocker spaniel, Bonnie. When she’s not teaching or writing, she likes reading, swimming, tennis and walking in the beautiful countryside where she lives.
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