Changing Times at Harpers (Harpers Emporium #7) by Rosie Clarke
Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Post-WW1
Read: 30th May 2023
Published: 1st May 2023
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
London Spring 1920
Harpers is beginning to flourish once more after the end of the war but for Sally Harper the problems continue. Husband Ben is moody, sometimes distant, and she feels he is shutting her out at home and at work, but why? It takes a terrible tragedy to make them realise their love and respect is still true.
The ladies and girls who work at Harpers continue to battle with problems in their own lives.
Marion is still trying to reach her war-damaged husband and Lilly is battling with her pain and shame.
It’s a period of transition for all.
The doors of Harpers are busy welcoming new and returning staff whilst bidding a fond farewell to others. This is the beginning of a new era and there is a fresh buzz of excitement in the air.
MY THOUGHTS:
Once again we revisit the wonderful girls of Harpers Emporium in this seventh installment of this delightful series. With each book, I have come to love the women and almost feel I've become a part of each of their lives. We've seen many come and go, watched the changes that the war brought them, seen the havoc at home both as a result of the war and other factors. Though some of the original Harpers girls have married and moved on, they still feature from time to time throughout and still have a part to play in the story. The main focus in this installment are Sally, Marion and newcomers Andrea and Lilly.
It's 1920 and it's been two years since the end of the war and Sally almost succumbing to the Spanish flu after the birth of her son Peter. But having recovered fully she has returned to work at Harpers part time, dividing her time between the store and home. Now with rationing behind them, Sally is now able to enjoy ordering stock from abroad again and the shelves throughout Harpers are bulging with stock once more. Business is good and Ben, who has returned from his secret work with the War Office, is busying expanding Harpers and into the restaurant trade with Jack Burrows who has also returned from the Front and to his wife Beth, one of the original Harpers girls. And while she no longer works at the store, she still features throughout the story alongside Sally.
Now that the war is over, times are changing and no one wants to return to the way things used to be before the conflict began. Women had taken up positions previously occupied by men who had gone off to fight for King and country. But now they are being forced back into their previous roles as wives and mothers, their roles in keeping the country running now forgotten to make way for the returning menfolk. Some are happy to return to the home whilst others prefer to be out earning a wage. For those who are lucky enough to work at Harpers, Ben and Sally have always put the needs and happiness of their staff first. For the war widows who are also mothers, Harpers have a creche for them to be able to bring their children to work with them and be reassured in the knowledge that their children are being looked after while they provide for them.
The rise of the Suffragettes, or Women's Movement, is becoming more prominent once again now that the war is over, having paused their cause for the greater need at home of banding together. But now they have an even bigger following as women, now having a taste of independence during the war years, are now wanting to have more of a say and equality alongside their male counterparts. Whilst many men who have returned from the Front not only have physical wounds but they also carry the mental scars that being in such a brutal conflict brings. The psychological impact on those affected is being referred to as "shell shock".
Marion Jackson's husband Reggie, who was always so full of life and carefree, is one such afflicted with the mental scars of war. Since his return from the Front, he has been in a care home for the past two years and Marion longs to have him home again. But each time she visits him ends in tears with harsh words exchanged and Marion left wondering if Reggie will ever return to her. She still lives in the house she shared with her mother and siblings, still raising her youngest sister whilst caring for her young son Robbie, named for her brother who never returned. Her work at Harpers has seen her promoted to assistant window dresser alongside Mr Marco and her increase in wage allows her to go in part time whilst running a home as well.
We meet a couple of new faces in Andrea Martin, supervisor to the "hats, bags and jewellery" department, and assistant Lilly Ross. Andrea is a war widow and putting her teenage son through boarding school but is a lonely woman which often comes across as bitterness. Lilly is a younger version of Marion, having to care for her invalid mother and her younger siblings at home whilst working full time at Harpers to support them. However, she has caught the attention of Ben Harper and some of the other staff have noticed causing gossip to begin. But Ben saw such a sadness in Lilly's eyes that he couldn't help but want to do something more for her to help her situation...starting with a promotion to counters, much to the annoyance of Andrea Martin who felt the promotion should have been run by her first. Unfortunately, Ben's attention of Lilly has caused unwanted attention elsewhere, creating trouble for everyone involved. And Lilly also has some trouble of her own...
Meanwhile, Sally finds herself the target of some unpleasant business and sets out to get to the bottom of it and uncover the culprit. Mick O'Sullivan has returned to British shores with some unexpected wealth and bringing with a new venture. He waltzes into Harpers one day and sets out to charm a member of staff who takes instant offence at his cheek and inappropriate behaviour.
And then tragedy strikes when a sudden illness befalls one of their own. And only then does all involve realise with shock and devastation just how important and fragile life is. Family is important and Harpers is a family of sorts, looking out for and after each other.
As always, the Harpers series just gets better and better. I love how everyone is like a family and how they all band together. I actually love this series more than Ms Clarke's Mulberry Lane series which I also enjoy. There is just something about Harpers. I did however get increasingly frustrated with Lilly's constant self-blame of a situation over which she had no control. Yes, it was a common belief at the time but I felt it was unnecessarily rehashed at every opportunity. The only other flaw I found was in reference to the heir to the throne as Prince Edward. His name was David and he only took the name Edward when he became King, albeit for a short time before abdicating.
The main theme throughout this story is to highlight that times are changing. Women are no longer content to remain at home and, having had a taste of independence, they want more for themselves. And while the suffragettes are taking up the cause for women who are being forced back into their previous roles, we see the returning men aren't the same as the men who left for war. Times are certainly changing - for both Britain and Harpers.
This is a wonderful series and I have read each one of them since Book 3. I shall have to go back and re-read the first two, with the second one I didn't enjoy the first time round. I think that was because I hadn't read the first one and I felt like I had stepped into the middle of a conversation and felt completely lost because I knew no one. I look forward to going back to where it all began when I find the time. And I look forward to what's in store for the Harpers and their extended family of sorts next! I just wish we didn't have to wait so long...
I would like to thank #RosieClarke, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ChangingTimesAtHarpers 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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