Foxden Acres

Sisters of Wartime England #1

by Madalyn Morgan

On the eve of 1939, twenty-year-old Bess Dudley, trainee teacher and daughter of a groom, bumps into James, heir to the Foxden Estate. Bess and James played together as equals when they were children, but now James is engaged to the more socially acceptable Annabel Hadleigh.

Bess takes up a teaching post in London but when war breaks out and London schoolchildren are evacuated she returns to Foxden to organise a troop of Land Girls.

Traditional barriers come crashing down when Flying Officer James Foxden falls in love with Bess. But by this time Bess has come to know and respect Annabel. Can she be with James if it means breaking her best friend’s heart?

And besides, Bess has a shameful secret that she has vowed to keep from James at any cost…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, World War II, War, Ebooks, Fiction, Historical Romance

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Madalyn Morgan has been an actress for more than thirty years working in repertory theatre, the West End, film and television. She is a radio presenter and journalist, writing articles for newspapers and magazines.

Madalyn was brought up in a busy working class pub in the market town of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. The pub was a great place for an aspiring actress and writer to live. There were so many wonderful characters to study and accents learn. At twenty-four Madalyn gave up a successful hairdressing salon and wig-hire business for a place at E15 Drama College, and a career as an actress.

In 2000, with fewer parts available for older actresses, Madalyn learned to touch type, completed a two-year course with The Writer's Bureau, and began writing. After living in London for thirty-six years, she has returned to her home town of Lutterworth, swapping two window boxes and a mortgage, for a garden and the freedom to write.

Madalyn is currently writing her third novel, China Blue, the third of four books about the lives of four very different sisters during the Second World War. First and second novels, Foxden Acres and Applause, are now available.

Visit Madalyn Morgan online:

The Foxden Acres Website: https://sites.google.com/site/foxdena...

Non-Fiction Blog: http://madalynmorgan.blogspot.co.uk/

Fiction Blog: http://madalynmorgansfiction.blogspot...

Actress website: http://www.madalynmorgan.com/

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

NB. Historical error. The 11+ was introduced in 1944 (not in 1939 as stipulated) when it allocated children to Grammar, Technical and Secondary schools according to their abilities and preferences. It was a bid for equality in the 1944 Education Act.

The theme of the book had a lot to commend it. The era is particularly interesting when there are two generations involved in the horror of war and shortages. The imagery is excellent and reflects the era perfectly. I felt it had so much going for it and then it collapsed. It was sketchy in parts, the characterisation flimsy and it was over-detailed in other parts. The show was too lengthy and detailed - I lost interest. It did move the plot on in any way. The rape didn't seem credible - more semi-consensual and cringe-worthy in its handling - stuck in as a sensational secret? Although the worse for wear with drink & from a sheltered background I think Bess was too smart to have been so stupid. She would have recognised Dave as damaged, a manipulator, a predator, an opportunist and at least distrusted being led down a stinking alley. What did she think he was going to do? Bess is a flighty kind of character. Although sacrificing so much and working so hard to be a teacher she gave it up too readily in my opinion, having been in a similar situation myself many moons ago. Even allowing for the school's evacuation and her crush on James. I enjoyed parts of the story but felt it needed considerable editing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

[Brianna Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying there is a pretty triggering scene involving a rape in this book so be warned. I didn’t love the huge misunderstanding that occurred with James towards the end. Just felt like they wasted time and then he goes off and dies. Semi-anticlimactic. I did like the story of how they had to farm and work during the war. A good glimpse of the efforts it took.

🌀Synopsis
Bess is teaching in London when the war breaks out. Knowing it is not safe for her there she takes the offer to return to her old home of Foxden acres to work what they are turning into a farm.
She’s secretly thrilled to be going back to see her old friend James too, someone she’s actually in love with. The trouble is he’s engaged already so Bess keeps her distance.
Until one weekend when his fiancé is away and James and Bess spend time together. She quickly comes to her senses when the fiancé returns and Bess sees them embracing. Determined to end the relationship, Bess ends contact with him. Feeling guilty, she confesses to the fiancé who turns out to be engaged to someone else. She seems out James just before he is shipped off to war and tells him how she really feels.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was captivated by the cover of this book and, as I love the World War 2 era, I downloaded it onto my Kindle. Madalyn writes well and the narrative sprints along nicely. This is an easy read about a wartime romance. The main character, Bess, is captivating and I desperately wanted her and James to get together. The only thing that spoilt the book for me was the use of the letter as a plot device. Madalyn used this twice, and I felt cheated. To use a letter to add a plot point is a bit of a get-out and smacks of 'lazy writing' (sorry, Maddie!). I love the way Madalyn writes about female friendship. I got a great sense of camaraderie amongst the land girls and the other female characters. This novel is very well researched and I loved the local references (Rugby, Bruntingthorpe, Coventry). Madalyn sets the scene to the novel brilliantly. I look forward to a follow-up book in the near future.

[Debbie Viggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning debut novel. At times I chewed my nails. At other times I cried. But I also felt my heart lift. This book has it all - tension, love and loss all against a backdrop of a bygone era. A great drama in all. I look forward to reading about the other Dudley sisters who, I believe, each have their own story to tell.

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is 1939 and Bess is looking forward to completing her teacher training in London. Then she must decide whether to look for a post in the city or return home to the countryside near Rugby. Her happy childhood was spent playing and riding on Foxden Acres estate where her father works but her affection for James, son of Lord and Lady Foxden is unlikely to be returned since she is not of his class. Returning to London, her handbag is stolen, but she is rescued by Natalie Goldman and her husband Anton. They talk to her about the increasingly dangerous situation in Germany for Jewish families and they become good friends.
On the outbreak of war, life is turned upside down for Bess, her family and her friends. When the school where Bess teaches is evacuated out of London, she is asked by James to return to Foxden Acres to help organise the conversion of the estate into arable land with the assistance of a team of Land Army girls. James has joined the RAF as a pilot while her brother Tom has signed up as a soldier.
This novel gives a wonderful picture of wartime life for families and those who served on the Home front. Long hours of hard work are interspersed with the tragedy of air raids and the loss of dear friends. The best and the worst of humanity is revealed in the events of the plot. It is both inspiring and upsetting but is also a tribute to love and friendship. I can’t wait to read about the other Dudley sisters.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxden Acres is book one of the Dudley Sisters Saga, WW2 Historical fiction with a romantic theme.

The book opens with a prologue, a family group wait at the station for the arrival of the train bearing soldiers coming home from the war.

Chapter one turns back the clock; pre-war, New Years Eve 1939. Bess is a trainee teacher in London, her father works on the Foxden estate, she has grown up riding the horses on the estate. Allowed to borrow books from the estate library, Bess is caught tip-toeing out by James.

Keen to get to know the grown up Bess more, James suggests they meet in London, but this isn't their destiny, war breaks out and Bess is offered the job turning Foxden into a productive farm supplying home grown food for the nation. She finds herself busy with land girls and a makeshift hospital for war veterans.

Whenever James visits their friendship blossoms, despite social barriers, but will he ever be free to love Bess in the way she wants? And will Bess ever feel good enough for James?

This is a cosy read for those who like light war time family sagas.

[Elizabeth Ducie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading is such a subjective activity. What you want to read can depend on the weather, the time of year, the time of day and especially the mood of the reader. Well, the next time you have one of those ‘I just want to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea and a plate of crumpets’ days, Foxden Acres, the story of Bess Dudley and her team of Land Girls, would be an ideal reading choice.

Madalyn Morgan’s debut novel made me smile; it also made me cry. It even made me nostalgic for an era I am too young to remember. It is a gentle story, set against the background of WWII, where most of the characters are good, kind and happy most of the time, despite the horror of the times, but it has enough tension and twists to keep the reader interested right to the end. I really enjoyed Foxden Acres and am looking forward to reading about the rest of the Dudley sisters.

[Anne Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story and felt involved with the characters from the start. Ms Morgan has painted a wonderful family background for our heroine, Bess Dudley, surrounding her with love. So many modern stories seem to omit family backgrounds, often conveniently killing them off in a car or plane crash. Bess is a newly qualified teacher but is asked to return home at the start of the war to help run the Foxden Estate. As the request came from James Foxden, whom she has loved since a child, she cannot refuse. The bulk of the story is what happens on the state during that time while finding an all too-brief happiness with James. I shall look forward to reading the other two books in the Dudley sisters trilogy.

[Reading Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foxden Acres is about Bess the daughter of the man that takes care of the horses for the wealthy Foxden family. Bess becomes a teacher but the war starts. Bess is offered a position to return home to be over the Land Girls that will help turn Foxden Acres into a crop farm. Bess is also in love with the heir to Foxden Acres James. I didn't care much for this book because it didn't have enough of anything... Didn't have enough romance, didn't have enough experiences cultivating the farm, didn't have enough information about any of the characters...just wasn't enough for me. The story was fine and some part entertaining but because it didn't have enough of anything, I found it all to be unrealistic. I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at the end.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Foxden Acres, the story itself was great, but also the historical point of view gave another layer of interest.

The plot was a bit of a rollercoaster at times, and I laughed at times, cried a little, and would recommend this to all fans of historical drama or romance books.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series later on.

[Sally Stackhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book is nicely written, the time jumps are a bit disconcerting.

Certain things are described in minute detail but the conclusion of that particular event are rushed.

The landlady is a bit of a harridan but then becomes a maternal figure, also her love life doesn’t seem to be in keeping with her character.

Such a shame it didn’t seem to come together for me.

[Julia Ibbotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The time period and place were wonderfully depicted and the story held my interest throughout. Well recommended.

[Karin Jenkins]

A good holiday read. Likeable characters and an interesting storyline on the background of the WW2 home front.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a satisfactory novel about love, loss, renewal and the powerful role of the women's land army in World War Two. Bess Dudley wants to become a teacher and works hard to achieve her goal and lives in Ms McAllister's lodging along with Miss Armstrong and Molly, where they are all very close. Her father and brother are groomsmen to the wealthy Foxden family of Foxden Hall. Bess and James Foxden, who is Tom's friend have known each other for a long time since they were children. Bess has been in love with James for a longtime, but the war is looming and once it is declared, both she and James go their separate ways. James enlists in the RAF and Tom goes into the Army, and is involved in the Dunkirk operation, and his feelings when he returned briefly on leave were post traumatic. Because of the evacuation of schoolchildren, Bess is made redundant and accepts James's invitation to turn the farms of Foxden into arable land, as well as keeping an eye on and taking care of the convalescent hospital. Bess, along with several ladies join the land army and began to cultivate and harvest crops and take care of agriculture by haymaking and milking the cows and driving the tractor to name a few, with the help of Mr Potter and the housekeeper. The Land girls worked very hard to produce fresh food and work the land, whilst farmers enlisted in the military. The majority of the Land Girls already lived in the countryside but a lot of them came from London and the industrial cities of the north of England. I loved the camaraderie of the countryside and how during wartime, people were kind and decent enough to help each other out in times of crises. Just before the onset of World War Two, Bess finds herself in a harrowing situation and doesn't feel worthy and pure after it, and struggles to tell James her true feelings towards him. This is further complicated by the fact that James's female companion and potential suitor Annabel Hadleigh comes into the picture. Although Bess doesn't take too kindly to her at first, the two women eventually become very close friends after working together in the land army and the hospital. Annabel becomes a great chracter. And because of this, Bess feels guilty about her relationship with James because both the Foxden and Hadleigh families hope for a potential engagement between James and Annabel. There are of course misunderstandings when it comes to James and Bess, which I felt could have been resolved if Bess actually listened and sort out the situation earlier. However, quite abruptly, this issue is resolved nearing the end, when Annabel has eyes for someone else very close to Bess. But fate in war, is not very kind to James and Bess and they sparingly see each other-to be honest I couldn't feel that invested in their relationship due to the frequent time constraints, as well as their interactions. They enjoy a very fleeting happiness together but left it a bit too late in my opinion. But nonetheless, what they had was could have been something more real and authentic had they developed their relationship more strongly within time. I loved the Dudley family, especially, Thomas Dudley who supported Bess in her dreams. The ending was quite sad and very abrupt as Bess resolves to move on from her suffering and hopes to start again and that happiness was quite unexpected and confusing . But it does makes you wonder how the people who fought on land, sea and air and the people on the homefront, struggled to find peace within themselves amongst the horror and devastation they suffered during the war. The air raid scenes were realistically portrayed and people scrambled to find shelter when they heard the sirens during The Blitz. The Goldman family and their three children, as well as servants were very good to Bess but the way her ordeal was dealt with was too quick and didn't feel realistic enough for me, and others as they also struggled to escape the horrors of Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany and come to England. Overall, this was a good, satisfactory novel. A lesson I learnt from this book was don't leave important things left unsaid regardless of what others might think, because in the end, you could regret it your whole life long. It is important to let people know they matter to you.

[Arabella Wraye · Rating 1 out of 5]

Graphic assault scene

I love land girl books and generally all British wartime books. For the most part, they are uplifting. This book started out really bland and tbh, I was getting bored. Then out of no where, the main character is raped. In detail. I went from bored to what just happened. The entire scene seemed out of place and a if the author just need to add some drama. This is a DNF for me.

[ROCKY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a well-told story, no complicated slipping about in time, just a lovely book with a really engrossing story that it was a real pleasure to immerse myself in, full of wonderful settings, the period detail well researched and presented.

Bess was such an endearing heroine, eminently likeable and suitably feisty – her dilemma was very real, faced with the moral constraints of the time, and I really felt for her. The class divide felt realistically drawn – I enjoyed the blossoming relationship with James, and the way their story twisted and turned on misunderstandings, those very real human dilemmas that have the potential to be fairly easily resolved but rarely are.

The writing is excellent – realistic descriptions, lovely scene setting, natural dialogue, and some deft handling of the more emotional parts of the story (I’ll admit to watering eyes at some significant moments!). And I did like the glimpses of the other members of Bess’ family who will be taking their turns at centre stage in the books that follow. A lovely way to spend an afternoon or two, whisking you into a different world and time – I’d really recommend this series.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

This was an entertaining read of life in rural England during World War II.
Bess had trained to be a school teacher, and had just begun her career, when she was called back to the country where she had grown up to take charge of a group of Land girls on the local estate.
Tears were shed while reading this, but there was also laughter and romance.
I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really loved this book a tale of love and war,Bess is a lovely girl who has a good heart but one night in london changes her.She finds that after a short time working as a teacher she must change her job so she goes back to Foxden to oversee all the changes to Foxden Hall.I can highly recommend this book well worth 5*

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming tale set in WWII England, showing the traumas of war and how women stepped up to the plate, to organise the land and become Land Girls.
Believable characters and it was well written.
First in a series and it held my interest enough to seek out the 2nd book in the series.
Thanks @ArtScribblerDJ @stormpublishing & @netgalley for the eARC

[LESLEY HEDISON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just very slow and very vanilla, sickly too predictable

Hopefully the follow-up books will be a little more down to earth and realistic..........
This was read in one afternoon

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war years in and around London have intrigued me lately. So informative reading something outside an American take on WWII. Light, easy reading. I will read more in this series.

[Chloe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Foxden Acres is the first book in the Sisters of Wartime England series from author Madalyn Morgan.
To start with the things I enjoyed about the book, I liked the chapters set during Bess’ time in London, particularly the exploration of her life living in the boarding house. The relationship between all of the lodgers and their landlady was lovely and had the potential to be a great book within itself. I also really enjoyed any chapters featuring Natalie and Anton Goldman who were fantastic characters with big hearts. The way they looked after Bess in her time of need, despite her being a complete stranger, was fantastic and the exploration of their lives as European Jewish refugees rebuilding their lives in London was really interesting. The focus on the 1930s theatre industry and the running of a popular London theatre was also interesting.
I did also think that the focus on the land girls and their contribution to the war effort was well explored, despite being a little slow-paced at times. Seeing them set up a hospital for soldiers recovering from Dunkirk was really interesting also as was the exploration of Bess’ brother Tom’s PTSD.
Unfortunately, the narrative had significant shortcomings, particularly surrounding the amount of depth aspects of the story were explored in. Chapters frequently ended very abruptly leaving things unanswered and the narrative repeatedly jumped forward in time resulting in significant events within the plot not being explored at all. We also had examples of characters being mentioned in passing, so appearing rather insignificant, then suddenly appearing to take on an important role in the story.
Bess and James’ romance was also incredibly difficult to root for, despite it being at the centre of the narrative. Firstly, for the majority of the book there really isn’t this deep love story at all and it’s merely the teenage fantasies of a young girl pining for a man who is already in a relationship. And then when we do see a spark between them there is constant miscommunication which gets incredibly tedious. We do eventually see them confess feelings and start to pursue a relationship but, as Bess thinks James is engaged she is actually conducting what she believes is an affair with the fiancé of a close friend. This felt completely out of character, even if she had been hopelessly pining for the man for the majority of the story, so I just couldn’t root for their relationship.
All of this aside however, my primary issue with the book was the use of the rape scene which did not feel well placed within the narrative whatsoever. I assumed when it happened that it would play some later role in the story, such as through an exploration of the lasting trauma Bess has as a result but this just wasn’t the case. Aside from a very brief exploration of the days following her assault, Bess very much carries on as normal and it’s not really mentioned again until she’s starting a sexual relationship with James. I wondered in this moment if we’d get the powerful exploration of Bess’ trauma that I really wanted from the book but she practically just shrugs it off like it was nothing. This was really disappointing and left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth for the rest of the book. I think as an author if you are going to chose to feature a rape or sexual assault scene within your narrative you have a responsibility to portray it properly and with due concern to the lasting trauma an event like that can have. Foxden Acres really did not do that and I personally think that if you’re not going to portray topics like this properly then the plotline should have therefore been removed from the narrative altogether.
Overall, I was regrettably really disappointed with this novel. Whilst it did have some strengths, and could be of interest to anyone with an interest in the history of land girls, the significant weaknesses mean that it is a 2* read for me.

⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This is a nice coming of age story set in WWII England. I enjoyed the story over all, but the romance storyline is rushed & clichéd.

[What I liked:]

•This book reminds me a bit of Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher, in that it’s a coming of age story of a young woman during WWII in the UK. You might like Foxden Acres if you liked Coming Home. It isn’t set in Cornwall, but most of the story is set on an idyllic country estate.

•I like Bess as an MC, for the most part. She is capable, independent, & caring. She needs some advice in the love department, but fortunately this is a historical fiction book & not a romance novel so that plot line didn’t dominate the story.

•The ending is mostly nice. I’m glad Tom got his happy ending at least.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•There is a very long, drawn out, detailed r*pe scene. More detailed and graphic than it needed to be imo.

•The MC doesn’t actually know the man she’s supposedly in love with, besides childhood interactions. I get her having a crush, but her extremely strong feelings aren’t based on reality. Then, she has an affair with him while she believes he’s still engaged to someone she considers her friend, because she loves him so much she can’t say no. It would have been more believable if we actually got to see them interact & fall in love.

•Then the MC breaks up with this guy due to a misunderstanding which wouldn’t have happened if she didn’t refuse, multiple times, to just talk to him 🤦‍♀️

•There are quite a few clichés & contrivances, including a romantic Airport Scene, someone getting amnesia, and someone declared MIA winding up at home very soon after.

•None of the characters get much character development, except for the MC & Tom. There was a lot of room for me to like & get to know the supporting cast better.

CW: racism/antisemitism, r*pe, PTSD, infidelity, physical violence against an elderly person, war deaths & bombing deaths, major character death

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Linda McCutcheon · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"When two people have laughed together in adversity they will become good friends."

Bess Dudley develops relationships that she never thought would have existed before WWll hit home in book 1 of Foxden Acres, The Dudley Sisters Saga, by thorough author Madalyn Morgan.

At 20 years old Bess has lived an idyllic life on Foxden Acres in England as the daughter of the horse groomer. As a child she played with the Foxden heir James but now her feelings for him have become more amorous and she knows they can never be together because of their class distinctions. She heads to London to become a teacher.

Just as she is adjusting to her new life the bombs hit London and life changes forever. She heads back to Foxden Acres to help train Land Girls to farm and help feed London's military.

There's something so sincere about narrator Mira Dovreni in her performance of Bess as she sees her home and their lives uprooted by this war.

While James fights in the war Bess believes he loves the proper Annabelle and tries to reconcile herself to their relationship but when she sees him on leave all the feelings come back. How does she deal with these emotions? How does she continue her friendship with Annabelle? Will she ever love again?

This writer has obviously thoroughly researched Land Girls, horse groomers and England's countryside during WWll. I felt the ending was a bit rushed and there was a death that made no sense to me. Also, the epilogue told me things that I wished I experienced the characters going through at the time. Still I was engaged in their lives and already downloaded book 2 of this 8 book series to continue the journey at Foxden Acres.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

**This Review Is For The Audiobook**

[Shelley Quezada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxden Acres is historical fiction set against the backdrop of England at the beginning of World War II. It is the coming-of-age story of Bess Dudley who grows up as part of a family of overseers who work for a wealthy estate. Bess and her brother Tom are sympathetically portrayed as workers who enjoy a close relationship with James, heir to the Foxden Acres. Bess goes up to London to complete her teaching certificate. As conflict begins, she is called back to the Foxden estate to help oversee the stables and manage the Land Girls assigned to turn pastureland into agricultural production. At just 21 Bess has a long-lasting affection for James that is complicated by social class and her misunderstanding about whether her affection is returned.
Spoiler alert…. At one point in the story Bess is sexually attacked by a man she meets in London. Then not long after this incident she finds herself at Foxden Hall and begins a relationship with James. While it is understood that she had a lifelong crush on James it stretches credibility that she “confesses” what happened to her and then immediately accepts his advances so soon after the earlier traumatizing experience.

The story presents a somewhat different point of view from the traditional World War II novel about how people in the English countryside dealt with the war. They converted large estates into places to grow food, they worked in field hospitals to treat the wounded, cared for children who were resettled and had to deal with events such as surprise airstrikes. This was read as an audiobook provided by Netgalley.

[Bookfan36 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief synopsis from the book cover:

On the eve of 1939, twenty-year-old Bess Dudley, trainee teacher and daughter of a groom, bumps into James, heir to the Foxden Estate. Bess and James played together as equals when they were children, but now James is engaged to the more socially acceptable Annabel Hadleigh.

Bess takes up a teaching post in London but when war breaks out and London schoolchildren are evacuated she returns to Foxden to organise a troop of Land Girls.

Traditional barriers come crashing down when Flying Officer James Foxden falls in love with Bess. But by this time Bess has come to know and respect Annabel. Can she be with James if it means breaking her best friend’s heart?

And besides, Bess has a shameful secret that she has vowed to keep from James at any cost…

My Rating
Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Writing: 4 out of 5 stars
Character development: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Historical Fiction



Review:

This is well written story it has the right mixture, of suspense, romance a bit of drama
.The plot flows well and the writing is very captivating and vivid, it pulls you in from the start. The story is set in England during WII. The characters are interesting and their personalities and situations are well explained this made them appear realistic and authentic for the era. It is the first book in the Dudley Sisters Saga but it can be read as a standalone. If you like historical fiction with a bit of romance, you will enjoy this book.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foxden Acres by Madalyn Morgan is a book about the landed gentry turning their estates over to arable land. This means that pastures, meadows, and the like would have to be tilled and crops planted. Since the grooms and boys working for the estate were conscripted into the army, navy, or air force, that left women to do the work that men used to do.

The Dudley family worked for the estate as grooms. Mr. Dudley was the stablemaster and Tom, the only son, worked with him. There were four girls. At the beginning of the war, Bess had studied to be a teacher, Margaret married a serviceman, Claire joined the WAAF, and Ena was the youngest and not able to join yet.

The Foxden family was the estate owner and James was the only son. Bess had been in love with James all her life and now that she was older she hoped that they would be a couple. Instead, James asked her to organize the estate and the Land Girls who were assigned to them. It was a daunting task, but Bess was prepared for it.

I enjoyed reading about these families and the hardships that went along with living in England during the war. The young people fell in love but were never sure if their loved ones would come back from the war. This was a lovely story, but bittersweet also. This is the first book in a series by Ms. Morgan and I hope to read the other stories about the Dudley girls.

[Elaine Thatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book a solid 4. The romance fell short to me, but the ties of friendship, family and home are wonderful, especially set against the struggles of WWII.

In 1939 Bess, teacher in training and daughter of the Groom on Foxden Estate, struggles with her place in the world. Struggling with her unrequited love to the heir of the estate and the changing roles and options for women in WWII London, Bess must decide to strike out on her own or try to live the dream of her childhood.

All in all, this is a good book, but there were several points that I struggled with. **SPOILERS** For one, I am not one for cheating plots. I was furious when James started making moves toward Bess after he was already engaged. I know this is commonplace, both historically and in the present, but this is a red flag even Bess should have had a larger reaction. Because of this, I was not upset at the ending of James' character arc. Also, I did not appreciate that the same plot device was reused.

Not a book I would buy for myself, but I won't let my preference for plot devices get in the way of my recommending this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this e arc in exchange for an honest review.