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The Gunner Girl
Three women, one shared ambition: to join the ATS and do their bit for King and country.
Bea has grown up part of a large, boisterous East End family. But her sweetheart is missing in action, and her mother is controlling her life. She needs to escape.
Edie inhabits a world of wealth and privilege, but knows only too well that money can't buy happiness. She wants to be like Mary Churchill, to make a difference.
Joan can't remember much of her past or her family, and her home has been bombed in the Blitz. Desperate, she needs a refuge.
Each one is a Gunner Girl: three very different women, one remarkable wartime friendship of shared hopes, lost loves and terrible danger.
Bea has grown up part of a large, boisterous East End family. But her sweetheart is missing in action, and her mother is controlling her life. She needs to escape.
Edie inhabits a world of wealth and privilege, but knows only too well that money can't buy happiness. She wants to be like Mary Churchill, to make a difference.
Joan can't remember much of her past or her family, and her home has been bombed in the Blitz. Desperate, she needs a refuge.
Each one is a Gunner Girl: three very different women, one remarkable wartime friendship of shared hopes, lost loves and terrible danger.
456 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2015
23 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Clare Harvey
5 books83 followersI was born in Devon but grew up in Mauritius and Surrey. As the trailing spouse of a serving soldier I spent a large part of married life shuttling between postings. I've worked variously as a freelance journalist, radio reporter, English teacher and PR consultant in Northern Ireland, Germany, Nepal and England. I'm now settled with my family in Nottingham.
I wrote my debut, The Gunner Girl, whilst my husband was on operations with the British Army in Afghanistan. The Gunner Girl won both the Exeter Novel Prize and the Joan Hessayon Award for new fiction. Since then I've written The English Agent, The Night Raid, and The Escape.
All my books are available in paperback, e-book, large print, and audio.
You can contact me here, but also via my author page on Facebook, on Twitter @ClareHarveyauth or via my website http://clareharvey.net.
Would love to hear from you!
Cx
I wrote my debut, The Gunner Girl, whilst my husband was on operations with the British Army in Afghanistan. The Gunner Girl won both the Exeter Novel Prize and the Joan Hessayon Award for new fiction. Since then I've written The English Agent, The Night Raid, and The Escape.
All my books are available in paperback, e-book, large print, and audio.
You can contact me here, but also via my author page on Facebook, on Twitter @ClareHarveyauth or via my website http://clareharvey.net.
Would love to hear from you!
Cx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 8, 2016
This book frustrated the hell out of me because I really enjoyed large parts of it. I love any literature from WW2 but I had many quibbles with the story and the writing. Too many unnecessary deaths and painful situations crammed into one book, often without any sort of in depth analysis or explanation of motives/effects.
****SPOILERS****
The rape was obvious was the minute they met the GIs. Again, not sure why this had to happen to Edie? To prove that even rich girls can be raped?! And then an explicit backstreet abortion scene to boot, swiftly followed by the death of Bea in such ridiculous fashion! Really! Rob all too quickly forgave Joan/Vanessa. And if I read one more description of vomit and "oval shaped nails" I may go mad.
Again, it's a decent read and there's some great moments and characters. The author captures the spirit of London and the home counties beautifully in her descriptions. I would have scored this more stars, but I feel the author tried to include too many ideas and too much convoluted drama into the book. She never seemed sure of whether she was writing chick lit, historical fiction, a war story, romance, crime, or thriller.
****SPOILERS****
The rape was obvious was the minute they met the GIs. Again, not sure why this had to happen to Edie? To prove that even rich girls can be raped?! And then an explicit backstreet abortion scene to boot, swiftly followed by the death of Bea in such ridiculous fashion! Really! Rob all too quickly forgave Joan/Vanessa. And if I read one more description of vomit and "oval shaped nails" I may go mad.
Again, it's a decent read and there's some great moments and characters. The author captures the spirit of London and the home counties beautifully in her descriptions. I would have scored this more stars, but I feel the author tried to include too many ideas and too much convoluted drama into the book. She never seemed sure of whether she was writing chick lit, historical fiction, a war story, romance, crime, or thriller.
September 21, 2017
What a lovely read. Loved all the characters, well written and flowed easily. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 12, 2017
Clare Harvey's debut novel brings together three very different women: Edie, rich and privileged; Bea, poor and missing her child; and Joan, who has lost her memory and is plagued by unsettling visions. The three meet when then join the ATS during WWII. Their stories are engrossing, sometimes amusing, sometimes heartbreaking. And the level of detail of the research shines through. I found it an engrossing read and could not put it down. There were are couple of plot twists which were unrealistic, and a couple of bloopers that should have been spotted at editing stage, but otherwise, a thoroughly enjoyable book.
November 16, 2015
The Gunner Girl is a fantastic read. Three young girls, all with troubles and secrets join the ATS, and although I'd love to tell you what happened, I absolutely can't because it is such a treat to find out for yourself. I have to say the opening chapter had me gripped right from the off, and my interest never flagged. Although wildly different, the girls form a strong bond, and it's this that carries them through the troubles that life in WWII London presents. The plot is pacy and the period detail amazing. I was always immersed in time and place.
This debut novel by Clare Harvey won the Exeter Novel Prize, and it came as no surprise. As an early reader for the competition I knew the opening. The fact that it stayed clear and bright in my mind for almost a year before I could read the rest as a published novel, is testament to its strength. Highly recommended.
March 23, 2016
The title is a little misleading because it’s about three young women who become unlikely friends after joining the ATS during WWII. There is Bea, who is the eldest of a large family and is still awaiting a letter from her soldier sweetheart, Edie, the little rich girl hemmed in by over-protective parents and Joan, who has taken over the identity of her dead sister. The story follows them through their training then into action at the Hyde Park Battery, and into the various ups and downs of their lives. The background research is excellent and is seamlessly woven into the story without being intrusive. The characters are all well-drawn and it is easy to discern between them as each has an individual voice. I found this debut novel a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by this author.
July 1, 2016
I received this book free from GoodReads.
It's a lovely book to get lost in with strong, believable characters - three girls, very different with life stories and secrets. They are drawn together by the war and join the ATS.
It's a lovely book to get lost in with strong, believable characters - three girls, very different with life stories and secrets. They are drawn together by the war and join the ATS.
April 17, 2016
Absolutely loved this book. It's rare to find a book where you love all characters equally! I was gripped from start to finish. Really excited to hear that Clare Harvey is writing her next book too.
August 6, 2022
I love a good wartime book and this one was entertaining and had all the vibes of wartime friendship and camaraderie, but for some reason it did fall a little flat for me. It seemed to drag on a little bit and I found it fairly.. repetitive? There was all sorts of things thrown in and they weren’t all needed.
It almost felt like a long arduous journey to completion and it crested in peaks and waves for me. I cycled through it being a 5 star read to a 3 and I struggled to give it a final rating. There were moments I loved and moments I didn’t. Maybe it felt a little too long and I wasn’t too attached to the characters. But it wasn’t a bad read (or listen for me, the audiobook was great) but also there was moments that irked.
It didn’t have a satisfying ending for me and I’d struggle to categorise it. But there were moments of good and moments of bad. That’s all I can think of to say!
It almost felt like a long arduous journey to completion and it crested in peaks and waves for me. I cycled through it being a 5 star read to a 3 and I struggled to give it a final rating. There were moments I loved and moments I didn’t. Maybe it felt a little too long and I wasn’t too attached to the characters. But it wasn’t a bad read (or listen for me, the audiobook was great) but also there was moments that irked.
It didn’t have a satisfying ending for me and I’d struggle to categorise it. But there were moments of good and moments of bad. That’s all I can think of to say!
January 5, 2022
This is a book with no central plot. There's no overarching narrative; it starts and it ends and some stuff happens in the middle and that's it - 450 pages over. There are three protagonists (I really don't know why this is 'The Gunner Girl' rather than 'The Gunner Girls'), two of whom are barely interesting whilst the other one is undergoing some undefined form of amnesia meaning her actions and personality are so erratic that we never get to fully know her. Add this to dull side characters, bland romantic pairings, and many scenes which often feel like smut-for-smuts-sake. 2 stars.
July 24, 2017
I received this book for free through Good Reads Giveaways.
This is about 3 young women, from 3 very different backgrounds, who become friends through joining the ATS during the second world war.
I really enjoyed reading it. The detailed descriptions & the accuracy of what went on at the time were excellent.
It made me think that Queen Elizabeth did what they all did & her background was also different from the people she joined up with. If this had been a true story, they could have been celebrating their 90th birthdays this year!
The bits that I did not like were the ones with references to reading tea leaves. But apart from that it was an excellent book & I kept reading to the end, as I really wanted to know what happened to Joan, Bea & Edith. I was not disappointed, I would certainly recommend this book to others.
This is about 3 young women, from 3 very different backgrounds, who become friends through joining the ATS during the second world war.
I really enjoyed reading it. The detailed descriptions & the accuracy of what went on at the time were excellent.
It made me think that Queen Elizabeth did what they all did & her background was also different from the people she joined up with. If this had been a true story, they could have been celebrating their 90th birthdays this year!
The bits that I did not like were the ones with references to reading tea leaves. But apart from that it was an excellent book & I kept reading to the end, as I really wanted to know what happened to Joan, Bea & Edith. I was not disappointed, I would certainly recommend this book to others.
September 7, 2016
This book is about 3 girls who join the ATS during the Second World War, Bea Edie and Joan. They come from very different backgrounds and have varying reasons for joining the ATS. They meet at the initial training camp and become friends. Then they are posted together to man an anti aircraft battery in Hyde Park. The story continues with their lives and how their friendship endures with the problems that they all have and how they help each other. I found the book an enjoyable read however the ending seemed a little rushed but well worth a read
June 6, 2020
A wartime story. Three young girls from very different backgrounds and for different reasons sign up for the ATS. We are introduced to each of them and their stories at the beginning of the book. They meet up on their first day at the training base and become firm friends. Each girl is hiding something from her past but as their friendship develops and under the blitz conditions they gradually learn to trust one another with the truth. Excellent story and I will look forward to reading more by this author.
April 29, 2016
This is quite chick-lit compared to my usual gorefests, but as womens roles during wartime is a particular interest of mine, I gave it a go. So glad I did, it was an interesting read, as far as I know giving an accurate telling of London during WW2.
A good story, with nicely fleshed out characters, my only gripe is it ended suddenly..... very suddenly. I turned the page and..... nothing..... Happily I've since learned there will be a follow up.
A good story, with nicely fleshed out characters, my only gripe is it ended suddenly..... very suddenly. I turned the page and..... nothing..... Happily I've since learned there will be a follow up.
June 5, 2017
I'm afraid I abandoned this less than 100 pages in. I read The English Agent before this, and on reflection, I'm glad I read them in that order. The Gunner Girl was awful compared to the follow-up. The pages didn't flow for me, and I really struggled to get into the story. It all seem muddled. I cheated and read the last chapter so I understood how the character ended up getting recruited for the SOE. In all, I wouldn't recommend The Gunner Girl to anyone.
October 13, 2015
Cracking read. Great to meet those funny sad brave women. Brilliant build up of characters you will want to be friends with. Can't wait til the next one.
October 18, 2015
A clever intertwining of the lives of three girls set during WWII. The characters draw you in and make you want to know more from page one. An excellent read!
March 21, 2016
A good read from start to finish
A very real and gritty story line could not stop reading till l finished 1.30 in morning the real hardships of war
A very real and gritty story line could not stop reading till l finished 1.30 in morning the real hardships of war
January 10, 2017
Slow starter, but lovely read
This was an enjoyable book, the characters were very good and the story although slow at first had some twists and turns. Would recommend.
This was an enjoyable book, the characters were very good and the story although slow at first had some twists and turns. Would recommend.
June 24, 2025
En interessant roman om Gunner Girls - dog syntes jeg ikke at jeg blev så meget klogere på deres arbejde. Jeg har læst andre romaner, hvor netop krigsarbejdet blev ret godt fortalt. Når det handler om et område, der for mig er ukendt, er ny viden jo ret afgørende.
Romanen handler om 3 unge piger, der hver især har deres problemer på hjemmefronten.
Bea har en kæreste der er indkaldt til militæret. Sammen har de en lille datter, men for at redde ansigt, har hendes mor påtaget sig moder-rollen. Bea bliver sendt på krigsarbejde så hun kan hjælpe med økonomien derhjemme. Hun høre intet fra kærresten - er der mon noget galt? Har han forladt hende?
Joan har haft en forfærdelig oplevelse. Hendes hjem er blevet udbombet og hun har mistet hukommelsen. Hun husker ikke noget om familien. Men hun har indkaldelsen til militæret, så hun drager afsted til krigsarbejde.
Edie er den rige pige. Hun har alt hvad penge kan købe. Men ingen frihed. Hendes mor lader hende ikke ude af syne. Alligevel lykkes det Edie at tilmelde sig krigsarbejdet og hun stikker af hjemmefra. Hendes forældre har et skrækkeligt ægteskab. Der er ingen tvivl om, at hendes far har affærer i lange baner. Så alt er bestemt ikke fryd og gammen.
De tre piger finder et fællesskab og venskab som er helt ubrydeligt.
Desværre er det en rigtig trist fortælling. Den bliver mere og mere bedrøvelig, jo længere man kommer i fortællingen. Det er selvfølgelig også værd at huske på, at krigen er ikke for de sarte. Og det syntes jeg, denne roman lever op til.
4 stjerner, for en interessant roman - trods tristheden.
Romanen handler om 3 unge piger, der hver især har deres problemer på hjemmefronten.
Bea har en kæreste der er indkaldt til militæret. Sammen har de en lille datter, men for at redde ansigt, har hendes mor påtaget sig moder-rollen. Bea bliver sendt på krigsarbejde så hun kan hjælpe med økonomien derhjemme. Hun høre intet fra kærresten - er der mon noget galt? Har han forladt hende?
Joan har haft en forfærdelig oplevelse. Hendes hjem er blevet udbombet og hun har mistet hukommelsen. Hun husker ikke noget om familien. Men hun har indkaldelsen til militæret, så hun drager afsted til krigsarbejde.
Edie er den rige pige. Hun har alt hvad penge kan købe. Men ingen frihed. Hendes mor lader hende ikke ude af syne. Alligevel lykkes det Edie at tilmelde sig krigsarbejdet og hun stikker af hjemmefra. Hendes forældre har et skrækkeligt ægteskab. Der er ingen tvivl om, at hendes far har affærer i lange baner. Så alt er bestemt ikke fryd og gammen.
De tre piger finder et fællesskab og venskab som er helt ubrydeligt.
Desværre er det en rigtig trist fortælling. Den bliver mere og mere bedrøvelig, jo længere man kommer i fortællingen. Det er selvfølgelig også værd at huske på, at krigen er ikke for de sarte. Og det syntes jeg, denne roman lever op til.
4 stjerner, for en interessant roman - trods tristheden.
September 13, 2023
The Gunner Girl follows three girls who join the ATS during WW2. Bea, Edie and Joan all come from vastly different backgrounds and each have their own reason for leaving (and possibly running from) home. But what follows is a journey of finding family, finding strength and in some cases finding love.
Bea is sick of her mother controlling her life because she thinks she knows what's best for her. Edie comes from a world of wealth, money and privilege but aspires to be like Mary Churchill who joined the ATS. Joan has no memory of her past other than flashes of her bombed out house and deceased family.
These three unlikely friends meet and find refuge in each other. Their story is full of warmth and love and companionship in a time when it feels like the world is ending.
I have to admit this book takes a little bit of time to get going. With there being 3 main characters, the background and world of each takes a little bit of time to build and explain. However, once all that is in place (after about 50 or 60 pages) this book really blossoms. I absolutely adore the friendship and love that the girls have for each other. There are definitely some hard times in this book (I can't even talk about chapter 45!) and it sent me on an emotional roller coaster. This is not my usually genre of book but I really enjoyed it!
Bea is sick of her mother controlling her life because she thinks she knows what's best for her. Edie comes from a world of wealth, money and privilege but aspires to be like Mary Churchill who joined the ATS. Joan has no memory of her past other than flashes of her bombed out house and deceased family.
These three unlikely friends meet and find refuge in each other. Their story is full of warmth and love and companionship in a time when it feels like the world is ending.
I have to admit this book takes a little bit of time to get going. With there being 3 main characters, the background and world of each takes a little bit of time to build and explain. However, once all that is in place (after about 50 or 60 pages) this book really blossoms. I absolutely adore the friendship and love that the girls have for each other. There are definitely some hard times in this book (I can't even talk about chapter 45!) and it sent me on an emotional roller coaster. This is not my usually genre of book but I really enjoyed it!
October 10, 2018
I have read Clare Harvey's books and enjoyed them. This is a great story of the lives of those girls who signed up for ATS during WWII. It was a realistic look at what these girls went through. I was turned off by the graphic description of several sexual encounters. I could have really enjoyed the book with just the suggestion that they engaged in sex, I felt it wasn't necessary to the storyline. However, the book overall is a good read and great story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2026
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH WHY CLARE WHAT THE FUCK. What a fucking book, honestly. Hooked from the first page. The crisp writing style was SO detailed, SO easy to read. I could picture every face, every scene, every HEARTBREAKING SCENE. Thanks Clare, thanks a lot. I won't be picking up another book for DAYS. Oh, lord.
December 4, 2018
The descriptions of the effect and devastation of war on London were well done, and learning about the lives of the young women during this time was interesting. In some respects the story was predicatable, but I enjoyed it
September 18, 2019
Amazing read.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Really enjoyed getting to know the main characters, Joan, Edie and Bea. Found their stories and their friendship extremely intriguing and emotional. Would highly recommend reading.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Really enjoyed getting to know the main characters, Joan, Edie and Bea. Found their stories and their friendship extremely intriguing and emotional. Would highly recommend reading.
July 7, 2020
Easy read about 3 ATS girls, all signed up for different reasons and have very different back stories, but become friends. Covers their antics, their training and their lives as they cope during the War.
July 15, 2021
I loved this war time tale of bravery and sadness from a woman's perspective and was glad to discover more books by the same author of the same genre. The characters are wonderfully described and I would recommend this as a bloody good read!
June 5, 2017
Easy read, interesting story. Would read more by this author.
July 1, 2018
felt to me as author had written a complete novel then got told we may want to write more books about these characters so can you add links to future books.
October 26, 2018
It was enjoyable in parts. But also ver frustrating. As we kept loosing the threads of the story
June 19, 2019
Absolutely loved this book. Can’t wait to read more from Clare.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews