Lily's War (Memory Lane)

Memory Lane

by Shirley Mann

An uplifting and inspiring World War II saga for readers of Nancy Revell and Annie Groves.

1942, Manchester

World War Two is in full swing and Lily Mullins is determined to do her bit for the war effort. Her friends and sweetheart have all joined up and Lily's sure there must be a role for her that goes further than knitting socks for the troops!

When she decides to volunteer for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Lily soon discovers that she has a talent as a wireless operator. Helped along the way by a special gang of girls, she finds strengths she didn't know she had and realises that the safety of the country might just be in her hands . . .

Meanwhile, Danny is determined to marry Lily, but his letters home become more and more distant. Will a long separation mean the end of their love story?

An uplifting and inspiring novel of women on the home front.

'[The story] read so true to me and I really didn't want to put it down . . . It may be fiction but those things could, and did, happen.' Vera Morgan, wartime WAAF

'An impeccably researched and uplifting story of love, loss and courage: a heartwarming read that will captivate all those who love a good war story.' Clare Harvey, author of The Gunner Girl

'A wonderful, inspiring story. I can't wait to read more from Shirley Mann.' Sheila Newberry

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Audiobook, Coming Of Age, War, World War II

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2019

Reviews

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Mullins living in Manchester it's 1942 and WW2 is still raging. Lily working at the liners, fire watching and knitting socks she wants to do more especially as her boyfriend Danny Jackson writing to her since he volunteered in 1940 about it all, she decides to volunteer for the WAAF and goes for her medical and interview and pass to go to Blackpool as a wireless operator she meets new friends Amy, Marion and Alice. I loved this book, Lilys story will touch you in a lot of ways . A courageous young woman with emotional moments as you turn the pages, that will grip you. Hope to read more of this author's work.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I'm in the minority here with my rating but we can't all like the same books.
All the way through I felt it was lacking something and I didn't take to Lily at all and felt the same about her at the end as at the beginning.
There was too much going on in the book. There were several stories, all happening in a few pages then dropped. None of them were fleshed out. Even the characters were flat.
The reason for Sergeant Horrocks dislike of Lily was frankly ridiculous and it descended into farce with Horrocks' death The book had no depth. I couldn't get to grips with what the author was trying to get across.
However, I enjoyed the history parts of it, learning about the jobs the girls did bringing the pilots home and the fighting in the desert by the soldiers.

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Lily's War during London's Lockdown (COVID 19) after finding it in Tesco (VE Day was upcoming, so they had a war display).
From the moment i picked it up i knew i would fall in love with it. Firstly the front cover is so intriguing - i'm a similar age and it makes me think what my life could have been like during the war.
Shirley Mann is hands down the best author ever, in my opinion. I have been so moved by her writing, it inspires me and i am so grateful i found this book when i did, it kept me sane during a scary time.
If you are looking for a book that makes you imagine the book in your mind, in crystal clear pictures, and to be left wondering what the characters are doing, then pick this up. Beautifully written, easy to read, sad moments, happy moments but very interesting to understand a women's decision to help during the war and the story, memories and life it made for her.
Thank you Shirley Mann! Highly recommend to all ♡

[Mr J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I read it as I had family in the war in the WAFs. It really painted a picture of what life really might have been like for the women (and men) serving at the time and the research was, I understand quite extensive.

Lily is a sweet, energetic and idealistic young woman thrown out of the comfort of family life in Manchester into the reality of war time Britain. A reality that was not always glamorous and often heartbreaking. We see her grow up make friends (and enemies) and keep up a correspondence with her friend from home (who might like to be something more) Danny. The letters from Danny while he is fighting in the 8th Army seem very real and are very affecting.

It's a great story, well told and never overly sentimental or clichéd. If you're interested in reading an engaging story that really nails the war time experience - this is a great choice. Now I can't wait for the next one about a female pilot.

[MRS S.M.GRAY · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a First !

What an amazing first work of Fiction for this Author. The endless Research carried out has certainly paid off. I have laughed and cried throughout this book and at times have had to go over pages that were a blur because of tears.
This is definitely the type of book I love to read, about all aspects of The War and people’s lives throughout.
I shall look forward to reading Bobby’s War later in the year.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, great storyline. I would like sequel (if possible) to find out if Lily and Danny do stay together or not and also how the rest of characters progress after World War 2 coping with life, love and etc .

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An uplifting World War Two saga of women in the home front.It's 1942 and World War Two is on full swing. In Manchester, Lily Mullins is determined to do her bit for the war effort.Her friends and sweetheart, Danny Jackson, have all joined up and Lily's sure there must be a role for her that goes further than knitting socks for the troops.Lily has always dreamed of flying, so she jumps at the chance to become a WAAF and soon discovers that she has a talent as a wireless operator. Helped along the way by a gang of girls-all from different walks of life, but forging an unbreakable bond of friendship in the most testing times-Lily finds strengths she didn't know existed and realises that the safety of the country might just be in her hands...but along the way she must deal with shady characters and surly command officers. Meanwhile, Danny is with the 8th Army driving tanks and fighting on the dessert and in Italy but the rigours of war soon take its toll on him, but Lily remains the one shining light for him and he is determined to marry her, but will a long separation be the end of their burgeoning story? The Women's Auxiliary Air Force was the female auxiliary of the RAF during the Second World War. They didn't serve as aircrew.The use of women pilots was limited to the ATA. Although they didn't participate in active combat, they were exposed to the same dangers as any on the home front working at military installations.They were active in parachute packing and the crewing of barrage balloons in addition to performing catering, meteorology, radar, aircraft maintenance, transport, communication duties including wireless telephonic and telegraphic operation. They worked with codes and ciphers, analysed reconnaissance photographs,and performed intelligence operations.WAAFs were a vital presence in the control of aircraft, both in radar stations and plotters.And the Eighth Army was a field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Free French Forces, Greece, New Zealand, Poland, Rhodesia, South Africa and UK.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, I couldn't put it down. It really helped me to understand what it was really like as a young girl in the war. The characters were really brought to life through the story and I became quite attached to Lily, who reminded me of myself at times! Can't wait for Shirley's next book, I've already pre-ordered it!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Brilliant Book i have really loved following Lily through the war of the ups and downs that she and her friends went through.I don't want to spoil the book for others so won't say too much but this is a Brilliant book and i have ordered it and i wish Shirley Mann well with it.5*

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book follows the story of Lily, a courageous young woman who wants to do her bit for the war effort, so she decides to volunteer for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. The book is SO well researched and apart from being gripped by Lily’s story, I also feel that I learnt so much more about the life of a young woman during WW2. I would highly recommend Lily’s War whether you’re into historical fiction, stories set in WW2, or if you’re simply after a good book with a fantastic storyline and characters you feel you really get to know.

[Trudie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this to begin with but really enjoyed it in the end. A fantastic debut novel.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read so many WWII novels, I think I set the bar really high lately. I did like this book. I always love reading about women who volunteer to help in the war effort and learn more about life.

I was fine till half way through when some strange additions to the plot were interjected.
1. A sergeant who hated Lily. Why ? who knows?
2. A nurse has can pass as Lily's twin. Why? Who knows?
These two pieces really made me shake my head and say "really?" is that how the plot is going? I almost put the book down at this point, but I very RARELY stop reading (and this was audible so I let it play out).

Besides the two points above there were really a few other places in the story that just didn't make sense and I felt no connection to any of the characters.

But there are so many 5 stars, don't mind me. Take a chance and prove me wrong. :)

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely wartime tale and I also loved that some of this was based in Blackpool too as I’m currently near there! And as someone who lived for several years in Lincoln, I couldn’t have loved the setting more.

Lily and Danny were great to follow, with their points of view shedding some light on their respective wars. It made for easy reading (or listening for me as I had the audiobook). It was greatly narrated by Lucy Dixon.

It’s filled with plenty of drama, edge of your seat and investing storylines and I can’t wait to delve into the others in this series. As Bobby’s war is next up, I’m very excited to follow her wartime tale.

It’s also always great with the author really breathes life into the story and spends time researching not just the events in the war but the real life people who lived it. It was a wonderful wartime read!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, but it didn't dazzle me. It mostly just felt like I was reading someone's boring diary entries, which is surprising given that it's a story about a girl who joins the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during World War Two. And despite this story being 400+ pages long, none of the characters were really fully fleshed out. Side characters remained pancake-flat, and even Lily and Danny stayed neatly inside their narrowly constructed boxes.

This story just lacked a punch. There were plenty of sad moments, but I never felt the characters' sadness (or other emotions) on the page. The reader is told that someone feels this way or that way, but we don't see it. Shame.

(I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Bobby's War and Lily's War out of order, not that it mattered, and was tickled to see the cameos that each had in each other's tales. Also Hannah who is to have her story told next. I love the genre and the beautifully written story and I love the sense of humour that was in this book. More so than any other and really made the characters alive for me. Thank you for the laughs, the tears and the snapshot into history.

[Erin ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and I enjoy the storyline very much.

[Selma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mann's intention for this book was to take a deep dive into what the daily life was like in WWII for British women fighting on the home front, and she succeeded. However, in her authors notes she mentions that this novel came close to being a biography telling her parents tale, had it been, it would have been a stronger story.

The difference between a novel and a biography is that in a novel I expect actions, feelings, events, story etc to have an emotional impact on the characters. Whereas in a biography more emphasis is placed on telling rather than showing a sequence of events. This book is written like a biography, which is slightly unfortunate, as assessing this on the bench scale of being a novel seems inappropriate, but it is a novel, so I guess I must.

The setting and plot is told through the PoV of our MC. Things happen to her, we're told about them, then she promptly moves on. I developed little emotional connection to her and her friends and it was sad to see some very emotional things recounted in a factual way, such as almost getting raped twice, her friend's unplanned pregnancy which led to her leaving the military and having to marry the guy, LI's several times almost dying, interacting with aircrew that died literal days later. I could go on and on. All these things are examples of incidents that would effect anyone deeply, but we're told MC experiences X, feels Y, then it's the next chapter and it's on to the next thing without processing the previous thing, many times it's not even brought up again. Much like a biography, no?

Speaking of which, MC has always dreamed of being a pilot, and in a novel we would see her try to pursue that dream to greater extents than she did here. The whole 'well, that almost happened and that's good enough for me' really doesn't cut it. Even at the end, she becomes an Air Traffic Controller, which yes, brings her back into the industry, but doesn't bring her any closer to being a pilot. This once again feels biography esque of 'I once had a dream. I gave up on it.'

The part of the book that actually had a non WWII related plot Sgt Horrocks, her dislike of MC and her suicide made little sense and was poorly explained. I assume it's a fictional plotline added in because it clashed jarringly against the slice of life, non fictional backdrop of the rest of the story. Characters reaction to it too, were so inappropriate it seemed shocking "We have a death of a tyrant to celebrate." Goodness. Hence turning back to the question of is this a novel or a biography?

Lily's War was very educational reading about the things women experienced on the other side of the battlefield, and what the common customs and norms were like in the day. However as a crossover between a biography and a novel, it picks and chooses elements of both, thus excelling at neither.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this novel would be another war story the same as many others but I surprised myself and really liked this book for its reality and characters. The author made several good observations about British people in war time:

1. Class distinctions remain even in war.

2. Those who go through war are never the same again.

3. One is never sure of coming back whole or even alive.

4. Time, experience and distance take their toll on relationships.

5. Although they moan about conditions, the British people are very resilient.

I liked Lily's character, both the immature Lily and the mature Lily. All the way through she remained a good hearted caring woman who felt deeply although she didn't always show it. I liked the character of Danny too who tried to ease himself through all the trauma of war by being humorous yet he remained caring and loyal to those he cared about.

I also liked all the other supporting characters who were realistic and interesting but there were a few rather unlikely events which were a bit weak, like the Italian boy in the cave.

The only criticism I have was the ending which left the story up in the air. Although the end was realistic, the reader did not know if the relationship between a matured and damaged Lily and Danny would result in marriage or if they were both so changed, they would in the end split up. That was an unfinished conclusion to my mind.

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable listen. The author shows so many different perspectives of what was happening during WW2. Thanks to this book I learned even more about a war that my mother rarely talks about. Many years later the effects continue.

Most of the characters were very likable. But, like in real life not everyone is good. Lily's War shows that terrible people could make it difficult for others. I have to admit some characters weren't even worth crying over.

The narrator was very good. She was an absolute joy to listen to and I found myself wanting to listening to one more chapter.

[S McG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some writers capture a time and a place, some writers create characters that feel familiar and true. Shirley Mann does both in this, her very first novel, and I never wanted Lily's War to end. Not knowing much at all about how the people of Britan coped with WWII, I was entirely captivated by this immaculately researched, but never dry, story of a young woman living under unimaginable hardship, and yet still yearning for freedom, for love, and for purpose. It's a remarkable story and I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this in audio format (not CD) read by Susan Dixon. I thought she did an excellent job as narrator.

I really enjoyed the story which was inspired by the love story of the author's own parents but was fictionalized as it was written well after their deaths. I understand from other knowledgeable reviewers that there were some technical inaccuracies but they didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. I would recommend it to others.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this cosy, uplifting book about WW2 - I definitely would have joined the WAAF myself if I had been alive during that time! I do hope there is a sequel as the ending left the romance subplot on a slight cliffhanger, it would be great to see how the post-war years treated Lily and her family.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of historical fiction, and this one was fine. I did like the focus on Lily as she tries to make her way in the world, aspiring to become a pilot in a time when that was typically restricted for men. It was a good story (albeit a bit predictable). A pleasant read, but it didn't dazzle me.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to finish. First, I could not connect with Lily's character as I found her too superficial. I hoped her experiences would change her character, make her deeper, more thoughtful, less silly girlish but she doesn't change.
The other characters also remain flat throughout the book.
I was disappointed with the writing.

[Barbara Williford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A parallel story of friends Lily and Daniel. Daniel is enlisted to fight in WW2 as a soldier. Lily enlisted in the WAF as a Morse code operator for pilots. This story take them on their separate journeys during the war and their letters to each other. This book is loosely based on the author’s family’s story.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book due to its WWII setting, so even though it took quite a while to get moving I stuck with it only to find it never got much better. Lily’s character was so inconsistent and some major parts of the plot are based on huge coincidences they beggar belief. I did finish it but I did do a fair amount of skimming because I was eager to move on to something else.

[Katy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book and was inspired by the actions of Lily, her cohorts and Danny. I wish there would have been more details on Danny and Lilly during the end of the war and after the fact but am happy with how the story ended.

Looking forward to more by Shirley Mann

[Pat Fairbairn · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Poor Lily certainly suffered through the years of the war, but the character that Shirley portrayed was lovely, you could laugh a lot, feel sad a lot and even cry a lot but at the end the happy ever after came right for the gallant Lily

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant