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The Tobacco Girls #1
The Tobacco Girls
A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked.' Rosie Goodwin
The start of a thrilling new series, from bestselling author Lizzie Lane which follows three friends through thick and thin.
Bristol 1939.School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself.
She's befriended by effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind-hearted Bridget Milligan who take pity on her and take Maisie under their wing.
But beneath their happy go lucky exteriors they all harbour dreams and worries about what the future holds.
Engaged to be married Phyllis dreams of romance and passion but when it comes there are dire consequences.
Bridget seemingly the level headed one harbours a horror of something unspeakable that she cannot easily come to terms with.
There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory, and with the advent of war everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained.
The start of a thrilling new series, from bestselling author Lizzie Lane which follows three friends through thick and thin.
Bristol 1939.School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself.
She's befriended by effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind-hearted Bridget Milligan who take pity on her and take Maisie under their wing.
But beneath their happy go lucky exteriors they all harbour dreams and worries about what the future holds.
Engaged to be married Phyllis dreams of romance and passion but when it comes there are dire consequences.
Bridget seemingly the level headed one harbours a horror of something unspeakable that she cannot easily come to terms with.
There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory, and with the advent of war everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained.
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Published January 5, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
January 2, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
The Tobacco Girls #1
Bristol 1939: Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory. She makes friends with the effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind hearted Bridget Mikllgan who take Maisie under their wing. There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory and with the advent of war, everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained.
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget each have their own problems. I liked that we learned some historical facts about Bristol. We learn what life was like working in the tobacco factory and the three girls friendships, hopes and dreams. This is a heartbreaking but also a heartwarming story that's easy to read. There is some violence that is quite brutal. There is some loose ends that still need tied up,so hopefully that will be done in the second ook in this series.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Tobacco Girls #1
Bristol 1939: Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at the W. D. & H. O. Wills tobacco factory. She makes friends with the effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind hearted Bridget Mikllgan who take Maisie under their wing. There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory and with the advent of war, everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained.
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget each have their own problems. I liked that we learned some historical facts about Bristol. We learn what life was like working in the tobacco factory and the three girls friendships, hopes and dreams. This is a heartbreaking but also a heartwarming story that's easy to read. There is some violence that is quite brutal. There is some loose ends that still need tied up,so hopefully that will be done in the second ook in this series.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2020
I love this era in historical fiction. I really enjoyed this book. For me the book is about famiily, friendships, love and how far we would go to protect ourselves and our loved ones. A warm book. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read This e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read This e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
August 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget are three girls with very different family backgrounds, they become the best of friends as they strip tobacco leaves in a Bristol factory. It's set during the start of the second world war and some of the men are being called up for service.
Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget are three girls with very different family backgrounds, they become the best of friends as they strip tobacco leaves in a Bristol factory. It's set during the start of the second world war and some of the men are being called up for service.
January 7, 2021
Oh my goodness I was certainly looking forward to reading this book and it didn’t disappoint and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
It about 3 girls Bridget, Phyllis and Maisie who work at the tobacco factory stripping the leaves of the tobacco. Bridget is wealth of information and anything some one doesn’t know she can tell them. Phyllis is engaged to Robert and she has to do what he tells her. Then we have the baby of the group Maisie whose life is not good with a bullying Father her brother is the only bright thing in her life.
They go on outings to the shops and go to the beach with the workers from the factory.
We see them growing up and Bridget & Maisie are the strong ones.
I would recommend this book and hopefully the next book will be just as good.
It about 3 girls Bridget, Phyllis and Maisie who work at the tobacco factory stripping the leaves of the tobacco. Bridget is wealth of information and anything some one doesn’t know she can tell them. Phyllis is engaged to Robert and she has to do what he tells her. Then we have the baby of the group Maisie whose life is not good with a bullying Father her brother is the only bright thing in her life.
They go on outings to the shops and go to the beach with the workers from the factory.
We see them growing up and Bridget & Maisie are the strong ones.
I would recommend this book and hopefully the next book will be just as good.
January 8, 2021
I have been a fan of Lizzie’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has released but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and it certainly sounded like an interesting read. I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what I hoped would be a fantastic read. I was spot on too because ‘The Tobacco Girls’ was a fantastic start to what promises to be a fantastic series. I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of ‘The Tobacco Girls’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the three main characters in this book. In their own way, each girl is no stranger to hardship and each have their own problems. I loved the way in which all three girls immediately seemed drawn to each other and a strong friendship starts to grow. In a way they reminded me of ‘The Three Musketeers’ in the way they stick together through thick and thin. All three girls are strong, feisty, determined and occasionally stubborn. I look forward to reading more about all three ladies in the future.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that it wouldn’t be easy to put the book down for very long at all. I warmed so quickly to the three ladies that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened to them. To say that reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ became addictive is an understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become that wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over 5 chapters later. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book for very long at all. I found ‘The Tobacco Girls’ to be a gripping read, which held my attention from start to finish.
‘The Tobacco Girls’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Lizzie’s books. She has a knack of grabbing your attention with a catchy synopsis and then she draws you into the story from the start. Once Lizzie has your attention she will not let you have it back until you reach the last word on the last page. I find that Lizzie writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that the reader feels as though they are part of the story themselves. That’s how I felt at any rate. I love the way in which Lizzie writes stories about strong female characters, who form strong friendships and they help each other through the worst that life throws at him.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more by Lizzie Lane in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
I loved the three main characters in this book. In their own way, each girl is no stranger to hardship and each have their own problems. I loved the way in which all three girls immediately seemed drawn to each other and a strong friendship starts to grow. In a way they reminded me of ‘The Three Musketeers’ in the way they stick together through thick and thin. All three girls are strong, feisty, determined and occasionally stubborn. I look forward to reading more about all three ladies in the future.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first page, I knew that it wouldn’t be easy to put the book down for very long at all. I warmed so quickly to the three ladies that I just had to keep reading to find out what happened to them. To say that reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ became addictive is an understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would become that wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over 5 chapters later. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to be parted from the book for very long at all. I found ‘The Tobacco Girls’ to be a gripping read, which held my attention from start to finish.
‘The Tobacco Girls’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Lizzie’s books. She has a knack of grabbing your attention with a catchy synopsis and then she draws you into the story from the start. Once Lizzie has your attention she will not let you have it back until you reach the last word on the last page. I find that Lizzie writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that the reader feels as though they are part of the story themselves. That’s how I felt at any rate. I love the way in which Lizzie writes stories about strong female characters, who form strong friendships and they help each other through the worst that life throws at him.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Tobacco Girls’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more by Lizzie Lane in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
January 6, 2021
The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is the first book in the Tobacco Girls series and encompasses so much I love in books – family, friendships and finding where you belong.
Maisie Miles has just finished school and wants out of York Street. Hoping to get a job in the country will be the safest bet of ensuring her future away from an abusive drunk father. But, her father has other ideas and forces Maisie to get a job at W.D&H.O Wills, the tobacco factory. Here she meets good friends Phyllis and Bridget. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, one of seven siblings and does not want the same life as her mother. Phyllis, newly engaged, is still navigating her own issues about life, love and relationships. When Maisie joins their group, the girls take her under their wing as they all navigate their way through life, love and family at the very beginning of the start of WWII.
Lizzie Lane has written multi dimensional characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis all have different personalities, but become fast friends while working at the factory. Although we have only touched the surface of their lives, I can see there will be a lot more in store for them in the continuation of the series. Where the story leaves up it seems they are right on the cusp of new beginnings.
The story is well written. I wouldn’t say it was fast paced, but it has a nice even tone throughout its entirety and I really felt like I got to know the girls well, along with the history prior to the start of WWII. Lane also touches on a lot of issues between the poor working class and people with money. What a bunch of uppity people! There are some trigger warnings such as a miscarriage which doesn’t go in-depth, but it is pretty sad. Also, what I would like to point out is how women were viewed during that time where parents pushed their kids into wanting to be wives and mothers instead of furthering their education or finding better jobs. The author does a great job at showcasing the harsh realities of women during the era.
I am definitely looking forward to continuing this saga and finding out what comes next for Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis.
Maisie Miles has just finished school and wants out of York Street. Hoping to get a job in the country will be the safest bet of ensuring her future away from an abusive drunk father. But, her father has other ideas and forces Maisie to get a job at W.D&H.O Wills, the tobacco factory. Here she meets good friends Phyllis and Bridget. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, one of seven siblings and does not want the same life as her mother. Phyllis, newly engaged, is still navigating her own issues about life, love and relationships. When Maisie joins their group, the girls take her under their wing as they all navigate their way through life, love and family at the very beginning of the start of WWII.
Lizzie Lane has written multi dimensional characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis all have different personalities, but become fast friends while working at the factory. Although we have only touched the surface of their lives, I can see there will be a lot more in store for them in the continuation of the series. Where the story leaves up it seems they are right on the cusp of new beginnings.
The story is well written. I wouldn’t say it was fast paced, but it has a nice even tone throughout its entirety and I really felt like I got to know the girls well, along with the history prior to the start of WWII. Lane also touches on a lot of issues between the poor working class and people with money. What a bunch of uppity people! There are some trigger warnings such as a miscarriage which doesn’t go in-depth, but it is pretty sad. Also, what I would like to point out is how women were viewed during that time where parents pushed their kids into wanting to be wives and mothers instead of furthering their education or finding better jobs. The author does a great job at showcasing the harsh realities of women during the era.
I am definitely looking forward to continuing this saga and finding out what comes next for Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis.
March 25, 2022
I enjoyed this book throughly but it just didn’t have quiet enough in it for me to get the 5 stars. I wanted a bit more intrigue and in depth history on the girls and the surroundings. Onto the next one.
December 20, 2020
The book cover is just too pretty to ignore. This facilitated me requesting for this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley and I am glad I got approved.
Such an interesting book I must say.
The characters will live with you and you can’t forget them in a hurry.
As usual, I love reading historical fiction novels and this particular book did not disappoint me.
The author is a new author to me, so I might watch out for her books in the nearest future by God’s grace.
I really love “The Tobacco Girls”. I couldn’t pick a favourite out of the three girls because each of them were important in the plot.
I really hope there is another book that continues their story because this book is too good to close “The Tobacco Girls” chapter. *winks*.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
Such an interesting book I must say.
The characters will live with you and you can’t forget them in a hurry.
As usual, I love reading historical fiction novels and this particular book did not disappoint me.
The author is a new author to me, so I might watch out for her books in the nearest future by God’s grace.
I really love “The Tobacco Girls”. I couldn’t pick a favourite out of the three girls because each of them were important in the plot.
I really hope there is another book that continues their story because this book is too good to close “The Tobacco Girls” chapter. *winks*.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.
December 8, 2020
Maisie Miles fifteen years old, war is coming that means nothing to her, she is waiting for the postman this is her ticket out of number five York Street the stinking dings Bristol, been offered the position kitchen maid at Priory house Ashton after teacher Miss Smith recommended her she will be glad to get away but her drunken father Frank has other ideas, she is going to work at Wil's the tobacco company.
Bridget Milligan age eighteen lives in Marksbury Road with her over crowded family and no way is she going to be dropping babies like her mother Mary, her irish father Patrick lost a leg during the first great war and is on invalidity pension, she wants better that to get married and have babies.
Phyllis Mason has a good job at the tobacco factory and is engaged to Robert, a dependable chap and lives in the same road as Bridget and are best friends and well as working together, but Phyllis dreams of more that settling down and bettering herself typing in a office, her parent says it a waste as once she is married she doesn't have to work.
All these girls work together as The Tobacco Girls at W.D & H.O Wil's and build up a good friendship and Bristol is buzzing with talks of war.
what a heart warming read this is, I loved every single chapter, beautifully written, it's a book that all saga readers will enjoy, and I could not fault any of this wonderful book.
Bridget Milligan age eighteen lives in Marksbury Road with her over crowded family and no way is she going to be dropping babies like her mother Mary, her irish father Patrick lost a leg during the first great war and is on invalidity pension, she wants better that to get married and have babies.
Phyllis Mason has a good job at the tobacco factory and is engaged to Robert, a dependable chap and lives in the same road as Bridget and are best friends and well as working together, but Phyllis dreams of more that settling down and bettering herself typing in a office, her parent says it a waste as once she is married she doesn't have to work.
All these girls work together as The Tobacco Girls at W.D & H.O Wil's and build up a good friendship and Bristol is buzzing with talks of war.
what a heart warming read this is, I loved every single chapter, beautifully written, it's a book that all saga readers will enjoy, and I could not fault any of this wonderful book.
December 12, 2020
A lovely story of three young girls who work at the Tobacco factory and become friends.Maisie,Phyllis and Bridget the three M's as they call themselves have different home lives and dream of leaving home but there is the threat of war on the horizon.Lizzie Lane writes lovely books that draw you into the pages.5*
January 3, 2021
I love historical fiction and was delighted to receive a copy of this to read and review. This is my first book by Lizzie Lane and I can't wait to read more.
The 3 M's were the leading ladies in this story as Britain is on the verge of World War 2. Set against the backdrop of Bristol, I really enjoyed meeting these wonderful characters and reading this story.
The storyline depicted what life was like for these young girls and their families as war broke out and how obligation often overcame a woman's dreams. We are lucky to live in a time where we have freedom of speech and movement and reading this story really helped reflect that despite a shocking 9 months for most that Britain has faced worse.
I look forward to reading more by Lizzie Lane as I loved this story and its wonderful and colourful characters.
The 3 M's were the leading ladies in this story as Britain is on the verge of World War 2. Set against the backdrop of Bristol, I really enjoyed meeting these wonderful characters and reading this story.
The storyline depicted what life was like for these young girls and their families as war broke out and how obligation often overcame a woman's dreams. We are lucky to live in a time where we have freedom of speech and movement and reading this story really helped reflect that despite a shocking 9 months for most that Britain has faced worse.
I look forward to reading more by Lizzie Lane as I loved this story and its wonderful and colourful characters.
October 29, 2020
This story is about 3 British girls, all working in a tobacco processing factory pre-war and early war. Each one of them has an unhappy situation in their life. Each one is trying to resolve their own situation. They become good friends.
We get drawn into each of their lives. I was rooting for them all. The story shows a very different way of life than most of us are accustomed to. Life was very different for young women in the early 1940s. I loved the loyalty that the girls in the factory showed each other.
The storyline is good. It kept me interested. But, I felt let down by the presentation of the story. It felt more like a young adult book.
Somehow, I missed in the description of the book that it is the first book of a series. Because of that, there are a lot of loose ends when the book is over. I do not usually read series for this reason. By the time the next instalment in the series is released I have forgotten many details of what came previously. In some series, each book is a stand-alone. That is not the case in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book.
We get drawn into each of their lives. I was rooting for them all. The story shows a very different way of life than most of us are accustomed to. Life was very different for young women in the early 1940s. I loved the loyalty that the girls in the factory showed each other.
The storyline is good. It kept me interested. But, I felt let down by the presentation of the story. It felt more like a young adult book.
Somehow, I missed in the description of the book that it is the first book of a series. Because of that, there are a lot of loose ends when the book is over. I do not usually read series for this reason. By the time the next instalment in the series is released I have forgotten many details of what came previously. In some series, each book is a stand-alone. That is not the case in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader's copy of this book.
Read
January 5, 2021What a great start to what promises to be an unmissable series!
Maisie has long dreamed of the day she will leave school and can leave home to head for a job in the country, but her father insists she go to work at W. D. & H. O. Wills, the local tobacco factory. Maisie is pretty sure she has an ulterior motive though - she doesn't trust him. As it turns out, she finds friendship at her job working alongside Phyllis and Bridget and before long the three of them are the best of mates. It seems that Maisie isn't the only one with dreams for the future but with the threat of war, how will the three friends fare?
This is a wonderful tale of poverty and friendship, and I'm already looking forward to the second one. Whilst this is a complete read it also opens up possibilities for the futures of all three young women. The author has created entirely believable characters and has obviously done her research into the pre-war period. Both well-written and extremely interesting, this promises to be a good series to follow. For those who, like me, enjoy pre-war sagas, this gets my recommendation and four stars.
Maisie has long dreamed of the day she will leave school and can leave home to head for a job in the country, but her father insists she go to work at W. D. & H. O. Wills, the local tobacco factory. Maisie is pretty sure she has an ulterior motive though - she doesn't trust him. As it turns out, she finds friendship at her job working alongside Phyllis and Bridget and before long the three of them are the best of mates. It seems that Maisie isn't the only one with dreams for the future but with the threat of war, how will the three friends fare?
This is a wonderful tale of poverty and friendship, and I'm already looking forward to the second one. Whilst this is a complete read it also opens up possibilities for the futures of all three young women. The author has created entirely believable characters and has obviously done her research into the pre-war period. Both well-written and extremely interesting, this promises to be a good series to follow. For those who, like me, enjoy pre-war sagas, this gets my recommendation and four stars.
September 26, 2024
Tobacco Girls (book one the Tobacco girls series) by Lizzie Lane (Audiobook Read On Everand app)
This series follows three friends through their lives in Bristol in 1939.
They meet at their work at the tobacco factory and become close friends. They include:
Maisie Miles forced to get a job there by her abusive small crook father.
Phyllis Mason engaged to be married to a man she has realized she don’t really love.
Bridget Milligan who has an Irish father and seems to be the most stable of the three.
These girls have their own challenges to face but it seems a lot more bearable having the other two to lean on.
This series follows three friends through their lives in Bristol in 1939.
They meet at their work at the tobacco factory and become close friends. They include:
Maisie Miles forced to get a job there by her abusive small crook father.
Phyllis Mason engaged to be married to a man she has realized she don’t really love.
Bridget Milligan who has an Irish father and seems to be the most stable of the three.
These girls have their own challenges to face but it seems a lot more bearable having the other two to lean on.
Read
June 23, 2025Great storyline and characters
Thoroughly enjoyed the book. The characters were so believable and the general state of life in that era was well described. Especially enjoyed the portrayal of how women so were down trodden
Thoroughly enjoyed the book. The characters were so believable and the general state of life in that era was well described. Especially enjoyed the portrayal of how women so were down trodden
June 25, 2022
What an amazing series! If you like historical fiction/ ww2 sagas then this is the series for you , i just love reading about all the dramas and lives of these three women during ww2 they had me completely enthralled!.
October 30, 2020
With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
First time reading this Author and a nice easy story about life in the cigarette factory's, life was hard for these women and home life wasn't much better, but through being resilient and hope they tried anything for a new life
First time reading this Author and a nice easy story about life in the cigarette factory's, life was hard for these women and home life wasn't much better, but through being resilient and hope they tried anything for a new life
March 10, 2021
A riveting tale of friendship, romance, humour and heart, saga fans are going to love Lizzie Lane’s fantastic new novel, The Tobacco Girls.
Maisie Miles has long suspected that her father had hidden motives when he insisted that she get a job at W.D. and H.O. Wills Tobacco Factory, but rather than give voice to her suspicions, Maisie decided to keep her own counsel and to keep her eyes and ears open as she begins her new job. But no sooner has she set foot on the factory floor that she finds herself taken under the wing of Phyllis Mason and Bridget Mulligan and although the three of them couldn’t be more different, a bond is immediately struck and a firm friendship quickly ensues which will stand them in good stead in an ever-changing world where the dark clouds of the Second World War are fast approaching.
Amidst all this uncertainty, it is the girls’ dreams for the future that keep them going. Romantic Phyllis dreams of love and romance and of being swept off her feet. Engaged to be married to her soulmate, Phyllis thinks that a rosy future awaits her. However, little does Phyllis realise that one must be careful what one wishes for because when Cupid’s arrow strikes, the repercussions and consequences do not bear thinking about…
Bridget is the level-headed one of the group. However, beneath her sensitive and practical exterior lies a young woman with her own demons and insecurities – and a fear of something terrifying that she is struggling to come to terms with. Is Bridget going to continue to be held hostage by her own insecurities and anxieties? Or will she finally find the courage to vanquish her demons and forge forward unshackled by the burdens of the past?
With everybody’s lives at the factory on the precipice of change with the advent of war, the Tobacco Girls realise that tomorrow is not guaranteed and that love, support and friendship will see them through even the darkest and grimmest of days.
Rosie Archer and Elaine Everest fans will love Lizzie Lane’s captivating Bristol-set saga. The Tobacco Girls is a tale of courage, survival, resilience and hope amidst despair that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end as they find themselves thoroughly enjoying the trials and tribulations of Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget.
Warm-hearted, uplifting and dramatic, put the kettle on, find a comfy chair and lose yourself in Lizzie Lane’s terrific saga, The Tobacco Girls.
Maisie Miles has long suspected that her father had hidden motives when he insisted that she get a job at W.D. and H.O. Wills Tobacco Factory, but rather than give voice to her suspicions, Maisie decided to keep her own counsel and to keep her eyes and ears open as she begins her new job. But no sooner has she set foot on the factory floor that she finds herself taken under the wing of Phyllis Mason and Bridget Mulligan and although the three of them couldn’t be more different, a bond is immediately struck and a firm friendship quickly ensues which will stand them in good stead in an ever-changing world where the dark clouds of the Second World War are fast approaching.
Amidst all this uncertainty, it is the girls’ dreams for the future that keep them going. Romantic Phyllis dreams of love and romance and of being swept off her feet. Engaged to be married to her soulmate, Phyllis thinks that a rosy future awaits her. However, little does Phyllis realise that one must be careful what one wishes for because when Cupid’s arrow strikes, the repercussions and consequences do not bear thinking about…
Bridget is the level-headed one of the group. However, beneath her sensitive and practical exterior lies a young woman with her own demons and insecurities – and a fear of something terrifying that she is struggling to come to terms with. Is Bridget going to continue to be held hostage by her own insecurities and anxieties? Or will she finally find the courage to vanquish her demons and forge forward unshackled by the burdens of the past?
With everybody’s lives at the factory on the precipice of change with the advent of war, the Tobacco Girls realise that tomorrow is not guaranteed and that love, support and friendship will see them through even the darkest and grimmest of days.
Rosie Archer and Elaine Everest fans will love Lizzie Lane’s captivating Bristol-set saga. The Tobacco Girls is a tale of courage, survival, resilience and hope amidst despair that will keep readers hooked from beginning to end as they find themselves thoroughly enjoying the trials and tribulations of Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget.
Warm-hearted, uplifting and dramatic, put the kettle on, find a comfy chair and lose yourself in Lizzie Lane’s terrific saga, The Tobacco Girls.
April 30, 2021
First sentence: Slight of stature, dark-haired and dark-eyed, fifteen-year-old Maisie Miles was currently engrossed in a world of her own. Though the newspaper sellers and the wireless shouted warnings of war to come, it meant nothing to her.
Premise/plot: Tobacco Girls is set in England (Bristol to be precise) at the start of World War II (1939). It follows the adventures and misadventures of three young women--factory workers all--Maisie Miles, Phyllis Mason, and Bridget Milligan. Each young woman (the youngest being Maisie) faces her own difficult struggles and challenges.
Phyllis Mason is engaged to a controlling man she doesn't really love--or even like. But he is "a catch," (even with a difficult mother), and her mother is pressuring her to just go with the flow.
Bridget Milligan is from a large Irish family--she's witnessed the cost of that large family--and she's questioning if love makes those hardships worth it.
Maisie Miles has an older brother who looks after her, but, her mother and father, well, life at home is anything but safe. Her father is a vile human being, and, her mother is helpless to protect herself or her daughter. What is her father capable of? What is he not capable of?
My thoughts: The Tobacco Girls is a historical soap opera. I sought this one out because of its world war two setting. I love to read books set during this period. It is very much "women's fiction." For better or worse. I enjoyed the drama--even when it bordered slightly on the melodramatic. I did come to care for all the characters. So much so that I felt like yelling at a few of them when they got into sticky situations.
It isn't clean nor smutty. The situations can be quite gritty--perhaps triggering for those who have lived through some dark stuff--but there's only a handful of scenes that I would consider bordering on adult.
Premise/plot: Tobacco Girls is set in England (Bristol to be precise) at the start of World War II (1939). It follows the adventures and misadventures of three young women--factory workers all--Maisie Miles, Phyllis Mason, and Bridget Milligan. Each young woman (the youngest being Maisie) faces her own difficult struggles and challenges.
Phyllis Mason is engaged to a controlling man she doesn't really love--or even like. But he is "a catch," (even with a difficult mother), and her mother is pressuring her to just go with the flow.
Bridget Milligan is from a large Irish family--she's witnessed the cost of that large family--and she's questioning if love makes those hardships worth it.
Maisie Miles has an older brother who looks after her, but, her mother and father, well, life at home is anything but safe. Her father is a vile human being, and, her mother is helpless to protect herself or her daughter. What is her father capable of? What is he not capable of?
My thoughts: The Tobacco Girls is a historical soap opera. I sought this one out because of its world war two setting. I love to read books set during this period. It is very much "women's fiction." For better or worse. I enjoyed the drama--even when it bordered slightly on the melodramatic. I did come to care for all the characters. So much so that I felt like yelling at a few of them when they got into sticky situations.
It isn't clean nor smutty. The situations can be quite gritty--perhaps triggering for those who have lived through some dark stuff--but there's only a handful of scenes that I would consider bordering on adult.
October 18, 2021
bought the Audible version and I'm so glad I did, the narrator, Anne Dover brought the story to life.
Lizzie Lane certainly knows her descriptive words.... brilliant! This is a little slow to start with but soon gathered pace and before I knew it my journey had come to an end 😥. I now have Audible book 2 ready and waiting for me to press play.
Fully recommend this first book in the series.
Thank you Lizzie Lane, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting 'The Tobacco Girls'.
Lizzie Lane certainly knows her descriptive words.... brilliant! This is a little slow to start with but soon gathered pace and before I knew it my journey had come to an end 😥. I now have Audible book 2 ready and waiting for me to press play.
Fully recommend this first book in the series.
Thank you Lizzie Lane, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting 'The Tobacco Girls'.
October 6, 2021
DNF. I just couldn’t get into this. Maybe my mood. I’ll try again maybe.
January 3, 2021
I am excited to be taking part in the #BlogTour for the first in Lizzie Lane's gripping new saga THE TOBACCO GIRLS.
I have to say I'm a sucker for this type of historical fiction, particularly sagas. I've not read Lizzie Lane before and I really enjoyed this book which, for me, is about family, friendships, love and sacrifice. It begins in a time when a shadow hung over Britain. It was a time of uncertainty and unknowns. But this stoic generation just got on with it, despite the uncertainty and the unknown. THE TOBACCO GIRLS begins a new saga in which we meet three girls in Bristol, each with their own shadows in their lives along with their dreams. This is their story.
Bristol 1939: Fourteen year old Maisie Miles lives in the worst part of the city. It is rife with crime, low lifes and the working class. Her father is a petty criminal, already having served prison time, and her mother is strangely distant. But Maisie is determined to rise above her roots and move out of the Dings (as it is colloquially known) and is is excited to receive a letter offering her the position of kitchen maid at a country manor. But her brutish father has other ideas. Ripping up her letter and tossing it in the fire, he informs her that she is going to the work at the W.D. & H.O. Wills tobacco factory. It isn't long before Maisie begins to suspect her father has an ulterior motive for her employment and uses it to his advantage.
Bridget Milligan is the eldest of seven children and loves to read. She soaks up knowledge like a sponge and often sounds as if she's swallowed an encyclopedia when she reiterates all that she has learnt through reading her beloved books. But alas her mother is pregnant yet again and Bridget awakes in the night to the familiar sounds pre-empting a birth. She is quick to rush to her mother's side who is frantic with worry that it's too early for the baby to come, and at just six months, it won't survive. But Bridget recognises the signs and prepares the bed with newspapers for the impending birth. When the baby arrives, it is clear that had it been full term it was likely it would not have survived. The description given sounded to me like spina bifida, and in those days, it was unlikely the child would have lived. Bridget has watched her mother birth her last two children and cannot imagine why anyone would put themselves through such pain and horror. The thought terrifies her and she resolves then and there she will never marry and therefore will never have children.
Effervescent Phyllis Mason is the life and soul of the party. At least, when her fiance Robert Harvey is not around. Then she submits to being the quiet demure woman he expects her to be. Phyllis' mother is enamoured with Robert and thinks he is quite a catch...but Phyllis is not so sure. He won't let her wear make-up, not even a dash of lipstick, no perfume and nothing that could be construed as revealing. She must present herself for inspection at the beginning of every date where he will always find fault somewhere and she must rectify it before they leave. But when Robert is not around, Phyllis is fun and happy-go-lucky with dreams of going to typing school to enable her to get a secretarial or typing job. She doesn't intend working at the tobacco factory forever. But Robert has other ideas. No wife of his will be working...EVER! Her sole job is to keep the house and look after him. And although she knows she doesn't want to marry Robert, she is too afraid to say so and hope the impending war will make the decision for her. But then circumstances arise that make it almost impossible for Phyllis to do anything but marry the loathsome man. Is this what her life is going to be like for the next fifty years?
The three women work together at the tobacco factory and with Maisie being the newest and youngest recruit, Bridget and Phyllis take her under their wing. The women soon become fast friends and enjoy outings together such as the pictures or just window shopping in Castle Street. But each of them harbour their own personal nightmarish secrets with cling to them like shadows. And as close as they become, they are too ashamed or scared to share them with each other. Of all the women, Maisie is the one that surprised me the most. At 14, she has spunk and an inner strength that serves her well. Soon she is not afraid to speak her mind with her friends, voicing her thoughts and telling it like it is. Bridget is the one with the kind-hearted soul, who would give the cloak off her back for another. She tries to keep Maisie in check at times when she thinks she could get them into trouble. Phyllis, as the outgoing one, soon becomes a shadow of her former self when a secret she harbours dictates her dismal future.
I liked each of the women and it's hard to say who I liked best. They each have their strengths and their weaknesses. Maisie is the most surprising of them all and I really liked her. Bridget is the one I probably relate to best. And Phyllis frustrated me. If she didn't want to marry Robert, then why not just break off the engagement? He has no hold over her until he slips that ring on her finger and they become man and wife. Their families all made for an interesting bunch, a reflection in part of the women they are today.
THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a riveting read that I read in a day! It was easy and enjoyable, though there are a few parts that are a little brutal to stomach. However, we are drawn into each of the women's lives and the struggles they face which is a far cry from the life to which we are now accustomed. Life in the 1940s was very different for young women whose identity became that of their husbands. Women were not meant to have a voice; they were raised for marriage and a family - nothing more. The struggles these women faced were a reality to which they were born but they also wanted something more for themselves.
As it is the first in the series, there are loose ends when the book concludes and yet it still gave a sense of closure for some in a way. The men they either know or have met are now off fighting and readers are left wondering what lies in store for them. I eagerly await the next installment but fear many of the details will be forgotten by then. However, I am sure I will be able to easily slip back into step with Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis when we meet again.
A heartbreaking but heartwarming story, THE TOBACCO GIRLS will have you laughing and crying and rooting for each of the women right up to the end...and thensome.
Beautifully written, THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a book that saga fans will enjoy as well as fans of Rosie Clarke, Fiona Ford, Rosie Goodwin, Pam Howes and Nadine Dorries.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
I have to say I'm a sucker for this type of historical fiction, particularly sagas. I've not read Lizzie Lane before and I really enjoyed this book which, for me, is about family, friendships, love and sacrifice. It begins in a time when a shadow hung over Britain. It was a time of uncertainty and unknowns. But this stoic generation just got on with it, despite the uncertainty and the unknown. THE TOBACCO GIRLS begins a new saga in which we meet three girls in Bristol, each with their own shadows in their lives along with their dreams. This is their story.
Bristol 1939: Fourteen year old Maisie Miles lives in the worst part of the city. It is rife with crime, low lifes and the working class. Her father is a petty criminal, already having served prison time, and her mother is strangely distant. But Maisie is determined to rise above her roots and move out of the Dings (as it is colloquially known) and is is excited to receive a letter offering her the position of kitchen maid at a country manor. But her brutish father has other ideas. Ripping up her letter and tossing it in the fire, he informs her that she is going to the work at the W.D. & H.O. Wills tobacco factory. It isn't long before Maisie begins to suspect her father has an ulterior motive for her employment and uses it to his advantage.
Bridget Milligan is the eldest of seven children and loves to read. She soaks up knowledge like a sponge and often sounds as if she's swallowed an encyclopedia when she reiterates all that she has learnt through reading her beloved books. But alas her mother is pregnant yet again and Bridget awakes in the night to the familiar sounds pre-empting a birth. She is quick to rush to her mother's side who is frantic with worry that it's too early for the baby to come, and at just six months, it won't survive. But Bridget recognises the signs and prepares the bed with newspapers for the impending birth. When the baby arrives, it is clear that had it been full term it was likely it would not have survived. The description given sounded to me like spina bifida, and in those days, it was unlikely the child would have lived. Bridget has watched her mother birth her last two children and cannot imagine why anyone would put themselves through such pain and horror. The thought terrifies her and she resolves then and there she will never marry and therefore will never have children.
Effervescent Phyllis Mason is the life and soul of the party. At least, when her fiance Robert Harvey is not around. Then she submits to being the quiet demure woman he expects her to be. Phyllis' mother is enamoured with Robert and thinks he is quite a catch...but Phyllis is not so sure. He won't let her wear make-up, not even a dash of lipstick, no perfume and nothing that could be construed as revealing. She must present herself for inspection at the beginning of every date where he will always find fault somewhere and she must rectify it before they leave. But when Robert is not around, Phyllis is fun and happy-go-lucky with dreams of going to typing school to enable her to get a secretarial or typing job. She doesn't intend working at the tobacco factory forever. But Robert has other ideas. No wife of his will be working...EVER! Her sole job is to keep the house and look after him. And although she knows she doesn't want to marry Robert, she is too afraid to say so and hope the impending war will make the decision for her. But then circumstances arise that make it almost impossible for Phyllis to do anything but marry the loathsome man. Is this what her life is going to be like for the next fifty years?
The three women work together at the tobacco factory and with Maisie being the newest and youngest recruit, Bridget and Phyllis take her under their wing. The women soon become fast friends and enjoy outings together such as the pictures or just window shopping in Castle Street. But each of them harbour their own personal nightmarish secrets with cling to them like shadows. And as close as they become, they are too ashamed or scared to share them with each other. Of all the women, Maisie is the one that surprised me the most. At 14, she has spunk and an inner strength that serves her well. Soon she is not afraid to speak her mind with her friends, voicing her thoughts and telling it like it is. Bridget is the one with the kind-hearted soul, who would give the cloak off her back for another. She tries to keep Maisie in check at times when she thinks she could get them into trouble. Phyllis, as the outgoing one, soon becomes a shadow of her former self when a secret she harbours dictates her dismal future.
I liked each of the women and it's hard to say who I liked best. They each have their strengths and their weaknesses. Maisie is the most surprising of them all and I really liked her. Bridget is the one I probably relate to best. And Phyllis frustrated me. If she didn't want to marry Robert, then why not just break off the engagement? He has no hold over her until he slips that ring on her finger and they become man and wife. Their families all made for an interesting bunch, a reflection in part of the women they are today.
THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a riveting read that I read in a day! It was easy and enjoyable, though there are a few parts that are a little brutal to stomach. However, we are drawn into each of the women's lives and the struggles they face which is a far cry from the life to which we are now accustomed. Life in the 1940s was very different for young women whose identity became that of their husbands. Women were not meant to have a voice; they were raised for marriage and a family - nothing more. The struggles these women faced were a reality to which they were born but they also wanted something more for themselves.
As it is the first in the series, there are loose ends when the book concludes and yet it still gave a sense of closure for some in a way. The men they either know or have met are now off fighting and readers are left wondering what lies in store for them. I eagerly await the next installment but fear many of the details will be forgotten by then. However, I am sure I will be able to easily slip back into step with Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis when we meet again.
A heartbreaking but heartwarming story, THE TOBACCO GIRLS will have you laughing and crying and rooting for each of the women right up to the end...and thensome.
Beautifully written, THE TOBACCO GIRLS is a book that saga fans will enjoy as well as fans of Rosie Clarke, Fiona Ford, Rosie Goodwin, Pam Howes and Nadine Dorries.
I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
February 2, 2021
When Maisie Miles finishes school, she knows more than anything that she needs to get away from York Street and her abusive father. However her father has other plans for Maisie, and instead forces her into a job at the W.D&H.O Tobacco Factory. As Maisie reluctantly accepts her fate, she soon meets Phyllis and Bridget, two of her fellow workmates in the factory. Phyllis is newly engaged and is still trying to navigate her way through the many lessons that life has to offer. Bridget comes from a large Irish family, and is one of seven siblings, and she knows that she wants more than the life her own mother lives. When Maisie starts at the factory, Bridget and Phyllis take her under they wings as they all try and navigate their way through love, life, and the many complications of family life. All of this taking place as WWII is beginning.
I truly loved this book right from the start. Lizzie has such a beautiful writing style that the story grasps your attention immediately and holds it firm until the very end. The characters are all so wonderfully unique, each with their own complex backgrounds which makes them all so likeable and endearing to the reader. I loved following the growing friendship of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis throughout the story, and the ways in which they all pulled together and supported each other through some troubling times was incredibly heart warming.
The story is written beautifully and is perfectly paced to keep the readers interest. As the story progresses you truly feel as though you form a connection with the three girls, and a fascinating insight into life prior to the war. Lizzie also highlights some of the many issues that arise between those that have money, and those that are in the poorer working class. The way in which the author also portrays the harsh realities that most girls faced those days, being forced into marrying and starting families rather than furthering their own education, was heartbraking.
Beautifully written, unique characters and a truly fascinating storyline. I loved everything about this book!.
I truly loved this book right from the start. Lizzie has such a beautiful writing style that the story grasps your attention immediately and holds it firm until the very end. The characters are all so wonderfully unique, each with their own complex backgrounds which makes them all so likeable and endearing to the reader. I loved following the growing friendship of Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis throughout the story, and the ways in which they all pulled together and supported each other through some troubling times was incredibly heart warming.
The story is written beautifully and is perfectly paced to keep the readers interest. As the story progresses you truly feel as though you form a connection with the three girls, and a fascinating insight into life prior to the war. Lizzie also highlights some of the many issues that arise between those that have money, and those that are in the poorer working class. The way in which the author also portrays the harsh realities that most girls faced those days, being forced into marrying and starting families rather than furthering their own education, was heartbraking.
Beautifully written, unique characters and a truly fascinating storyline. I loved everything about this book!.
November 19, 2020
Maisie lives with her family and is delighted to have a job offer, received with the help of her teacher, to be a maid in a country house. On announcing this her father tells her “ that she’ll do no such thing” and that she will go and work in the tobacco factory as he can then get free cigarettes and take her wages. This is Bristol in 1939 on the verge of yet another war. Once there Maisie meets Phyllis and Bridget. Phyllis is engaged to a man who is also telling her what she can and can’t do. She only realises this when others show her kindness. Bridget is from a large family and having seen the horrors of childbirth and miscarriage she is determined that is the last thing she wants and takes steps to avoid a relationship at all costs. When war breaks the girls are part of the backbone of the country- the men having been called up or volunteered. I'm not usually into historical fiction but the war stories always pique my interest. It's a great way to learn social history and although fiction, to discover a little of what went on behind the scenes as many of this type of book are very well researched. This has great characters which you can't help but feel for. Maisie is only 15 and yet her father is happy to pretty much sell her to the highest bidder. A thoroughly enjoyable read and a little learning along the way. Of the good of human nature in troubled times.
January 31, 2021
I liked this book but I didn't love it. I think I am of the minority with all the 4 and 5 star ratings. The story is about three friends who work at a cigarette factory prior to WW II. Maisie comes from the wrong side of the tracks and is trying to escape an abusive father. Bridget is from a family of Irish immigrants. She lives in a crowded home with many siblings and after watching her mother struggle with several miscarriages vows not to end up like her. Phyllis, the one I found the most difficult to like/understand marries a controlling man to make her child, conceived in a one night stand, legal.
I liked Maisie who is in a situation beyond her control. I liked Bridget who is the oldest daughter in her family and is always trying to do the right thing, although she spends so much time swearing off men that you know she's going to end up succumbing to a man. Finally, the author spends so much time contradicting the character of Phyllis. She's the life of the party, well dressed, and wanting to better herself, yet she does everything her annoying mother and controlling fiancee tells her to.
The story ended rather abruptly with happy ending for all three girls which was to "clean" for me. I can see it becoming a series but the wrapped up ending shouldn't have happened the way it did to lead into another story in my opinion.
I liked Maisie who is in a situation beyond her control. I liked Bridget who is the oldest daughter in her family and is always trying to do the right thing, although she spends so much time swearing off men that you know she's going to end up succumbing to a man. Finally, the author spends so much time contradicting the character of Phyllis. She's the life of the party, well dressed, and wanting to better herself, yet she does everything her annoying mother and controlling fiancee tells her to.
The story ended rather abruptly with happy ending for all three girls which was to "clean" for me. I can see it becoming a series but the wrapped up ending shouldn't have happened the way it did to lead into another story in my opinion.
January 29, 2023
I am more than thrilled to find out that this is a series! I loved the character and story line! Maisie Miles fifteen years old, war is coming that means nothing to her, she is waiting for the postman this is her ticket out of number five York Street. The stinking dings Bristol, been offered the position kitchen maid at Priory house Ashton after teacher Miss Smith recommended her she will be glad to get away but her drunken father Frank has other ideas, she is going to work at Wil's the tobacco company. Frank is a brutal man.
Bridget Milligan age eighteen lives in Marksbury Road with her over crowded family and no way is she going to be dropping babies like her mother Mary, her irish father Patrick lost a leg during the first great war and is on invalidity pension, she wants better that to get married and have babies.
Phyllis Mason has a good job at the tobacco factory and is engaged to Robert, a dependable chap and lives in the same road as Bridget and are best friends and well as working together, but Phyllis dreams of more that settling down and bettering herself typing in a office, her parent says it a waste as once she is married she doesn't have to work.
All these girls work together as The Tobacco Girls at W.D & H.O Wil's and build up a good friendship and Bristol is buzzing with talks of war.
Bridget Milligan age eighteen lives in Marksbury Road with her over crowded family and no way is she going to be dropping babies like her mother Mary, her irish father Patrick lost a leg during the first great war and is on invalidity pension, she wants better that to get married and have babies.
Phyllis Mason has a good job at the tobacco factory and is engaged to Robert, a dependable chap and lives in the same road as Bridget and are best friends and well as working together, but Phyllis dreams of more that settling down and bettering herself typing in a office, her parent says it a waste as once she is married she doesn't have to work.
All these girls work together as The Tobacco Girls at W.D & H.O Wil's and build up a good friendship and Bristol is buzzing with talks of war.
February 7, 2021
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I am so happy that this is the first book in a new series – it was wonderful!
The book was well written and it had a really well developed plot. The author had brilliant attention to detail and she really brought the period, location and characters to life – I loved every page and it was a real page turner – it had me hooked from the first few pages!
The characters were well developed and they worked so well together by the end of the story I almost felt as they were friends and I cannot wait to see them again in the next book in the series. They had a great mix of personalities and I liked the mixes of ages and experience too.
It Is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended and a fab read for any other fans of historical sagas out there – I really loved it!
I am so happy that this is the first book in a new series – it was wonderful!
The book was well written and it had a really well developed plot. The author had brilliant attention to detail and she really brought the period, location and characters to life – I loved every page and it was a real page turner – it had me hooked from the first few pages!
The characters were well developed and they worked so well together by the end of the story I almost felt as they were friends and I cannot wait to see them again in the next book in the series. They had a great mix of personalities and I liked the mixes of ages and experience too.
It Is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended and a fab read for any other fans of historical sagas out there – I really loved it!
December 6, 2022
I have both read and listened to several historical fiction books that I have really enjoyed so I was quite excited to start this series which focuses on three friends at the start of WWII.
Unfortunately this story didn't quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed it, but I found it quite slow moving and more of a gentle listen. I wasn't as moved by certain events as I had expected to be, but I did like the characters and the story.
The three main characters are completely different, but all lovely in their own way. I especially liked Bridget and her family.
I think this story is perfect for when you are looking for a slower paced and gentle read about friendships and relationships set during WWII, so with the drama and sadness that goes hand in hand with those times. I wouldn't mind reading or listening to the other books in the series, but I am not really in a rush to do so, especially as chances are that I will also enjoy those books, I just won't love them.
Unfortunately this story didn't quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed it, but I found it quite slow moving and more of a gentle listen. I wasn't as moved by certain events as I had expected to be, but I did like the characters and the story.
The three main characters are completely different, but all lovely in their own way. I especially liked Bridget and her family.
I think this story is perfect for when you are looking for a slower paced and gentle read about friendships and relationships set during WWII, so with the drama and sadness that goes hand in hand with those times. I wouldn't mind reading or listening to the other books in the series, but I am not really in a rush to do so, especially as chances are that I will also enjoy those books, I just won't love them.
January 30, 2021
Tobacco Girls,1939,you find three girls from different backgrounds working at the Tobacco Company. Lizzie Lane did so much research on this historical story about not only the time of year but what the Tobacco factory was all about,the working conditions and made these three girls become real people with real feelings that jumps out at you as you read. You will know all the characters and think on this book after you are done. Must have been so hard not to only work at this company but to be treated the way women were in 1939 ,right before WWII. Follow these Tobacco Girls and their lives and see what happens to all three,you really won't be disappointed. Received from Net Gallery don't pass up this story of life loves and history!
March 13, 2022
Set in Bristol in 1939 the country is on the brink of war. Three young women - Bridget, Maisie and Phyllis work together at the tobacco factory, stripping leaves. They form a friendship, but come from very different backgrounds. Bridget has a loving family, her father injured in the First World War but trying to make a good life for his family; Phyllis with a hard mother and a very controlling fiance and Maisie, only 14 but having had to look out for herself in an abusive home, her father being a thief and vicious man.
As the war clouds gather, we follow the lives of these three women, and a lovely story unfolds of hope, despair, good and bad choices. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!
As the war clouds gather, we follow the lives of these three women, and a lovely story unfolds of hope, despair, good and bad choices. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!
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