All the Nice Girls

by Joan Bakewell

Book by Bakewell, Joan

Genres: Fiction

341 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2009

About the author

Joan Dawson Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell, DBE, HonFBA, FRSA, is an English journalist, television presenter and Labour Party peer. Baroness Bakewell is president of Birkbeck, University of London; she is also an author and playwright, and has been awarded Humanist of the year for services to humanism.

Reviews

[Val Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was recently book of the month at our local book group. I was interested to read it because, although I know Joan Bakewell as a presenter and author of factual works, I did not know she had written any novels. Although this novel was set in North West England, with a back ground of World War II, the girls school that is described in it was very reminiscent of the school I attended which was led by the redoubtable headmistress Miss Hilda Fleming.

It is fair to say Miss Fleming in no way resembled Cynthia, one of the main protagonists of the story. Cynthia and Josh, the main protagonists with their tragic story, were quite well drawn but the rest never became more than cyphers and stereotypes for me. The wartime setting is well done, but that doesn't make it a great book. The story's a good one, well told, and this is an entertaining enough read with attempts to tackle some of the social issues of the day.

The novel also jumps from the period of the war to the present day in two threads and I tend not to be drawn to stories like that. However, I did quite like the little twist at the end of the book.

This was not a great book, but I enjoyed it because it was so evocative of its time and the memories that returned to me as I read All the Nice Girls by Joan Bakewell. it is worth a read.

Valerie Penny

[Sally Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, with some interesting things from WWII that were new to me. The book got better and better as it neared the end. I liked the twists a lot!

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a bit of everything in this book. I truly enjoyed listening to it.

It is the start of WWII and We meet Cynthia Maitland, who is the Head Mistress of Ashworth Grammer School for Girls. The school takes part in an adoption of a merchant ship, they get to meet the Captain Josh Percival, along with his first and second mates Tim and Robert. Two of the girls at the school, Polly and Jennifer find they have already met Tim and Robert at a local dance so they are instantly interested and in time they develop relationships with these 2 boys. While Cynthia, who is a 41 year old unmarried virgin starts a relationship with Josh. Josh is married to Jessica who is Wren and works at Darby House, where the orders come from for the war and while Josh is away Jessica leads a very single life. Josh falls in love with Cynthia and would have left Jessica if their son Peter had not been lost at sea. The ship they had adopted went down near The Azores and it awhile before those at the school found out that Josh and Robert had survived but unfortunately Tim had been lost. Cynthia also thought up an idea for the girls in the 6th form to hold afternoon tea so they could have discussions with some prominent people. This caused a bit of controversy with some of the guess speakers as these girls were too outspoken which was not heard of in 1942.

This story goes between 2003 and the past (1942 to 1975), after Millie receives a box of items, after her mother's death and it sent her searching for a secret. It alternates from now back to the story as it unfolded all those years ago. I enjoyed the love stories and I liked the main characters.

I found it quite funny, the way people thought back in those days, especially Cynthia mother after she told her that she was going to have a baby. I am glad I was not born back then.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a great admirer of Joan Bakewell as a journalist, and I really wanted to love this book - but it was a little disappointing. Cynthia and Josh, the main protagonists with their tragic story, were quite well drawn but the rest never became more than cyphers and stereotypes for me. The wartime setting is well done, but that doesn't make it a great book. The story's a good one, well told, and this is an entertaining enough read with attempts to tackle some of the social issues of the day. I read it in a day, and wanted to know what happened. But that unfortunately didn't raise it above a good read - wait for the paperback...

[Tif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, comfortable read. I enjoyed that the book was set very close to home for me, which was a surprise as I had no idea when I picked up this novel.
Nearing the end of war, the book is set in North West England in the place I live now and also where I grew up on the seaside.
It was lovely to imagine a romantic war time atmosphere in the places I've known and spent time growing up around.

A good read, however I feel that if the author intended to keep any shock twists until the end, they were easily seen way before the book was in its stride. I also felt alot of characters and stories weren't really necessary.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be pure historical fiction, WWII, about an interesting morale building program I hadn't known about: schools adopting ships and making pen pals of the sailors, for the war effort.
Then there was a whole connect to the present, family secrets, flashback plot.. wasn't too fond of that.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A romantic wartime novel, a first novel by Joan Bakewell.
Capturing the danger and excitement of wartime Britain, the painful seperations, illicit love and battles at sea. The story flows well with fast forwards to the present day. Highlights the fact that things don't always turn out the way you want. A comfortable read.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd ending, but otherwise good.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just brilliant

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected something rather better - found it a bit forgettable to be honest and not very gripping.

[Jan Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of war time loss and romance. Quite nicely done, but not a great page turner.

[Tracey Wilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting from Joan Bakewell. Quite tame. A pleasant war time romance.