Daisy's War

Caldwell #2

by Rowena Summers

There was more than one kind of war. There was the one that threatened so much of the world now, and there was the inner war within a person.

A terrible tragedy has torn the Caldwell family apart and the Caldwell girls have split up: Imogen has joined the war effort, Elsie has married, and Daisy? Daisy has lost her way.

Living away from home and missing her sisters, Daisy isn’t sure who she is anymore. She’s making new friends, dancing with new beaus, but everywhere she turns, she finds death. Working as a nurse and confronted with new horrors daily, Daisy finds herself wondering what the point of it all is anymore.

As the chaos of the Second World War rages on and her own life falls to pieces, Daisy dreams of real love, of lasting friendship, and of hope for a different life… but she must look for light where she can find it.

This uplifting coming of age story is the second in The Caldwell Girls saga.



Daisy’s War was first published in 2001.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

Jean Innes was born on 8 February 1932 in London, England, but she have lived in the West Country almost all her life. She married with Geoff Saunders, her childhood sweetheart, and they have three grown up children. She lived in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, where she wrote full time. She passed away on 3 August 2011, after contracting an illness, after being rushed to Weston General Hospital.

Jean began her career as a magazine writer and had published around 600 short stories. She start to published gothic romance novels under her married name Jean Saunders and her maiden name Jean Innes in the 1970s. In 1980s, she created, to wrote historical romances, two pseudonyms, her most popular, Rowena Summers and Sally Blake. In 1991 her novel, "The Bannister Girls," was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of Year award. In 2004, she began to used the penname Rachel Moore.

She was an active member and enthusiast of Swanwick, the Writers' Summer School, which takes place in Derbyshire, England, every August, she was a committee member several times, and also Vice-Chairman. She was elected the seventeenth Chairman (1993-1995) of the Romantic Novelists' Association. As a member of the Romance Writers of America she had given talks at conferences in various venues of the USA. She was a member of the Crime Writers' Association. She also was a member and past committee member of the West Country Writers' Association.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another war time story, this time following young, impressionable Daisy. Whilst it is the second of a series, you can easily read this as a stand-alone – which is exactly what I did. The book itself isn’t that ground-breaking but if you like a story set in the war, then this is probably to your tastes.

I was hoping for a bit more drama than what Summers has created. However, this is rather “safe” and there isn’t anything too daring within the story. Daisy is quite a sweet character, but I found her gutlessness a bit irritating. Her other sisters, particularly Imogen, appear to have a bit more to them; when they appeared in the narrative, I thought it added more variety to the plot.

Daisy is a young girl who is trying to grow up and find her place in a chaotic world. Struggling to find her calling during the Second World War, she settles to nursing. When she finds herself on the medical boats, shipping between the French and English coast, Daisy witnesses things she will never forget. I think this is the making of her and reflects her moving from a girl to a woman. Personally, it was the most interesting part of the story and I enjoyed the grittiness that this part carried. Inevitably, Daisy moves on and over the course of the book, still struggles to feel that nursing is what she should settle for.

The novel’s title reflects how the reader’s follow Daisy’s experiences during the war. However, it is not just the conflict that Daisy is having to deal with, but also her inner turmoil about dealing with members of the opposite sex, coping with her mother’s death, and also her career choices. This was a pleasant touch from the author and illustrates the multi-faceted meanings to the title.

This was an average read. It didn’t take me long but I wasn’t enthralled by it! It felt like a safe saga and I was hoping for something that stood out from the numerous war stories already out there. As part of a series, I don’t think I would seek out the rest of the novels, unless they are strikingly different to this one.

With thanks to Netgalley and Agora books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel in late September 2019 from Netgalley, Rowena Summers, and Agora Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Rowena Summers to my author's list. She gives us a clear picture of a slice of life during wartime England, with all the angst and joy of family interactions as well.

Daisy's War, completely stand-alone, is the second of a series about the life and times of the Caldwell family in England. It has been two years since the untimely accident that took their mother Frances. Imogen is now in the military, chauffeuring an officer around London. Teen son Baz is working his dream job on a fishing boat in the Atlantic, Elsie is married to her soldier John, and expecting their first child. Elsie is still living with their father in Bristol, but eight-year-old son Tommy and 17-year-old daughter Daisy are with their Uncle Bert and Aunt Rose in Weston along with three youngsters farmed out from the London area for safety's sake.

In the long lead-in to the war on their shores, people are beginning to get restless with the wait. Many of the children farmed out to 'Aunties' in the north of England have been taken back home after months of inactivity in the south. It is, of course, a misstep - within just a month or two German planes will be bombing London, but people will be people. Daisy, too, is restless, but perhaps has found her niche. Training to be a nurse, she is working with the wounded as they filter into the hospital in Weston from the battlefields in France. It is fulfilling work, work she is proud to be able to do, and she is seeing life now as the grown-up she will soon become. But she envies sister Elsie, her surety that love is hers, that John is the man she will always love, the father of her child, the other piece of her heart. How do you know it's a forever love and not just a passing infatuation?

Transferred temporarily to a hospital ship, Daisy has an active part in the withdrawal of troops from Dunkirk. She is fortunate enough to be able to help her brother-in-law John, who was wounded in France, but she is soon back at the hospital in Weston the routine of which now seems almost boring. She needs more in her life. But more of what?
pub date August 28, 2019
rec late 2019
Agora Books
Reviewed on April 8, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, and Barnes&Noble. Not available for review on BookBub, Kobo or GooglePlay.

[Sarah Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really have struggled to finish this. The story just didn’t flow for me and the storyline itself just felt flat

[Violet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't have much to say about this book. Daisy's War was more about the war Daisy fought within herself with deciding how to handle things that are going on in her life not just the war going on in England at the time. Mind you Daisy just turned eighteen in this bookand is not sure what she wants to do or how to handle some of her feelings (about the opposite sex). This was book two in a series. Would I read the next one, no.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daisy's War is sent during WWII. Daisy Caldwell is about to turn 18. She's just becoming an adult and trying to figure things out. As the war rages on in Europe, Daisy decides to help the war effort by becoming a nurse. Daisy has begun to grow up, but it seems tragedy after tragedy starts happening. Just a story of a girl growing up and learning life is hard. Happy Reading 😊

[Ichou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy was deeply saddened by her mother’s death. Shortly after, she lost her best friend, who had been fighting a serious illness for a while. This inspired her to become a nurse a brave one who faced many challenges during wartime. Life was incredibly hard during those times.

[Dawnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. I never read this author before. I loved the setting and the characters. A heart felt read.

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The three Caldwell sisters have now split up two join the war effort and one marries with a baby on the way a fabulous read looking forward to reading book 3

[Jennifer Cadge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding

I loved it, true to life it has everything, love, fear,loss and pain,bravery. I would definitely recommend this book read in two nights.

[Linda Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story

[Ariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daisy just pissed me off too much.

[Brenda Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoying the continued story.

[Kim Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual review 3.75⭐

I have struggled with my review on this, mainly because I think this is better than a 3 stars. I liked this book, and though it was slow in the beginning, it did pick up and finished strong.

This book is about Daisy the youngest daughter of 5 kids. Daisy is 17 when this book starts and is having to grow up quick due to losing her mom and WW2. You watch Daisy struggle with decisions about what she should be doing with her life and all the emotions that go with that. I also enjoyed the little forays into the other children's lives and how they dealt with the war.

This book was a little predictable in spots, but I expected that and enjoyed it in spite of that. I enjoy a good story and that is what this was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the chance to review this book!

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daisy’s War tells the story of five siblings and their experiences during the beginning of WWII in England. Daisy, the main character, has become a nurse and works in various settings, from a small hospital near her Aunt and Uncle’s home, to ferrying soldiers back from Dunkirk, to ambulance duty, the book deals with quite a few deaths and the various responses to them, including their mother’s which occurred about 2 years before that beginning of the book. Some of the book was eye-opening- I hadn’t known about Italian internment one England during the war. Some of it was predictable; the usual war stories, the usual “naive girl grows up” situation. Overall it was a bit of a tedious read, but included many heartwarming moments and a few surprises.

[Karen Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora books for a digital review copy in return for my honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Rowena Summers so I hadn't read the first book in the series - however this book is easy to understand without having read the first book.

I enjoyed reading about Daisy growing up during the early years of World War 2 in Weston and Bristol - it was good to read about the experiences of people outside London.

This book covers lots of issues faced by the young women during this era and was an interesting read. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I believe you will enjoy this book too.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Fiction is my favourite genre, especially novels that pertain to WWII. Daisy’s War is a historical fiction novel but different from many that I have read. Rowena Summer has invited the reader to become a member of Daisy’s family. The reader experiences the precious few joys, the heartaches, the fears and the sacrifices of this family and many more families in the early years of the war.

This memorable novel is part of a series but can certainly be read as a stand alone novel. I look forward to reading more books by this talented author.
Thank you to Net Galley and Agora Books for a digital copy in return for my honest review. 4 stars

[Pam Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was the second in a series but it was still enjoyable. This is the story of Daisy, an older teen, trying to figure her way through WWII, living in a house of evacuees with her aunt and uncle, nursing and dealing with all sorts of personal issues - family, boyfriends, death, wounded soldiers. The story was a little too slow and plodding for my taste however this might have been deliberate to reflect the pace of life back then. A nice addition to the library of those seeking fictional accounts of social history nevertheless.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about one girl,her family and the parts they played in the war. Enjoyable characters in maybe a bit predictable story. It did keep my attention, I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy