Pam Howes

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Readers of the Lark Lane series, set in 1940s and 1950s Liverpool, have had the touching experience of following Alice through the years. Alice is now the mother of teen-aged Cathy and two younger girls. She is married to Jack now and has recently returned home due to being injured. Jack, was trouble through and through. Either it was womanizing or alcohol. What is worse was his abuse towards Alice, and that fact presented danger to Cathy. All of this played a role in his show more not living in the household.

Cathy wants to become a nurse. Doing so will not make things easy for Alice, as Alice is suffering horribly. But Cathy has a chance, and it is a chance she feels she must take. Meanwhile, she is drawn to Gianni, the son of Alice's friend Sadie. They grew up together, and now she is sensing something different about him. To be such a young man, Gianni has a lot to offer Cathy and I hoped from the very beginning that he would be good for her.

I love Cathy's story. Her love for Gianni - and nursing - allowed her to rise above some extreme difficulties. Because Jack was never far away, however, I sometimes worried that Cathy might not be okay. This book was so good, so engrossing, that I read it in two sittings, in just a few hours. The drama was all-encompassing as the story went from incredible sadness to such wonderful hope. There were some disturbing moments in this book when it came to Jack. He was a despicable man and reading of his actions caused much pain.

There is a lot of story here. I found it to be well-paced, and quite fluid. I read the first in the series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, about a year ago and I adored it. I had to go back and read the second in the series, The Shop Girls of Lark Lane. The way Pam Howes draws readers into the lives of all of these women is nothing short of exceptional. As this is primarily Cathy's story, it could do quite well as a standalone, but I felt that I needed that sense of continuity that I have become so accustomed to in order to get the full effect. No worries; these were hours very well spent. I definitely look forward to reading more by this wonderful author, and certainly hope that there will be at least one more Lark Lane story to come. I am sure the expectation will be well worth it.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. show less

The Factory Girls of Lark Lane by Pam Howes takes us back to December of 1940 in Liverpool, England. Alice Turner and her best friend Millie Markham work at Rootes Munitions Factory. While Alice’s sweetheart, Terry Lomax is home on leave they are getting married at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office. After a one night honeymoon, Terry returns to the division and Alice must continue with her life at home without him. Alice lives at home with her mother and younger brother, Brian. Her older show more brother, Rodney is fighting in France. Life is difficult at home with air raids, rationing and missing loved ones. Alice’s life changes when she discovers she is pregnant. As the war proceeds on with no end in sight, someone dear to Alice is missing in action, her mother’s health declines and she finds it is a struggle to keep a roof over their head and food in the cupboard. Alice feels blessed to have Millie’s friendship during these trying times. How will they overcome these challenges and survive the war?

The Factory Girls of Lark Lane is a well-written novel that transports readers back in time. I found that the author captured time and place. Ms. Howes did her research. I felt The Factory Girls of Lark Lane is an accurate portrayal of home life during World War II. I did struggle with some of the British slang (such as “sarnie”). Millie and Alice’s friendship is heartwarming and enriches the story. They are close friends who help each through the worst times of their lives and are there to celebrate the good times too. We see the importance of family and neighbors. It was amazing how neighbors and co-workers’ band together to take care of their own. Rationing made it difficult to prepare meals and people had to get creative. The National Loaf was the bread they had to eat (with white flour severely rationed) and new clothes were a thing of the past. The ending did feel incomplete to me, but this is only the first book in the series. The Factory Girls of Lark Lane is an emotional story that will tug on your heartstrings and it will hold your attention until the very end. I look forward to the story continuing in The Shop Girls of Lark Lane. show less

A Royal Visit to Victory Street by Pam Howes is the fifth book in The Bryant Sisters series. I recommend reading this heartwarming series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters and their stories. I enjoyed returning to Victory Street. We get to catch up with the characters. We follow Bella, Edie, Fran, and their extended families as they go about their daily tasks and adjust to postwar Liverpool. It took time for things to return to normal in England after the war. Some show more items were still being rationed in the latter half of the 1950s. I like how the author included the latest music groups and/or performers. Elvis Presley was making a name for himself, and teens wanted to imitate his look. Victory Street is chosen to receive a royal visit from Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Phillip. The Wavetree WI goes into action to make sure everything is perfect for the visit. Well, everyone except their leader who prefers to delegate. I like Pam Howes writing style. It is casual and friendly which makes the story easy to read. The characters are realistic and relatable. They continue to grow as the series progresses. I like that the characters are not perfect. They have flaws just like real people. We get to see them overcome challenges that are put in their way. There is nothing they cannot do as long as they have each other. The ending had me smiling. I was sorry when my visit to Victory Street came to an end. A Royal Visit to Victory Street is a heartfelt tale with unforeseen news, party planning, cleaning crews, pots of tea, a singing sensation, regal royals, a startling surprise, and a new venture. show less

The Daughters of Victory Street by Pam Howes is a charming post-World War II historical saga. It is the fourth novel in The Bryant Sisters series. I recommend reading this series in order. This will allow you to get to know the characters and their back stories. We return to Wavetree, Liverpool, England on Victory Street where it is February of 1952. It is a close community on Victory Street. The residents take care of each other. Bella and Edie have been focusing on their families. Fran has show more been absent from Liverpool following the scandal with her ex-husband, but she misses her friends. When another resident on Victory Street decides to move, their house is perfect for Fran and her child. With Fran’s return, The Bryant Sisters begin rehearsing. They have plenty of new songs thanks to Fran and Bobby. Dianna, Earl’s daughter, is a beautiful singer. Earl has her and Levi entering a singing competition. Singing, though, is not what Dianna wishes to do when she graduates. She wishes to become a nurse following in her Aunt Ruby’s footsteps. We follow Dianna as she passes her exams and enters the nursing program at the Royal Hospital. We get to see Dianna blossom into a lovely woman who makes big decisions regarding her future. It is great catching up with Bella, Edie, Fran as well as their families and friends. The Daughters of Victory Street is an emotional novel that lets readers see what life was like after World War II in England. Restrictions are still in place even in the 1950s. People are happy the war is over and are looking forward to moving on with their lives. I thought The Daughters of Victory Street was well-written with likeable, relatable, and realistic characters. It is enjoyable catching up with Fran, Bella, and Edie plus get them develop as time moves forward. Dianna experiences racism in her life at various times. I like how the author dealt with this issue. Bella and Bobby discover their daughter, Lizzie has a health issue. The couple takes the matter in stride, and I like how everyone rallies around to help them. We watch the families grow and adapt as the years pass by. The Daughters of Victory Street is a heartwarming saga with laughter, courage, grief, perseverance, disappointment, hope, and most of all- love. show less