Fabulous New Series
The Clarks Factory Girls At Work by May Ellis is a fabulous new series which focuses on the Clarks family in Street, Somerset during 1914 and 1915.
We follow three young girls who work at the factory. They come from three very different families but are firm friends who support each other.
The plight of women was very different a hundred years ago. Women were definitely inferior to men. They earnt less, were not in positions of responsibility and were supposed to submit to men. There were snippets of talk about suffragettes. A young girl has to hand her wages over to her father until she is twenty one.
The plight of a widow with young children was precarious as they lived hand to mouth.
In another household, the father is cruel. He drinks his wages away and is handy with his fists.
We drop in on discussions about the various denominations. The Clarks family were Quakers as were many of the community but some were Church Of England. The community was divided, no one wanting inter-marriage between the denominations. It seems alien to the modern reader.
World War I had begun. Young men go to war. Some are killed. Some suffer from shell shock. Women organize white feather committees which is shameful. Women step into men’s roles as they have been vacated.
Life still goes on. New relationships form in the shadow of war.
All the characters were realistic and well drawn.
I am looking forward to the subsequent books in this series.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Clarks Factory Girls at War
Can love blossom in times of trouble?
Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory.
But when Britain declares war on Germany, the Somerset village of Street is shaken to its core. The Clarks factory is at the heart of life in the village, but the Clark family are Quakers and pacifists. Before long, there are fierce debates amongst the workers and tensions between those who oppose the war and those who believe the village men should go to fight.
Each of the girls must decide her own position but as brothers and sweethearts leave for France, Louisa is relieved that her sweetheart Mattie, a Quaker, who won’t be signing up. But she’ll soon find that they face fierce opposition at home as well as across the Channel.
Will the girls’ friendship be enough to keep them together, as everything around them falls apart?
A heartwarming and gripping new saga series perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Rosie Clarke.
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/clarksfactorysocial
Author Bio –
Alison lives in Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor, volunteering at her local library and for the Alfred Gillett Trust (custodians of the Clark’s archives). Her first book, a contemporary romance, was published in 2014. Since then she has had five more novels published, including another romance and a YA time travel adventure. Her current series, based on the factory workers at Clark’s Shoes was inspired by her move to the area and her love of social history (and the treasure trove in the archives!).
Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alison_Knight59
