The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey (WWII setting)

It amazes me that each time I read a book with the setting of the world wars, it always shows me another aspect of the wars which was unknown to me.

Most times poignant and emotional, it also shows human beings at their best (and worst). The Beantown Girls depicts a group of young women - fresh out of college, no experience of life or the world thrust into the grim reality of war on a scale that would be unimaginable to them from the homes they came from and the country they came from.

The stories of Fiona, Viv and Dottie who volunteered for the Red Cross, joined the Clubmobile group all with the idea of bringing cheer and support to the American troops on the ground are inspiring. Never faced with hardships, never having made to go without they led comfortable lives and now find themselves in an atmosphere of hard work, uncomfortable living conditions and still expected to be bright and cheery.

I loved how the stories panned out, each finding love (it had to be with the shortage of girls on the ground in comparison to the men!) but it also brought out the way each of them met their obligations of their jobs, not shirking from what was expected of them.

The characterizations were spot on, the settings were descriptive and the story was a good one.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Lake Union Publishing.