Four Novels Set in Wartime England

Last Updated on September 7, 2018 by lydiaf1963

I’ve always been a reader, and this past summer it seems like I’ve had more time to read than usual. One of the themes to my reading has been novels set in wartime England. It’s a fascinating period in history. The Great War (WWI), which was promised to be the last, had occurred barely a generation before and the sacrifice and hardship required of the citizens during wartime was still fresh on everyone’s minds. All of Britain was united in purpose: to protect their citizens, to prevent an invasion and to defeat the Germans. To keep children safe, families were separated. To feed and clothe the nation and troops, rationing of food and everyday goods was implemented. The effects of the war were felt long after the treaties were signed, well into the 1950s and beyond.

There have been many novels, movies and television shows set in this time frame. The ones I’m showcasing today examine the role of women and ordinary people during wartime England.

Let’s start with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barros.

I found out about this book via blogging friend Ali of Homecrafts by Ali. Ali is also a voracious reader and she published a post on Facebook about the book being adapted into a Netflix movie (not yet available on Netflix Spain, sadly).

Guernsey is a huge island in the English Channel, close to France and the perfect staging ground for a German invasion of England. Juliet Ashton is a writer based in London who enters into a correspondence with Dawsey Adams, a farmer living on Guernsey. Together they share an interest in the writings of Charles Lamb. Juliet is intrigued and learns via letters from Dawsey and others about the origins of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and life on the island during the occupation. Eventually she visits the island and becomes friendly with the members of the Society and especially the daughter of Elizabeth who was taken by the Germans to a work camp.

We learn the story of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by peeking into the letters exchanged by Juliet and her friends, both on Guernsey and those in England. The letters are witty and detail the hardships of the occupation, the mystery of Elizabeth’s fate, and the growing romance between Juliet and Dawsey. I read the book with much interest, laughing and mourning with the characters.

War Brides by Helen Bryan

War Brides is the story of five young women from different walks of life whose lives intertwine in the village of Crowmarsh Priors after much of the populace had been evacuated from London to the countryside. There’s Alice the vicar’s daughter. She’s sent into a tailspin after she finds out Richard, her long time beau, has broken their engagement to marry Evangeline a women from the Southern United States. Elsie escapes the poverty of London’s East End to become a Land Girl, part of the women’s army that took over the farm chores necessary to feed the country. Tanni was pregnant when she escaped the Nazis in Austria and awaits to hear the fates of the Jewish family she left behind. Then there’s Frances the former debutante sent to the country by her father.

The women form a friendship based on hardship and mutual need. As the war continues they learn one of their neighbors has been guiding German planes to bomb London and their endeavors turn to figuring out who is betraying their country. It takes years to find out the answers and the story comes to a head when four of the five women reunite for VE Celebrations fifty years later.

I found out about War Brides via a recommendation after reading another Helen Bryan novel. The story is rich in historical detail and she does an excellent job portraying the friendship between the women. Their individual stories, how they came to Crowmarsh Priors and what happened after the war, are also compelling.

Jackdaws by Ken Follett

Ken Follett is known for writing novels full of intrigue and this one is no exception. The main character is Felicity “Flick” Clariet, a British operative who is also married to a leader of the Resistance in France. Their group specializes in reconnaissance and sabotage and with the Allies planning to take the war to France it’s important to disrupt German communication lines. Easier said than done.

Their target, a communications exchange, is located in a bomb proof bunker. An previous attempt by the Resistance, led by Flick and her husband, failed. The only way to penetrate the exchange is through subterfuge and so an all woman team is quickly assembled from a disparate group. Only Flick is a professional operative. After a brief training period, they parachute into France with Flick in the lead. Will Flick be able to overcome her self doubt and hold the team together long enough to complete their mission?

Jackdaws is a page turner with lots of suspense and action. This summer I re-read it during my binge and it has not lost its ability to draw the reader in.

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

This novel, like War Brides, is available thru Kindle Unlimited where for a monthly fee you can read until your eyes fall out. I’ve discovered a lot of writers through this program. Some are self published, others are established authors republishing their work in hopes you’ll purchase more. (The entire Harry Potter series is currently available on Kindle Unlimited if you’re tempted to revisit the tale tale.)

Intrigue comes to Fairleigh Field, the ancestral home of the Westerhams, when the body of a man is discovered on the estate. It looks like the man attempted to parachute onto the property, but there’s no identification and the only other document is a photograph. It’s up to Lord Westerham’s daughter Pamela and family friend (and MI5 agent) Ben Cresswell to figure out who the man was trying to contact and why. They race against the clock to prevent the assassination of Winston Churchill and thwart a plot to replace King George VI.

You’ll find lots of family drama, unrequited and misplaced affection, betrayal, danger and intrigue as well as a glimpse into the secretive life of MI5 agents.

If you are also a fan of this period in history, you’ll probably enjoy these books as much as I did. I’ve used Amazon links, but you should also be able to find them in your local bookstore or library.