The Post Office Girls by Poppy Cooper

The Post Office Girls by Poppy Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 353

Publisher - Hodder

Source - Review copy

Blurb From Goodreads

With the Great War raging, can they keep Britain going?1915. On Beth Healey's eighteenth birthday, she hopes that she will be able to forget the ghastly war and celebrate. But that evening, her twin brother Ned announces that he has signed up to fight.No longer able to stand working in her parents' village shop while others are doing their bit, Beth applies to join the Army Post Office's new Home Depot on the Regent's Park, and is astounded to be accepted. She will be responsible for making sure that letters and parcels get through to the troops on the front line.Beth is thrilled to be a crucial part of the war effort and soon makes friends with fellow post girls Milly and Nora, and meets the handsome James. But just as she begins to feel that her life has finally begun, everything starts falling apart, with devastating consequences for Beth and perhaps even the outcome of the war itself. Can Beth and her new friends keep it all together and find happiness at last?


My Review

So this one is different from the other type of books I have read and I am the first to admit I haven't read a whole lot in or around world war one. It seems more world war two so far but there is another book in this series so I will get that. Set in 1915 and everyone is doing their bit for the war, fighting, signing up and Beth wants to do her bit. As you know women in that time period has certain expectations, how to behave, act, family values and expectations. Beth helps out her parents in the family shop, her twin is away to fight in the war and they have just had their eighteenth birthday. Beth wants to do more, she wants to go work in the post office, helping process mail for the soldiers from their families. To do this she needs to disobey her family, lie, be brave and stand on her own two feet. Actions have consequences and with war on everyone is feeling it and emotional already.

So this is sedate paced, story building as we get to know Beth's life, routine, relationships so we can appreciate the personal growth and sacrifice to go against her parent's wishes. To put herself forward, something Beth has never done and in the location where bombs and war are very evident. Facing the disappointment of her family, confusion over her own feelings, drawn to another, learning about those against the war, suffragettes, campaigning, friendship it is a lot for this small town girl.

I really liked this, very centric on the people, their feelings, loved ones, love, loss, bravery, despair and doing what you feel is right when it puts you in a hard place and judgement and negativity from those closest to you. This is my first by this author and it was a debut, I checked Fantastic fiction and the second book is set at Christmas so I may get it and read in December, I do love a them, 4/5 for me for this one.

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