Review: A Girls' Guide to Winning the War

Title: A Girls' Guide to Winning the War

Author: Annie Lyons

Publisher: 30th June 2024 by Hachette Australia/Headline Review

Pages: 344 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

Can two young women, and one book, change the course of war . . .?

1940. Whip-smart librarian Peggy Sparks is determined to make sure that her brother Joe returns from the frontline to their London home, which they share with their beloved mother and grandmother. So when she is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job at the heart of the war effort, Peggy jumps at the prospect of making a real contribution to her country. 

But when she finds herself working under the fanciful socialite Lady Marigold Cecily, Peggy discovers that those around her are more keen on dancing at the Café de Paris than on ending the war. Writing accounts of her daily life is the only thing keeping Peggy's hopes alive. But when she finds her inner-most thoughts accidentally published by the Ministry of Information, Peggy realises she needs Marigold's help to save her job, and to bring her brother home . . .

From the author of The Air Raid Book Club comes a powerful tale of unexpected friendship, community and two remarkable women who change the course of the war. Full of heart, emotion and drama, it is the perfect uplifting story for fans of Kate Thompson and Natasha Lester.

My Thoughts

A Girls' Guide to Winning the War is a story of the love of family, female friendships and the power of the written word. Set during World War II readers will follow Peggy as she contributes to the war effort through the publication and writing of pamphlets and books to keep up morale on the homefront.

‘The war has offered a great opportunity to us and we would have been fools not to take it.’

Overall this is a lovely, heartwarming read about women on the home front in London and how families coped with bombings, rationing, taking on new roles and the importance of letters from loved ones at the front. The friendship between Peggy and Marigold highlights class differences and how friendship knows no bounds. 

‘Words have power, and yours have more power than most.’

This is a nice, charming story about the power of love from family and friends during challenging times. Lovers of historical fiction, particularly the changing roles of women during WWII will be most interested in this book. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.