A woman’s courage by S Block. Reviewed by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent   

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England 1941

In the midst of World War Two, the members of one village WI fight harder than ever to help the war effort.

But behind closed doors, each is fighting and more personal battle.

Pat Simms is reeling from her own role in her abusive husband’s death, and the new freedom before her is daunting. Sarah Collingborne is struggling with the absence of her husband, who is in a POW camp abroad and is trying her best to fill his treasured place in the village.

Meanwhile, Teresa Lucas is anxious about her future as a parent, and her friend Alison Scotlock is on the verge is starting a new relationship.

grieving from men already lost and anxious for those still away fighting, the women of great Paxford must rely on each other. Amidst the complexities of broken relationships, loss and friendship this group of very different women must work together to find a way through.

Having enjoyed the regrettably short-lived TV series “Home Fires” I was absolutely delighted to discover that the creator and writer behind the delectable show started writing a book to pick up from where the series cruelly left viewers. A Woman’s courage is the third book in the series, following “Keep the Home Fires burning” and “A Woman’s war”. I have found that each book is stupendous, and I am always left wanting more.

Block writes with such compassion and addresses the issues that men and women would have faced living in a small village during world war II. How they pulled together to support each other is paramount but so too is their discrimination toward John Smith, A coloured man who has taken up residence in the village.

With book series I often find that the story tends to dwindle out as more books that are added to the series. S. Block’s Home Fire series is an exception to this rule, and I am eagerly awaiting another instalment.

So, if you enjoyed the TV show Home Fires then I highly recommend that you read this series,

I also recommend to fans of Annie Clarke, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and Ginny Bell.

Published by Zaffre in pb and ebook