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Christmas at Liberty's - Fiona Ford

Christmas at Liberty's (Liberty Girls #1)

Description

The first novel in the Liberty Girls series will be loved by fans of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Mr Selfridge.

September, 1941.

Mary arrives in war-torn London nursing a broken heart and a painful secret.

When she is offered her dream post as an assistant in the fabric department at Liberty store, she knows this is the fresh start she needs. Amid the store’s vibrant prints and sumptuous interiors, Mary finds a new family who can help her to heal.

But not everyone will give Mary such a warm welcome, and the trauma of her past will soon catch up with her.

As Mary and the Liberty Girls endure the heartache and uncertainty of war, it will take a steady heart to keep the magic of Christmas alive.



Review

I saved this book from my personal book shelf to read over the Christmas period, but really you could read it at any time of the year.

Liberty's is one of my favourite stores and I was a little nervous at how it was going to treated. I needn't have worried because the descriptions and details of the store where just spot on, I could see it all in my minds eye. I also love Liberty fabrics, so the fact that Mary gets to work in that department was a bonus for me. 

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the social history aspects. Set in 1941,  I learned quite a few things I hadn't known about before, especially some of the war time rationing. I loved how everyone in the book pulled together to make the most of what they had and each other. What wasn't so good was the way Mary was treated by society and her family- it really brought home to me the way society in general has changed in this respect.

One of the characters that was so vivid was Mrs Matravers, such a colourful and changing character who more than added to the varied story line. This certainly wasn't a saccharine read - it has warts and all.

I am a little behind in this series as there is already a follow up book and a third to be released in 2020.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. 


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