A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton
It’s my turn on the Blog Tour today for A Ration Book Christmas by Jean Fullerton. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and the owner for an advance copy, which I have reviewed honestly.
A Ration Book Christmas
With Christmas approaching, the Brogan family of London’s East End are braving the horrors of the Blitz. With the men away fighting for King and Country and the ever-present dangers of the German Luftwaffe’s nightly reign of death and destruction, the family must do all they can to keep a stiff upper lip.
For Jo, the youngest of the Brogan sisters, the perils of war also offer a new-found freedom. Jo falls in love with Tommy, a man known for his dangerous reputation as much as his charm. But as the falling bombs devastate their neighbourhood and rationing begins to bite, will the Brogans manage to pull together a traditional family Christmas? And will Jo find the love and security she seeks in a time of such grave peril?
My Review
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this warm, informative and entertaining WWII family novel. The Brogan family and friends are such an interesting and resilient bunch, doing what they can against the war effort and not a complaint from anyone. Their humour and strength are truly inspiring and I actually felt like I was living it with them, back in 1940′ s London.
The Brogan family have to take the almost daily trek to the air raid shelters, all except gran Queenie who prefers to take her chances! She would rather spend her time making booby traps against the Germans in the backyard! This is just one of the wonderful moments in the book, there are many more.
Jo returns from evacuation to try and hook up with sweetheart Tommy but it is never going to be easy because the two families are worlds apart. She volunteers for the Ambulance Service, patching up the wounded residents at a first aid station. The family has its share of secrets, which gives the story an intriguing plot, and there is plenty of drama and suspense, as the bombs continue to fall
The fine details and research that has gone into this book are outstanding. There is even a chapter at the end of the book which explains how the Brogan family would have sourced and cooked their ‘make do’ Christmas meal, bought of course with the trusty ration book.
This book can be read and enjoyed any time of the year, Christmas plays a very small part of the story, but it wraps up the book perfectly.
I loved every minute!
Author Bio – Jean Fullerton is the author of eleven novels all set in East London where she was born. She also a retired district nurse and university lecturer. She won the Harry Bowling prise in 2006 and after initially signing for two East London historical series with Orion she moved to Corvus, part of Atlantic Publishing and is half way through her WW2 East London series featuring the Brogan family.
