A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls

The Tobacco Girls #6

by Lizzie Lane

It has finally happened! The war is over and Europe rejoices.** May 1945 – VE Day
After battling against the odds, the three friends are uncertain of their futures.
Maisie Miles must wait on tenterhooks for Japan to surrender and for poor Sid to return home. Will they still be sweethearts and have a future together? But tragedy strikes when Maisie's lodger Carole dies leaving 2-year-old Paula orphaned, Maisie is determined to keep the child she has grown to love as her own.
Meanwhile Bridget O’Neill’s husband has been patiently waiting her arrival in America but Bridget’s been struggling to leave her family and friends behind. Will she stay or will she go?
Phyllis Fairbrother receives the devastating news that husband Mick has relapsed and suffering a life changing diagnosis. Their dreams of a new life in Australia lie in tatters, or so she thinks.
With a new dawn, there are high hopes and boundless dreams.
Can the Tobacco Girls unite once more to overcome life’s troubles and find the happiness they so deserve? Praise for Lizzie 'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin 'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton 'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier 'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Family, World War II, British Literature

320 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2023

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading the last instalment of the three Ms in A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls. It was a great ending, although I would have loved to of read more about the future, maybe 5 years on. Lizzie Lane did a wonderful job as I felt Bridget’s fears of a travelling to America, Phyllis’s concern for her future and Maisie’s happies for hers. A gripping historical fiction story of friendship, love and family as they settled into a world after having lost so much during the war. I highly recommend reading the Tobacco Girls following their journey from Bristol as young women before the war, to strong mature women with a strong friendship after the war. I would like to thank Boldwood Books, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sixth and final book in the superb Tobacco Girls series . I’ve read and adored every book in the series . Truthfully I’m gutted that this is the last book and I feel like I’m losing dear friends . Like all the previous books I was hooked on this final one and honestly didn’t want it to end . A huge 5 ⭐️ for the final book in what has become one of my favourite saga series .

[Carol Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was a very well written series.. One book, can’t recall which was a bit Ho hum but I’m just so impressed by how these Brits made it through those tough years with such humour,, whilst making wonderful lifelong friendships along the way.

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very poinient conclusion to this wonderful series. It was very fitting. I'll be sorry to say goodbye to Maisie, Bridget and Phyllis. A Fond Fairwell for the Tobacco Girls focuses on the aftermath of the war the devastation it left behind and how people got through their days. Though heartbreaking it was uplifting and the three M's friendship really was something special to see them through thick and thin. The ending really did tie it all up nicely but it did tug at my heart strings. I've become such a fan of Lizzie Lane since reading this series and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.

[Melanie Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m writing this review crying! I’ve read and loved every single book in this fantastic series, following the three M’s lives through their jobs at the tobacco factory, the awful war and different relationships.
Reading this has been bittersweet, amazing catching up with them, but sad knowing it’s for the last time. As always, Lizzie has told the story beautifully, winding up their different stories in different ways. 100% recommend this wonderful series

[Hayley Wills · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Jess: I’ve finished The Tobacco Girls series now. Overall I loved it and still firmly believe that someone should turn it into a period drama mini series for TV!

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

All is fair in love and war...

I have followed this series from the beginning and I have loved accompanying the girls over the course of their respective journeys. This one is somewhat bittersweet in ending and in reviewing this final installment.

Bridget O'Neill, nee Milligan, prepares to join husband Lyndon in the United States to begin their lives together however she is finding leaving Bristol, her family and friends behind somewhat difficult. And so she takes on several crusades of her own to keep her firmly in Blighty for the time being. When she hears her father has a new lady friend, she is keen to stop by and check up on him ensuring he is well looked after as well as her younger siblings. But it's the plight of children as young as 3 being shipped to Australia with no promise of being adopted at the other end that keeps her here as she uses her influence and the O'Neill money to investigate further. Meanwhile, Lyndon is at first understanding knowing how difficult it must be for Bridget to leave the place she was born and grew up as well as her family and friends. But when the weeks turn into months and he still hasn't seen his growing son, he becomes impatient in wanting his wife and son home with him in the United States. Bridget's excuses are running out. Will she follow her husband and make her new home with him? Or will she stay in the place she's always called home?

Phyllis Fairbrother, nee Mason then Harvey, married Australian Mick on the ship bringing them back from Malta after an unexploded bomb ruined their wedding and saw Mick rushed off to hospital. Now they are back in England, and the injuries Mick sustained in that explosion see him back in hospital with no chance of returning to his homeland of Australia with Phyllis to set up home and a vineyard. Instead Phyllis must find a home for them close by for his regular appointments with the surgeon. So she decides to settle back in her home town of Bristol in one of the new prefab houses purposely built for returning servicemen and their families. A face from the past pulls a few strings to get them the new place but Mick is far from grateful for the shoebox when he could have had acres of land at his fingertips back home. But a chance encounter with a friendly neighbour and veteran from the first war helps Mick put things into perspective. Will he settle for England or will he continue to grumble for a dream that is out of reach?

Maisie Miles, the only one of the three M's who has not married, still works at the tobacco factory and lives in the house her grandmother bequeathed to her. Her sweetheart Sid was taken prisoner in the Far East and is currently a POW in Changi. She took in young Carole Thomas who found herself pregnant after being attacked by someone she thought she could trust and as a result didn't want the baby. Maisie, however, fought tooth and nail for Carole to keep the little baby even after she was tricked into an illegal adoption. Now Maisie has grown fond of the young girl who is now two and approaching her third birthday and has gotten used to her being around. But all that is about to change when Carole announces that she has gotten engaged to Joe Shaw though she has yet to tell him about little Paula. Maisie doesn't begrudge Carole some happiness but she doesn't want to lose Paula either. But with Joe coming from Liverpool that would be where they will settle. Until tragedy strikes leaving 2 year old Paula orphaned and Maisie is determined to keep the child as her own. But when Sid returns from the Far East, will he be willing to take on someone else's child?

There is so much packed into this final installment that I have barely touched on any of it. It is by far the best and it is with bittersweet emotions that I bid farewell to those I have come to love. The book opens with VE celebrations though was in the Pacific still rages on. When the announcement that the Japanese have surrendered spreads, the VJ celebrations begin.

Over the course of this series we have seen many characters come and go. Some likeable, some horribly vile. Some get their comeuppance while others await theirs. However while Eddie Bridgeman was one of those such characters, in this installment we see him redeem himself.

A fitting end to an enjoyable series, we now have the Coronation Close series to enjoy in its place.

I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #AFondFarewellForTheTobaccoGirls in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Caroline Leat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant ending to this lovely series.

[Soozee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well we've followed the tobacco girls - Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget, along with Carole - through all the trials of a world war, we've wept and laughed with them and this is the final book in the series. War is ending, and what will peace bring for them. Maisie is happy living with Carole and her baby, but Carole's young man will probably want her to live in Liverpool with him. Maisie's own 'beau' has been a prisoner of the Japanese for years - will he return to her, and will their burgeoning love have survived the deprivations? Phyllis has her own struggles, as her husband suffered a serious head wound, and Bridget has to get her son and herself over to America to start a new life with Lyndon, leaving family, friends and all things familiar.

The author paints such a clear picture of these young women who have survived a major war and who have all been affected in different ways. And now we look to peace and what that will mean for women in general, who have stepped up and worked in factories and gained some independence in wartime.

A lovely series, I thoroughly enjoyed each book and would wholeheartedly recommend them as an interesting and uplifting read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Theodene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all but the first in the Tobacco Girls series. When this one was offered on NetGalley, I had to request it! I’ve fallen in love with the Three Ms and feel like they’re my good friends. They’ve all grown so much and been through some crazy events. It’s great to see them reach the end of the war and still come back to support one another once again.

Maisie Miles is living in her inherited home of her grandmother. She is still working at the the tobacco factory and awaits a message from her dear friend Sid, who’s been a prisoner of war by the Japanese. It’s been a while since his last letter so she worries about his well being. She lives with Carole and her little girl Paula. Paula is the result of a rape and Maisie took Carole and the child in without question.

Bridget Milligan married an American and has a little boy, Lyndon Junior. She’s married into wealth and struggles when she realizes how well she’s dressed while her friends are struggling. She also finds it difficult to just sit back and do nothing when she learns of a group willingly sending young children to alone on a boat to orphanages in Australia thousands of miles away. She misses her own boat to America to spend more time with her family and good friends before starting her new life in another country.

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And Phyllis Fairbrother, formerly Mason, is married to an Air Force pilot who was badly injured on their wedding day in Malta. Mick wasgiven the A-Ok to return to flying but he’s suffered headaches ever since. The new doctor is saying he’ll never fly again and fed it’s not safe to return home to Australia. He becomes moody and grouchy until he meets a new neighbor who suffered during the Great War and offers solid advice to appreciate what he has instead of wasting his last days fighting against the diagnosis.

The Three Ms all come together a few more times before they move onto their separate ways. They are there for one another as they have been during the war. Unfortunately I don’t have an M in my name, so I cannot become a fourth M and going their tight group of friendship. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access for this amazing book and the series! It’s always sad to end a great series. But always a good reason to pick up another! Thank you so much for the adventures!

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls can be found on my blog...


https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...

[Nicola Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in the "Tobacco Girls" series and the story opens as victory in Europe is announced. The privations and tragedy of the second world war is ending and with this each of the tobacco girls must resolve their own stories. Maisie is the main character and awaits news of her sweetheart who is still in a prisoner of war camp as the war in Japan continues. She is unsure if their relationship will have survived particularly as she becomes the carer for her friend Carole's young daughter. Maisie loves Paula and when Carole is killed she is left to fight to adopt the young girl. Phyllis is married to Australian airman Mick but their dreams of setting up a vineyard in Australia are shattered when he receives a terrible medical diagnosis. And then, Bridget is preparing to move to America with her baby boy to join her husband but the ties of home are difficult to loosen. She must decide if she can leave behind her family or journey to start a new life with her husband.

This a great insight into what life was like for women during the war. There is tragedy and difficult themes around loss and adoption but it is told with a gentle touch. Each of the tobacco girls has a story which is interesting and engaging without being mawkish and melodramatic given the subject matter. I haven't read the other books in the series but was able to enjoy this story without feeling I was lacking knowledge of the characters. The prose is well written and the story flows along at a good pace. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review this book.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fond Farewell For The Tobacco Girls by Lizzie Lane is a marvellous historical novel and the sixth book in The Tobacco Girls series. It can be read as a stand-alone.
The action is set in 1945 as the second world war in Europe has ended but the war in Japan continues until August. We follow lives trying to adjust to peacetime.
War had robbed so many of so much. Men returned, a shadow of their former selves, sometimes with limbs missing, sometimes with altered minds. Some men focused on what they had lost and not what remained. It would take the purity of a child to remind them.
Old soldiers from World War I help to rehabilitate young soldiers from World War II as they bond over a mutual love of flowers. We learn the importance of poppies.
Family is important. Sometimes family is not blood related but heart related.
We ‘see’ the broken lives in Japanese prison camps. The conditions were horrendous. Small steps are needed to rejoin life again.
Some were war brides to American G.I’s. Demobilisation separated families until wives and children could sail to America.
Britain began to rebuild after the war. Buildings were far easier than people to rebuild. “All we’re getting now is about rebuilding… How do you rebuild people?” Love, care and understanding were the order of the day.
All the characters were wonderfully drawn, likable and realistic. Community and friendship radiated from the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

[Becki Basley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls (book five the Tobacco girls series) by Lizzie Lane (Audiobook Read On Everand app)

The war has come to an end but life will go on for the tobacco girls and everyone else. This time the girls will be separated, two leaving to follow their husbands and one staying but beginning a new life as a married woman and mother.

I think the part of the book that got to me was when one of the women are leaving the country, I related to this because I was 9 my mom got a job in Seoul Korea. Leaving the last US city was terrifying because it was all I knew. Ironically though I didn’t have the greatest experience in Korea and thought I hated the country. I have always kind of missed it. The people, the atmosphere but definitely not the kimchi.

This is a fitting ending to the series though I personally wouldn’t mind at all if she decided to continue with these characters to show at least in one more book how the girls all make out in their new circumstances.

[Margaret Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a spoiler, however the war is now over and it's VE Day.

The 3 M's wonder now what the future holds for them. Although the war in Europe has ended, it still rages on in Japan and Maisie is very worried. Carole and her daughter still lodge with her. Bridgett's husband keeps badgering her to join him in America with his son but she is reluctant to leave her family and the UK. Phyllis, her husband has a relapse of his head injury he received in Malta. She had planned on going to Australia his home to begin a new life and vineyard.

We follow the ups and downs of the 3 M's Have your tissues handy as this brilliant series comes to an end. I will certainly miss them. However Lizzie has begun a new series 'Coronation Close' which is just as good.

I can recommend the final for the 3 M's and give 5*

[Beverly Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie Lane, thank you for introducing me to the Tobacco Girls in your first book.
A Fond Farewell for the Tobacco Girls is an amazingly powerful completion story for my favorite tobacco girls, Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget.
This book has all the elements to pull at my heartstrings, making me cry and throwing my head up in pride for the fine women that I got to know and care deeply about.
What a beautiful story of Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget showcasing all the trials of war, love for each other, courage, determination and dedication to their families and the country they loved.
I’d go see this story in the theater.

#LizzieLane
#AFondFarewellForTheTobaccoGirls
#NetGalley

[Jeanette Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read any books of this series until this one.  I was surprised how quickly I fell in love with the Three M's.


I enjoyed this book and stayed up until 2 am last night to finish it.  I'm not sorry I lacked sleep and will feel yucky today.


I was hoping everything went well for Maisie, Phyllis and Bridget.  These were hard times.  I can't imagine what they had to go through.  The strength of these women were amazing.  


I think I need to look up the previous books and discover their back stories. Great book.

[Carol Anne King · Rating 5 out of 5]

extremely interesting series of books

I loved the real war history behind the story of the three girls. Reading the series I felt I was in those awful war years and made me think of my parents who lived through that. Loved the ending, written so beautifully about the farewell of the war bride and babyleaving her country to join her American husband along with the other war brides. Brilliant series of books. Hope there is a follow up book to see how the girls all got in.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed every book in this series and am sad to have reached the end. It was the fitting end to a brilliant series. The three Ms are like old friends and I have loved seeing how they have grown and developed over the series. I look forward to reading Lizzie's more recent series Coronation Close next. This is a series I definitely would recommend to anyone who likes wartime sagas.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[margaret syratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the whole series, this last book kept me interested right till the end and what a wonderful end it was ! Well written bought tears to my eyes. I'd love to see more in this series as to how the 3M's future lives panned out, as they all went their different ways at the end . Each one on their own new adventure .

[J.J. JOHNSTONE · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this series of books a true story of real friendship through thick and thin. Would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about friends during the war years

[Jennifer Cadge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding

I love the books based on the years and afterwards, they remind us of all the sacrifices that were made both the people at home and all the women and men that sacrified their lives for us.

[Marcella Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope there is another book in the series!

I couldn't wait for this book to be released. I loved every book in the series and especially this one. I hope there are more books in the series to come.

[Mary Ann Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book and series. I read the six books in about five weeks. The stories of Bridgette, Maisie and Phyllis was heartwarming. Times of the were sad, happy, scary and yes tearful. Highly recommend

[Diana Vance · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been such a happy way to end the series and it wasn't. There were so many missing storylines and gaps that didn't make sense. And then it ended as if there would be another book. So many unknowns that is was a very disappointing end.

[T McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I loved all the books in the series and found it hard to put them down. They also made you feel involved in the sad and happy moments.
I would recommend these books had they have been excellent.
Another good read. 👍

[MRS J P WELSH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice round off for the characters

A really enjoyable storyline. The characters are all given a happy ending. Women played such a different role at the beginning of the book and by the end they came into their own

[June Hutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, the characters descriptions everything so real it made me sad and happy with a few tears. Lizzie Lane is a brilliant author.

[Kathaleen A. Gregorich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

Great ending to a great series! As a former AF wife, we like the Tobacco v girls support and follow our spouses!

[suze joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final in the 3 M’s story. Heart wrenching and uplifting at the same time. A very clear picture of PTSD before it was labeled as such.