Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts

The Factory Girls #1

by Mary Gibson

Factory girls fight for their loves, lives and rights in World War I Bermondsey.

They call them the custard tarts - the girls who work at Pearce Duff's custard powder factory in Bermondsey before the First World War. Conditions are hard but nothing can quench the spirit of humour and friendship - or the rising tide of anger that will finally bring the girls out on strike for a better deal.

For one of them, striking spells disaster. Nellie Clark's wages keep her young brothers and sister from starvation, while her father sinks into drunken violence after the death of their mother.

While Nellie struggles to keep her family together, two men compete for her love, and over them looms the shadow of the coming war, which will pull London's East End together as never before - even while it tears the world apart.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Book Club, Chick Lit, British Literature

406 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

Mary Gibson was born and brought up in Bermondsey, south east London. In 2009, after a thirty year career in publishing, she took the opportunity of early retirement to write a book of her own! Her début novel, Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts was inspired by the lives and times of her grandparents in World War One Bermondsey and went on to become a top ten Kindle best seller. It was selected as one of twenty titles for World Book Night 2015. Six more Bermondsey novels have followed, Jam and Roses, Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys, Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams , Hattie's Home, A Sister's Struggle and The Bermondsey Bookshop.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the kind of book you read with a strong brew and a cream bun. For me, this was a mediocre read. I've read books similar to this before, and I remember being more impressed.
The story is based around the first world war, and we meet a sixteen year old girl called Nellie, who takes us on a journey through her life, her hardships, her laughs and her loves.

To be honest, I think the story as a whole was way too dragged out, and would have been okay being 100 pages less. The story was very predictable. Nellie went with the bad guy, and she was blind to see that the good guy loved her all along until half way through the book. Very frustrating!! The plot wasn't particularly strong, and it lost my interest and focus not even halfway through the book.
I could tell the story was going to end happily, and the ending was slightly twee for me. Maybe I was expecting a little too much from this. I didn't hate this, but I didn't love it either.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a book as thoroughly as I did "Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts" by Mary Gibson.

It's hard to believe this is Mary Gibson's first novel. The writing is superb - fluid, enveloping, unpretentious, comfortable and completely entertaining.

The story mainly focuses on Nellie Clark, her life through the strikes of 1911, the years leading up to the first world war, and the war itself.
There are plenty of giggles, a few gasps, and towards the end, a few tears (and yes, it's been a long, long time since any book made me cry!).

You can't help but care about the characters. Nellie, Lily, Alice, George, Bobby and Freddie, and later, Sam, Jock, Matty and Charlie. They are so real it's almost like reading a fictionalised account of a true story. Brilliant!

And thanks to Mary Gibson, I now understand what my Nan was really saying when I heard "Nooket's Knocker"!

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friendships, plenty of love, hard work, family, guilt, loyalty and so much more it is all here in this story.

Life was hard in those days during world war one. The author portrays a realistic view of the struggles so many had.

Nellie has so much to contend with and her life gets harder when, already motherless, she loses her father and becomes the sole breadwinner for her family at sixteen. How she copes is nothing short of miraculous.

Hardships in the factories also comes into play and the total lack of safety and the rights of the woman working in them.

This is a gritty story but with heart warming sides also. Great characters and I loved the romance flowing throughout between Sam and Nellie.
Well worth reading.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves a 5* plus.hooked hooked hooked couldn't put this book down,starts of girls working in a custard factory its friendships hard times family war.Brilliant book worth reading.well written book.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my heart!!!!! I absolutely loved this book! Every time I picked it up I savoured it. Nellie was the most amazing heroine and her strength, fortitude, and positivity is inspiring. This book will stay with me a long while. England before, during, and after WW1, women factory workers, making do as orphans, promises made and kept, and so much more.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not normally leave reviews either good or bad, but in this case I just feel the need to speak my heart out. I bought this book because of the high rating both on Amazon and Goodreads, expecting to find a good piece of historical fiction. However, to my bitter disappointment I found many hours of boring read, skipping through the pages to get to the essence. While I give the author the credit for creating a very authentic atmosphere, and do believe that one can learn a lot about the historical events of the time, the plot is super predictable, and the main characters are so very sugary, you want to puke.

ATTENTION! SPOILERS!

****
The main protagonist Nellie Clark is described as a pure angel. She works ridiculous hours at the factory, and gives away almost all her money to her dad. When her dad kickes her out of the house, she doesn't have any hard feelings against him. When her boyfriends leaves her, she doesn't hate him either. She raises her brothers and sisters as their mum, and then takes in the siblings of her friends, who goes to war because she gave a promise to his mum. She works really hard, takes overtime, and does homework to earn "a few bobs". She never losses her nerve through out the whole book. She also waits for her second boyfriend until the end of WW1. He finally comes back, and they live happily ever after. This is pretty much the whole story.

Then there is her fiance Sam Gilbie, who also hardly has any negative traits. He is trying to get her attention since they are 16, forgives her chosing another man over him, helps her first boyfriend to escape police, and basically helps her with everything until he goes to war. The only time when he is not so "goody-goody" is when he comes back from the war, and seems rather distant - mainly doesn't tell her "I love you" and doesn't want to talk about war. But, after some time, Nellie makes a huge discovery that this is because of the death of his horse! Once they talk about it, it all magically goes back to normal.

I am sorry, but this has as much to do with the reality as Twilight... Real people do not behave this way! All the time through the book it felt so completely artificial and sugary! I can't believe people are rating it so high. To my mind, while the voice is good, the plot is quite mediocre.

[Karen James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much I've read it twice to make sure I didn't miss anything. the story is fantastic not to predictable and it keeps you gripped with each new turn of events. about half way through so much had happened I had to check to make sure it was half way. this book took me in a journey back in time and in between reading I googled the history and what I imagined was spot on I cant say enough. brilliant this will be a keeper.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this as some of my family lived in area this is set-in at the time the book takes place. The author is new to me and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

This is a light-read but I was totally caught up in the world of the Bermondsey streets, the factories and families and their struggle just to get through the day. The main character, Nellie, works in the custard powder section of her factory and so she is a 'Custard Tart'!. Nellie is a young woman in her mid teens at the start of the book but she ends up taking on the responsibility of her family. There are strikes and violence, women's rights, poverty, war and romance.

I will be reading more of Mary Gibson she clearly has a feel for the location and the historical setting as well as making a plot that grips. This is not a soppy 'local girl does good' type story as it has more grit and historical background. I'm going straight on to the next book!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story full of struggle and hardship, but also of warmth and love. Vaguely a feel-good read. At the beginning I struggled to like most of the characters, but Nellie especially grew on me as the story progressed. And progressed it did with a lightening fast pace. It zoomed through events, often glossing over them, and I often wished the author would have lingered on particular threads of the story. The plot itself was very predictable and twee at times. Overall I neither hated it nor loved it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have had this book in my TBR for absolutely ages but I have no idea why it kept getting lower down the pile – I can happily say it is a fantastic, heartwarming read. Loved the characters, the relationships and the friendship of the ladies in the custard packing factory. It is also thought provoking in an era where I feel accomplished just getting the kids on the bus on time, to think what these incredible women went through is amazing and the joy they got when they had so little. Well written and highly recommend…..

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful read. I have to say that this is not normally my kind of book but as I was giving it away for World Book Night I felt compelled to read it. By three pages in I was hooked. Mary Gibson takes you straight back to a time where struggle was 'real' struggle. It was an emotional journey & thoroughly enjoyed & I was proud to have passed them on to others to enjoy.

[Abbi Earnshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read, but that's not to say it was a frivolous story. I enjoyed the characters and writing style, and the story progressed in a way that kept me gripped and wanting to know what happened. I especially liked how the characters had their own stories that intertwined but also held their own. I will definitely continue the series.

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good story about life in the East End prior and thru WWI. This is the first book in "The Factory Girls" series. Does a good job talking about the pros and cons of the strikes happening then and the terrible working conditions.

[Sharon Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few late nights were involved, I was so keen to read about what was happening in Nellie's life the lives of the people around her.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, though the speed was a little irregular. Some parts were unnecessarily slow and then others seemed like they warranted more time.

[Charley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author told this cute story slower than I would have liked, but it was still an enjoyable read.

[ShanLouVicxo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So perfectly written, never cried so much over a book!

[Abbie Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story!

[Susan Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, well researched and written novel which was a compelling read.
my first introduction to this author and look forward to reading more of her books.

[Bernadette Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I doubt I'd have picked this one up if it hadn't been one of my local Library Reading Group reads. I've given it a 3 stars or 6/10.

It was overly long in my opinion, there were a lot of characters that I seemed to lose track of along the way. It was well written though, but I'm sorry it just wasn't as engaging to me as some of my other reads.

If you like saga style stories set around the early 1900's then this is the ideal book for you.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story of Nellie and the Custard Tarts,had me hooked from the start as i so wanted Nellie to find happiness and settle down.well done to Mary Gibson i am now on book 2.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts 

Author Mary Gibson


I enjoy books which are based in reality and set in different era or geography or culture.


This book is set in the period just before World War I in UK. It brings out the stark realities of life - twelve hours of work in factories, unequal wages for men and women. The women strike for equal wages. 


These women work in a factory manufacturing custard powder, jelly etc and refer to themselves as "Custard Tarts".


With the start of WWI the population of working man reduces significantly, and as a  result new opportunities open up for women, including roles with higher responsibilities.


I found myself getting absorbed in the women's anxious wait for the men to return from War. And when they finally do, the experiences of the way have changed them. In  today's times, there is greater awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which was leaving at that time.


What I liked about this book was that it was about to so many perspectives in s light and easy too read manner.

[Sujani Koya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson is an engaging heart-warming story of grit and hard work set in London before and during the First World War - the 'colossal murderous mismanaged butchery' as Hemingway described it. Nellie in her early teens grows up fast and takes the responsibility of her siblings in a rundown working class neighbourhood in London. She toils in a custard powder factory and takes on odd jobs to keep the wolf at bay. Her life till early twenties and the effect of war on young men are some things we witness. An extract:

Identities are fluid things, she now realized. In the furnace of a war, such as Sam had experienced, how could his have stayed intact? Surely the metal of any soldier's character would melt and re-form every time they faced death, or saw a pals get blown to pieces in front of them? Her foolishness shamed her. She'd believed she was getting back 'her Sam' from the war, but from the time he'd first held her in his arms, his uniform still caked with mud, still smelling of blood and sulphur, she felt this was not her Sam.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the type of book I would normally pick out for myself, but thought I'd give it a go due to good reviews and I loved it! It felt very authentic, like growing up alongside these people, and it's really interesting to see a common period of historical fiction from a completely different perspective. It also portrays the hardship, poverty and the public mood in the time before the War which was very interesting. Books like this make it easier to empathize and comprehend what people lived through, and it's nice that it's from the perspective of the women back home as well as the men. Hard to believe it's her first book, I would love to see it as a film or TV series mad out of this.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way this novel explores the social issues which prevailed in the early 1900s in the UK and in particular in this part of London.

This is a well written family saga which encapsulates a vast range of inequality and class issues. The central character, Nellie is well created and provides a focal point around whom a plethora of family and extended family are framed.

As the novel progresses it also deals with the horrors of the Great War, seen from the viewpoint of those left at home.

On the strength of this I will certainly read her second book, Jam and Roses.

[Louise]

Mary Gibson has set the seen of the factory women's struggle for equality in Bermondsey so well you feel as if you are fighting alongside them. The twists and turns of the friendship, love and family keep you gripped throughout. The Characters are engaging and soon feel like old friends. A real insight into London during the first world war, a great story!

I won this on a Goodreads Advanced Readers Giveaway

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Mary Gibson's in audiobook version, and this one together with Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams are my favourites so far, as they focus on the Gilby family members, who are quite interesting and easy to love. Their love for each other, their generosity and intelligence help them overcome adversities and poverty, and reminds us of the importance of family, kindness and respect for others.

[Tkjtwmr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read with a few twists and turns but once again, historical fiction tied up in a pretty bow. Really, one conversation can cure a fellow of PTSD!! None-the-less I learned a few things about pre-World War 1 I did not know about as well as the working conditions of factory workers at that time and beyond.

[Jill]

not a book I would probably have bought but thanks to my lovely friend Lubna who gave me this book as part of world book night I finally sat down & read it. I found it to be an enjoyable & easy read of fiction mixed with fact

[Margaret Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great and the story kept me interested. It was recommended by a friend and I recommend it to my friends and to anyone who reads this review.