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The Yorkshire Farm Girl
Diane Allen's The Yorkshire Farm Girl is a heartfelt novel of a family dreaming of a better life when war looms on the horizon.
Life is hard for the Fothergill family as they try to make a living on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Bob Fothergill has set his sights on buying his own farm instead of renting the one they currently hold. Sally his teenage daughter, wishes her father would see that she could help more with the farm, but he believes that a girl's place is in the home. Ben, their youngest, has no interest in farming so is ignored. Sally's mother makes do knowing her husband wants what's best for them.
But when Bob decides to take a well-paid job collecting it causes friction in the family, bringing tension to everyone. With Germany is shaking its angry fist at other nations and the threat of another war undermines everything. Times are hard and the future is uncertain, but perhaps the coming years could bring better times. But will the Fothergills survive the oncoming storm?
Life is hard for the Fothergill family as they try to make a living on their farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Bob Fothergill has set his sights on buying his own farm instead of renting the one they currently hold. Sally his teenage daughter, wishes her father would see that she could help more with the farm, but he believes that a girl's place is in the home. Ben, their youngest, has no interest in farming so is ignored. Sally's mother makes do knowing her husband wants what's best for them.
But when Bob decides to take a well-paid job collecting it causes friction in the family, bringing tension to everyone. With Germany is shaking its angry fist at other nations and the threat of another war undermines everything. Times are hard and the future is uncertain, but perhaps the coming years could bring better times. But will the Fothergills survive the oncoming storm?
322 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2023
7 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Diane Allen
32 books24 followersDiane Allen was born in Leeds, but raised at her family’s farm deep in the Yorkshire Dales. After working as a glass engraver, raising a family, and looking after an ill father, she found her true niche in life, joining a large print publishing firm in 1990.
Rising through the firm, she is now the general manager and has recently been made Honorary Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She is the author of For a Father’s Pride and The Mistress of Windfell Manor, and its sequel, The Windfell Family Secrets.
Diane and her husband Ronnie live in Long Preston in the Yorkshire Dales, and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren.
Rising through the firm, she is now the general manager and has recently been made Honorary Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She is the author of For a Father’s Pride and The Mistress of Windfell Manor, and its sequel, The Windfell Family Secrets.
Diane and her husband Ronnie live in Long Preston in the Yorkshire Dales, and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 1, 2023
Thanks to Pan for providing an early copy of this title in return for an honest review and a spot on the book tour.
I had never really read any books like this, you know the type, following, usually, a young woman during the war periods and how that affects her life and relationships, but I've recently read quite a few. Whilst they all have familiar traits, they all have something just a little different about them, and this is no different.
I loved the description of Christmas in the first few chapters. Christmas 1938 is worlds away from Christmas now, and to read how happy children were with small gifts of fruit and coins and comics, was lovely. Whilst 2023 is better than 1938 in many ways, I think we've lost that value of small things that children had. And so I really enjoyed reading about that.
It's quite a sedate novel and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not slow or dull or uneventful at all. But it focusses more on the characters, stretching things out to give you enough time to develop a connection with them. Having said that, I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. They weren't badly written at all, but as people, I didn't really fall in love with them.
Bob Fothergill is the father. He's hot headed, stubborn and traditional. Ivy Fothergill is his wife, just tyring to keep the family together, not 100% happy with the male/female divide of the time, stands up to her husband in a time when women didn't. Sally Fothergill is the eldest and I'd say the main protagonist here. I liked her. She wanted to help her family but she also wanted to live her own life as a young woman. And then Ben Fothergill is her younger brother. A bit annoying for me but he does give Sally some excellent things to work off.
It is written so well. The description and everything from the clothes to the food to the weather, it's so visual. You can practically pop yourself into the scenes it is so clear.
I haven't read a Diane Allen book before, and it's clear from reading this that she has a passion for this time period and these kind of stories. You can see the amount of research she would have had to do and you can see her love for it in the smallest of details.
It does present the hardships of the time: money, relationships, jobs, impending war etc. But somehow she's managed to make it feel so warm and cosy and uplifting. I think it's about overcoming obstacles and hardships and working together, seeing the light amongst the darkness, especially during the dark times of war.
Even though it is set in the 1930s, I felt both Ivy and Sally were ahead of their time. Ivy has to be the dutiful wife but she isn't afraid of standing up to her husband for the sake of her family. Sally is expected to marry and run a household and be a subservient woman, but she wants more than that. She wants to help with the manual work, she wants to marry who she loves, she wants to take on the stereotypical male roles that her brother doesn't want. They definitely try to upset the status quote but in a really inspirational way!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, who prefers character development over a heavy plot, and anyone who just wants a heartwarming tale to lose themselves in. I won't spoil it, but the way it ends makes me assume there will be a direct sequel to it, possibly?
I had never really read any books like this, you know the type, following, usually, a young woman during the war periods and how that affects her life and relationships, but I've recently read quite a few. Whilst they all have familiar traits, they all have something just a little different about them, and this is no different.
I loved the description of Christmas in the first few chapters. Christmas 1938 is worlds away from Christmas now, and to read how happy children were with small gifts of fruit and coins and comics, was lovely. Whilst 2023 is better than 1938 in many ways, I think we've lost that value of small things that children had. And so I really enjoyed reading about that.
It's quite a sedate novel and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not slow or dull or uneventful at all. But it focusses more on the characters, stretching things out to give you enough time to develop a connection with them. Having said that, I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. They weren't badly written at all, but as people, I didn't really fall in love with them.
Bob Fothergill is the father. He's hot headed, stubborn and traditional. Ivy Fothergill is his wife, just tyring to keep the family together, not 100% happy with the male/female divide of the time, stands up to her husband in a time when women didn't. Sally Fothergill is the eldest and I'd say the main protagonist here. I liked her. She wanted to help her family but she also wanted to live her own life as a young woman. And then Ben Fothergill is her younger brother. A bit annoying for me but he does give Sally some excellent things to work off.
It is written so well. The description and everything from the clothes to the food to the weather, it's so visual. You can practically pop yourself into the scenes it is so clear.
I haven't read a Diane Allen book before, and it's clear from reading this that she has a passion for this time period and these kind of stories. You can see the amount of research she would have had to do and you can see her love for it in the smallest of details.
It does present the hardships of the time: money, relationships, jobs, impending war etc. But somehow she's managed to make it feel so warm and cosy and uplifting. I think it's about overcoming obstacles and hardships and working together, seeing the light amongst the darkness, especially during the dark times of war.
Even though it is set in the 1930s, I felt both Ivy and Sally were ahead of their time. Ivy has to be the dutiful wife but she isn't afraid of standing up to her husband for the sake of her family. Sally is expected to marry and run a household and be a subservient woman, but she wants more than that. She wants to help with the manual work, she wants to marry who she loves, she wants to take on the stereotypical male roles that her brother doesn't want. They definitely try to upset the status quote but in a really inspirational way!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, who prefers character development over a heavy plot, and anyone who just wants a heartwarming tale to lose themselves in. I won't spoil it, but the way it ends makes me assume there will be a direct sequel to it, possibly?
September 7, 2023
This is a real slice of life look at a family farming in the harsh landscape of the dales just before the start of the second world war.
The aim is not to know how the story ends but that there was a story, a story from the not so much talked about perspective of the farming community.
I absolutely adored this book, it was so immersive. Dianne Allen gives you every detail of farming life and how hard men, women and children had to work to survive.
She also explores the advent of electricity, pre war preparation on farms, close knit communities and friendship. I was especially pleased to read about one of the characters caring for an elderly lady in the community.
The characters were richly depicted and the setting was embroidered with rich description.
It was literally as if I had been dropped into a pre war farm to be a fly on the wall to events.
Absolutely mesmerising.
The aim is not to know how the story ends but that there was a story, a story from the not so much talked about perspective of the farming community.
I absolutely adored this book, it was so immersive. Dianne Allen gives you every detail of farming life and how hard men, women and children had to work to survive.
She also explores the advent of electricity, pre war preparation on farms, close knit communities and friendship. I was especially pleased to read about one of the characters caring for an elderly lady in the community.
The characters were richly depicted and the setting was embroidered with rich description.
It was literally as if I had been dropped into a pre war farm to be a fly on the wall to events.
Absolutely mesmerising.
September 16, 2025
This is the first book I've read by this author. It was a nice little story and I enjoyed it although I can't say it was the most enthralling book I've ever read. It's amazing how anyone can write a decent story consisting of 300 pages with a handful of characters and the action never leaving the village.
What happened to the ending though? It just stopped as if the author had decided she'd had enough. Everything was just left in mid air. I was wanting a conclusion with news of Edward, was it going to be a happy or a sad ending? Nothing! I felt cheated! Hence, only 3 stars I'm afraid.
What happened to the ending though? It just stopped as if the author had decided she'd had enough. Everything was just left in mid air. I was wanting a conclusion with news of Edward, was it going to be a happy or a sad ending? Nothing! I felt cheated! Hence, only 3 stars I'm afraid.
September 13, 2023
If you are wondering what that noise was, it was the sound of my very contented sigh. I adored this book from start to finish. The book came recommended by The People's Friend, and anyone who enjoys their lovely magazine will already know what to expect from this book.
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:
https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...
March 9, 2025
Yorkshire Farm girl
I enjoyed this book with its characters and storyline. It’s well written, I do hope there is another book. It is leaving a lot of loose ends.
I enjoyed this book with its characters and storyline. It’s well written, I do hope there is another book. It is leaving a lot of loose ends.
August 24, 2023
Thank you Pan @panmacmillan / @libraryofchlo for having me on this book tour. This book was released on August 17th so is already available to buy! I really enjoyed Allen's last book "A Child of The Dales", however this one is a firm favourite for me and is deffo a five star read! I loved it.
The book is about the Fothergill family. Bob desperately wants his own farm and will take any job that pays him more money, in hope to achieve this dream. His wife Ivy just wants to put food on the table and the tension rises as she disagrees with her husband's choices. Their daughter Sally wants to prove that she can be a farmer just as much as any lad in the village. Ben, just ten years old, has no interest in farming. He just wants to have fun. The book follows all this as the family make their living and deal with some of the drama of the village life. To make life that much harder, everyone is terrified that England will be involved in the second world war.
This book is an emotional rollarcoaster considering we know how history played out. You can't help but love the family, especially Sally who just wants to farm, meet a nice boy and have a friend to chill with here and there. I also sympathised with her mother who sometimes felt lonely and not listened to, but remained loyal and supportive of her family.
The descriptions make you feel like you are sat alongside Sally in the Dales and everytime the family received information on the war, I felt myself get the goosebumps. The writing is just perfection. With the second world war looming, there is obviously no perfect happy ending, but everything is summed up in a way that you know these characters will make the most of what they have while they have it.
This is a lovely piece of historical fiction and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of thing.
The book is about the Fothergill family. Bob desperately wants his own farm and will take any job that pays him more money, in hope to achieve this dream. His wife Ivy just wants to put food on the table and the tension rises as she disagrees with her husband's choices. Their daughter Sally wants to prove that she can be a farmer just as much as any lad in the village. Ben, just ten years old, has no interest in farming. He just wants to have fun. The book follows all this as the family make their living and deal with some of the drama of the village life. To make life that much harder, everyone is terrified that England will be involved in the second world war.
This book is an emotional rollarcoaster considering we know how history played out. You can't help but love the family, especially Sally who just wants to farm, meet a nice boy and have a friend to chill with here and there. I also sympathised with her mother who sometimes felt lonely and not listened to, but remained loyal and supportive of her family.
The descriptions make you feel like you are sat alongside Sally in the Dales and everytime the family received information on the war, I felt myself get the goosebumps. The writing is just perfection. With the second world war looming, there is obviously no perfect happy ending, but everything is summed up in a way that you know these characters will make the most of what they have while they have it.
This is a lovely piece of historical fiction and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of thing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews