The War Widows

War Widows & Mothers and Daughters series #1

by Leah Fleming

When you lose everything you love, you need a friend... Nothing ever happens in sleepy Grimbleton. Until two strangers - both claiming to be the fiancée of a dead soldier - arrive in town.
Susan prides herself on her refined 'English' manners - yet her airs and graces hide harrowing memories of her escape from war-torn Burma.
Volatile Ana pines for the sunshine of her Greek village - but is forever haunted by her sister's death at the hands of the Nazis'.
Enemies at first, Su and Ana soon find themselves united in grief at the loss of Freddie Winstanley - the father of both their children.
Freddie's sister Lily takes the women under her wing and soon the circle of friends expands to include Italian Maria, torn between her invalid husband and another man, and uppercrust Diana, whose jolly exterior conceals a secret sorrow.
Supported by this new-found sisterhood, Lily dares to dream of spreading her wings away from her domineering family and spineless fiancé.
But each woman's courage is soon sorely tested. Can they help each other to find happiness after the heartache of war?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

466 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2008

About the author

Leah Fleming was born in Lancashire and is married with three sons and a daughter. She writes from an old farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales and an olive grove in Crete.

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com.a...

Reviews

[Jo Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lockdown Book #12

Good.

[Bookish Bluestocking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story, the storytelling, the heroines, the surroundings, the time and the place! An excellent read by an excellent writer that sucks you in the story that she unfolds and you are a breathless spectator rooting for your favourite characters and hating the ones opposing them. The books talks about the brave new world that was opened after WWII when the boundaries between nations became looser and people were transported from one place to another even violently and were displaced. It talks about the courage of women who had faced hell during the war and their quest for safety and shelter, about the new found freedom of women after the war when they replaced men in all kind of jobs and with success and how this gave wings to the heroine, about the resilience and bravery of english people that had a very tough time after the war to rebuild their country and to get things going. I loved the descriptions of the post war England, it is a period I ma interested in and the joys and woes of the women of the Olive Oil Club! I hope I read the sequel and what happened next!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a really enjoyable historical fiction book about a group of women who have to find a way to recover from WWII and discover themselves along the way. I liked the plot behind this book and the variety of different women in this book as well. Each character had their own pasts and goals to worry about and I loved their friendship together and how they supported each other, even if they didn't always get along. Yes, it got a little confusing at times where there was just a little too much going on for each woman and everything shifted between POVs quite quickly and I did find myself growing quite annoyed with Lily a lot because her fiance was just such a drip and I couldn't see why she was hanging onto him until the last possible second of the book, no reason apart from plot drama reasons, but otherwise I liked it. I'm glad I read it and I would recommend it.

[Lorraine Corbitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book very hard going to be honest. It did get better towards the end of the book. The story itself wasn't bad - two females with babies end up arriving in the home town of a soldier that had had affairs in different parts of the world - Burma and Greece and they find out he has been killed. Freddie's family take the girls and their babies in and the story follows their lives and those Freddie's family. Lily - Freddie's sister is the main character and she is just wonderful. Although the story explores main different relationships it is more the coming of age of Lily that is of most interest. Anyway just wasn't a huge fan

[June Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, didn't want it to end. Have downloaded a couple more of her books.

[Jackie White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Boring. Boring. Too hard to keep up with who was who - or to care!
Struggled through because I don't like giving up on a book.

[Patricia M. Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good friends are forever!

Heartache and brokenness can turn into happiness and a wonderful life. This book is set in a time of recovery after the wars are over and everyone is trying to rebuild their lives. The women bond and change as they help one another. I hope Leah Fleming will continue their stories in another book.

[Jane Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The War Widows

I probably would have chased a different title for this novel - but my choice would have foreshadowed the story too much. The War Widows Can mean lots of things if you think about it. This post-WWII novel is different, interesting, and plausible. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and felt a kinship in each one. Well written and highly recommended.

[Akshita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman can be your worst critic but also your best friend. Female friendships are so underrated. When a bunch of women come together, bond over their traumas and grief and stand up for each other, there's only good times to look forward to. That is what this book is about. The emotions are beautifully captured and the story is worth the read.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. I really felt that I got to know all the characters. A story of a group of strong and determined women coping with their own problems as well as willingly and joyfully helping others. Another Leah Fleming success!

[Linda Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life's Surprises

It took me a couple chapters to understand the strange language!! Actually it took the whole book. After I caught on, the book was manageable. A story about one woman's growth and maturity and learning to deal with life.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Story, Leah Fleming one of my favourite authors that never lets you down. Recommended.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many secrets in this story. So many misunderstandings that could be avoided if people just talked to one another. But, the concept is intriguing and the characters are fun.

[Amethyst Kinnair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Lily's kindness.

[Marlene Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War Widows is an enjoyable story about women's friendships and familial relationships. The driver of the plot arrives in Grimbledown in the form of two refugee women with their illegitimate offspring in tow. The story is set just after the Second World War when many women had lost the men in their lives. So much had been lost, in fact, that almost everything needed rebuilding - lives, towns, relationships, as well as the social and cultural structures that hold them all together. So this was a time of marked transition and people were questioning long standing beliefs and notions about many things, immigration, class, the role of women and their place in the world, as well as weighing up the social mores that determined what was and wasn't acceptable and nice...did it really matter anymore what the neighbours thought? Leah Fleming captures in The War Widows many of the forces compelling change at this time. She has a special talent for describing the dynamics of women's relationships with other women and how outwardly they might appear antagonistic at times but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of life, and especially for the sake of their children, they are often able to bury the hatchet and pull together. The War Widows is an easy to read book with nothing too ghastly to get one's head round. It is enjoyable and fun and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a light and entertaining read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good read could not put it down well worth reading

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

cover:
Nothing ever happens in sleepy Grimbleton, until two strangers - both claiming to be the fiancee of a dead soldier - arrive in town.

SUSAN prides herself on her refined 'English' manners - yet her airs and graces hide harrowing memories of her escape from war-torn Burma. Volatile ANA pines for the sunshine of her Greek village - but is forever haunted by her sister's death at the hands of the Nazis. Enemies at first, Su and Ana soon find themselves united in grief at the loss of Freddie Winstanley - the father of both their children.

Freddie's sister LILY takes the women under her wing and soon the circle of friends expands to include Italian MARIA, torn between her invalid husband and another man, and uppercrust DIANA, whose jolly exterior conceals a secret sorrow.

Supported by this new-found sisterhood, Lily dares to dream of spreading her wings away from her domineering family and weak fiance. But each woman's courage will be sorely tested. Can they help each other to find happiness after the heartache of war?
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Not a bad tale of woman bonding together to help each other through the hard times and share the happy times.

Rated 6/10 at http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1....

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is England just after WW2 with many families losing sons and many widows. The women of the Winstanley family are facing new challenges. Elsie, a widow herself, has one son returned from the war a changed man and another serving in Palestine. She is trying to hold the family business together and her daughter is the one who's shoulders everyone leans on. Being informed Freddy has been killed in Palestine is bad enough but then having 2 women turn up on her doorstep claiming that Freddy is the father of their children and they had expected to marry him was a complete disaster. Ana a Greek woman and Susan a Burmese woman with an English father. Su has a British passport but Ana is classed as a refugee and they were both in a strange land and in desperately need of help. So starts a wonderful story full of all the joys and sorrows of life and the forming of the Olive Oil Club. New friendships are forged and Lily, the put upon daughter, has a whole new world opening for her and embraces it. Finally at 29 she thinks for herself and what she wants out of life.

[Kathy]

Bookclub selection. Good read, fast read. Subject held my interest. Recommend to my women friends,

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Women friends and their memories. Lives entwined and cut short. Great characters. Worthwhile read
Maybe a 4.5?

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about the intercultural dynamics of these women while I was traveling between European countries my self at the time.

[Janene]

Set in post world-war 11. Very predictable

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book failed to hold my interest and once my book mark fell out I couldn't be bothered finding what page I was up to. I hate not finishing a book but reading this felt like a chore. Sorry. DNF.

[Dianne Selwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the characters in this book, not a huge storyline, but a lovely read.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic story enjoyed from start to finish