The Sunday Girls

by Maureen Reynolds

This is a moving family saga from the author of the bestselling "Voices in the Street".It is the time of the Great Depression and jobs are scarce. Like many others in Dundee, the Neill family are struggling just to make ends meet. Ann would love to stay at school but, following the tragic death of her mother, she is forced to take a job as a housemaid to support her family. Her employer, Mrs Barrie, couldn't be kinder but the spiteful housekeeper, Miss Hood, has a guilty secret and is determined to make Ann's life a misery.Ann's desperation to provide for her family keeps her going through hard times until she meets Maddie, the daughter of a prosperous Dundee solicitor. The only thing they seem to have in common is that they were both born on a Sunday but soon the girls become firm friends and discover that, despite these being the hardest of hard times, they can still find fun and laughter to help them through good times and bad.Following the runaway success of "Voices in the Street", Maureen Reynold's new trilogy starts with "The Sunday Girls", a compelling story describing the trials and tribulations of working-class life, family and a close-knit community in pre-war Dundee.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2007

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable story of families struggling in the times after the great war. A fairly simple tale that was still engaging and also a nice change from the crime and psychological thrillers I usually read. The only reference to the title is that two of the characters were both born on a Sunday, I felt this part of the story could have been expanded.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

By giving this book only 3 stars it might look like I didn't really enjoy it. In fact, I really enjoyed the characters and general story but left annoyed by the unevenness of detail in the narrative, and what I felt was a rushed ending.

Some parts of the story were just not fleshed out enough; the book finished never quite delivering what it promised at the richly written start.

Highlights:

Weirdly, the description of poverty, and the characters caught within.

Nan, grandad and mrs Peters were lovely characters.

And the other:

The name of the book didn't really have much bearing on the actual story. This was shoe horned in by something Mrs Pringle says early on and not revisited.

Lily seemed to grow quicker than the story and seemed too advanced for her age - I could be wrong - plus the childish talking really grated and didn't feel genuine.

[Dianne McMahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

A great novel about a couple of teens from entirely different backgrounds,who meet and become
good friends,especially on Sunday.
The one teen from an indigenous background is only off from her housekeeper 's job every other Sunday.
She works hard to help out her elderly grandparents and care for her baby sister,since her mother died in childbirth.
Delightfully readable with lots of Olde English pronunciations and much everyday,family strife.
Makes you appreciate your life even more.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as a Dundee reader but feels like a fictional account of her own biography 'Voices in the Street'.

[Anne Pritchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

Enjoyed this book and thought it reflected a time when poverty and unemployment went hand in hand. Would maybe read more of this author

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters. I felt for Ann, being a child herself and having to work and help her grandparents with the housework while looking after her baby sister. I liked how things turned out in the end.

[Fi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to read a book set in Dundee and it was well described. The story was ok, there wasn't much to it but all in all it was a pleasant read. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only it came with a map and a Scots dictionary.

[pat goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

It was a great story,very sad at times, but a very moving one ,I really enjoyed the book and characters

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read book about the difficulties of life after the Great War. How families struggled yet pulled together when needed. Alongside this plot the main character also gets a job working as a housekeeper for a wealthy lady. The plots intertwine well and you can't help but to feel a great deal of sympathy and empathy for all of them.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about Dundee for a change and to get an idea of the social history there and the extreme poverty of the working class who lived in the slums. Unfortunately though the writing in this story is poor and clunky - quite amateur in the storytelling.
Still, it was an easy and entertaining read.

[Bethany Gilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great period piece with a very happy ending. A quick beach read that will leave you feeling great and trying to talk with a Scottish accent!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this because we used to live near the author & my husband comes from Dundee where this is set. Nice family sag. Just bought the next two books in the series

[Jacqueline Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Imagining all the streets of Dundee back in the days! The spirt of the people, living in such hardship and abject poverty post war!