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The Blitz Sisters
War has been declared and the lives of three sisters, Lydia, Peggy and Teddy, are about to be turned upside down.
As bombs rain down on London, the girls will lose their homes, their things, their loved ones . . . But they will find lost kittens, friendships with fellow rebels, the need for art, the strength and love to carry on, and a greater sense of family than ever. And with each other's help and with the radical changes to society that war brings, the three sisters will discover the essence of who they truly are.
Lydia's story: it's 1939 and war has been declared. The girls have been evacuated to the countryside. Lydia, the oldest and always the sensible one, is finding a way to make everyone feel safe - with her cooking! But the weight of responsibility begins to feel unbearably heavy and Lydia decides to take drastic, dangerous action . . .
Peggy's story: it's 1943, and the girls are back in London, crammed into a house in Peckham Rye, with numerous friends and relatives. Peggy, the arty one, is at school and hating it. Inspired by her new friend Arno, a refugee from Germany, Peggy is determined to go to Art School, whatever the cost . . .
Teddy story: it's 1946 and the girls are living through the War's aftermath. Teddy, the clever one, is excelling at school. So when a school trip to Paris is on the cards, the family are keen to find the money for Teddy to go. Little do they know that, instead of learning French, Teddy plans to try and find one of the family's very dearest lost loved ones . . .
As bombs rain down on London, the girls will lose their homes, their things, their loved ones . . . But they will find lost kittens, friendships with fellow rebels, the need for art, the strength and love to carry on, and a greater sense of family than ever. And with each other's help and with the radical changes to society that war brings, the three sisters will discover the essence of who they truly are.
Lydia's story: it's 1939 and war has been declared. The girls have been evacuated to the countryside. Lydia, the oldest and always the sensible one, is finding a way to make everyone feel safe - with her cooking! But the weight of responsibility begins to feel unbearably heavy and Lydia decides to take drastic, dangerous action . . .
Peggy's story: it's 1943, and the girls are back in London, crammed into a house in Peckham Rye, with numerous friends and relatives. Peggy, the arty one, is at school and hating it. Inspired by her new friend Arno, a refugee from Germany, Peggy is determined to go to Art School, whatever the cost . . .
Teddy story: it's 1946 and the girls are living through the War's aftermath. Teddy, the clever one, is excelling at school. So when a school trip to Paris is on the cards, the family are keen to find the money for Teddy to go. Little do they know that, instead of learning French, Teddy plans to try and find one of the family's very dearest lost loved ones . . .
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 27, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Faber for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Okay so I know Judith's books tend to be aimed at readers younger than me but I still enjoy them and this was a late entry into my 'best books of 2025' list because it was perfect.
I love that Judith hasn't hidden anything from her readers. We have a tendency to talk down to children, but we don't need to. Sure it needs to be age appropriate but it is important that children know about what happened in the war, and I think she's pitched that perfectly.
I don't know Judith's background but her expert knowledge on the war is impressive. I can't imagine the amount of research she would have had to do.
It can be hard as an adult to relate to young characters or understand them. But Judith has got it right. Sure, I don't know how a 12 year-old (Lydia) felt during the Blitz, but she is such a powerful character that I instantly loved her. The three main girls are all very well written and we see them at a variety of ages, and we see how they've changed from before the war, during, and after. Lydia's sisters Peggy and Teddy were equally as wonderful, particularly in their own sections. There is a reasonably large cast of other characters that again are well written and work well in their own stories a well as alongside our protagonists.
I loved how beautiful the interactions were with the children. Adults tend to see things in black and white whereas children have more colour. For instance, why shouldn't' an English child be friends with a German child, just because their countries are at war? Adults might be stricter but children just love, and that was wonderful to read.
It's not the happiest of books - I mean, it's following three children during the war, so it's not surprising - but you never feel to morose. It is filled with the truth and horror that war brings, but there is an undercurrent of hope running through it which makes it a pleasure to read.
It's so full of heart and love, it's about friendship and family, sisterhood, loss and grief, the sense of community and the sense of belonging somewhere.
For a book that is almost 500 pages long, it really zooms by. It's fast paced and exciting but not overwhelming and it still manages to give enough time to detail.
I could see this being a wartime classic, like Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, or Michelle Magorian's Goodnight Mister Tom. Both adults and children will absolutely love it. I know I did. One of my favourite books of 2025 for sure.
Okay so I know Judith's books tend to be aimed at readers younger than me but I still enjoy them and this was a late entry into my 'best books of 2025' list because it was perfect.
I love that Judith hasn't hidden anything from her readers. We have a tendency to talk down to children, but we don't need to. Sure it needs to be age appropriate but it is important that children know about what happened in the war, and I think she's pitched that perfectly.
I don't know Judith's background but her expert knowledge on the war is impressive. I can't imagine the amount of research she would have had to do.
It can be hard as an adult to relate to young characters or understand them. But Judith has got it right. Sure, I don't know how a 12 year-old (Lydia) felt during the Blitz, but she is such a powerful character that I instantly loved her. The three main girls are all very well written and we see them at a variety of ages, and we see how they've changed from before the war, during, and after. Lydia's sisters Peggy and Teddy were equally as wonderful, particularly in their own sections. There is a reasonably large cast of other characters that again are well written and work well in their own stories a well as alongside our protagonists.
I loved how beautiful the interactions were with the children. Adults tend to see things in black and white whereas children have more colour. For instance, why shouldn't' an English child be friends with a German child, just because their countries are at war? Adults might be stricter but children just love, and that was wonderful to read.
It's not the happiest of books - I mean, it's following three children during the war, so it's not surprising - but you never feel to morose. It is filled with the truth and horror that war brings, but there is an undercurrent of hope running through it which makes it a pleasure to read.
It's so full of heart and love, it's about friendship and family, sisterhood, loss and grief, the sense of community and the sense of belonging somewhere.
For a book that is almost 500 pages long, it really zooms by. It's fast paced and exciting but not overwhelming and it still manages to give enough time to detail.
I could see this being a wartime classic, like Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, or Michelle Magorian's Goodnight Mister Tom. Both adults and children will absolutely love it. I know I did. One of my favourite books of 2025 for sure.
December 24, 2025
This is a wonderful and engaging story about three sisters set in the World War 2 period. Lydia, Peggy and Teddy are still recovering from the loss of their father when they are separated from the mother and sent to stay with their late father's sister Phoebe, a writer, for safety during The Blitz.
Adjusting to life with their unfamiliar aunt in the countryside is hard enough, but the girls face other challenges too - Lydia feels burdened with too much responsibility as the eldest, Peggy struggles with an impetuous temperament and learning issues, and Teddy is not always pleased to be characterised as the family boffin.
The author brings the three main characters, as well as a whole host of individuals who make up a vibrant supporting cast, vividly to life on the page. Very enjoyable indeed and decidedly reminiscent of Little Women!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Adjusting to life with their unfamiliar aunt in the countryside is hard enough, but the girls face other challenges too - Lydia feels burdened with too much responsibility as the eldest, Peggy struggles with an impetuous temperament and learning issues, and Teddy is not always pleased to be characterised as the family boffin.
The author brings the three main characters, as well as a whole host of individuals who make up a vibrant supporting cast, vividly to life on the page. Very enjoyable indeed and decidedly reminiscent of Little Women!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews