Gunner Girls And Fighter Boys

The Factory Girls #3

by Mary Gibson

A Bermondsey factory girl joins the fight against Hitler, in the wonderful new novel from the bestselling author of Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts . May Lloyd's father calls her his homing pigeon because of her uncanny knack of navigating her way around the streets of South London—even in pitch darkness. It is a gift that will save her life when the Blitz destroys nearly everything that she holds dear. With her home in ruins, May joins the ATS—the women's branch of the British Army—and becomes a gunner girl, operating Ack Ack guns against the Luftwaffe. Meanwhile, her sister Peggy makes a daring bid to escape a stifling marriage and find love and freedom amid the heady chaos of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, World War II, Romance, 20th Century, Coming Of Age

448 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2015

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

[Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys written by Mary Gibson is one fantastic work of historical fiction based on the lives of two sisters Peggy and May. This for me was an excellent read as the lives of May and Peggy changed forever when the Second World War started in 1939.
Thia book showed the daily lives of those residents of London, where the Blitz tore the heart out of it.
For me, the main character was May the youngest daughter and her life through the war really brought her out of her shy backward self to become a young woman who was prepared to lay down her life for her country and those she loved.
Though this is a work of fiction it was one book where I learned so much as the history of the Second World War was brought alive through vivid writing and wonderful storytelling. From the bomb sites of London to the countryside of Surrey, to the Middle East this is one book which will take you on a journey like no other book ever written.
I would also recommend [[ASIN:B01I0E8AQS Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys]] which is narrated by the super talented Ann Dover who really brings the story alive through her narration.
Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys written by Mary Gibson is one book I would highly recommend especially to those readers who like books based on the era of the Second World War.
Happy to recommend.

[Certified Book Addicts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total immersion into the lives of ordinary men and women during World War II.

[Teresa]

I enjoyed this book very much. Mary Gibson creates some wonderful characters. Some of them you'd love to know and some you would steer well clear of. I enjoy novels set in both World Wars. I like hearing about how people carried on their daily lives in Britain at that time. And there was also the shadier side of it in the character of Wide'oh. Of course there is sadness too and as in all stories of this type there can be what I call the 'mushy' bits. Sentiment.
I had already read Mary's first book, Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts and thoroughly enjoyed it so was pleased to find this one. If you like books set in this era then don't miss this. Hopefully she'll continue to write great stories.

[KOMET · Rating 4 out of 5]

"GUNNER GIRLS AND FIGHTER BOYS" brings home to the reader the impact of the Second World War on the British people, combatants and civilians alike. The novel is mainly centered around a family (i.e. the Lloyds) in a neighborhood in London known as Bermondsey. Indeed, we first meet the Lloyds (Mum and Dad; their eldest daughter Peggy - and her husband George, an asthmatic who's a few years older than his wife and lives principally as a grafter, evading the law by hook and by crook through various black market activities; Jack, the Lloyds' only son who sometimes does a few jobs for George; and youngest daughter May, a bookworm and homebody) on Sunday, September 3, 1939 - the first day of war. An air raid alarm is sounded and while most of the Lloyds seek security in a community shelter, May is intent on ensuring that the Sunday dinner is not ruined. The full reality of Britain being at war with Germany still had a certain unreality to it.

In the years to come, the war would exact a heavy toll on the Lloyds and Bermondsey itself. Lives would be radically changed, rudely upset, lost. And May through her service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) - the women's branch of the British Army - would find her life profoundly altered. For anyone who wishes to understand in some way how the Second World War impacted upon those who experienced it, I highly recommend reading "GUNNER GIRLS AND FIGHTER BOYS." It'll put you on an emotional roller coaster you won't soon forget

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read. I have enjoyed how, although the books focus on new characters, characters from the other books are intertwined into the next story. It's a really great touch. I loved this one, it is a great mix of laughter and of sadness, a few twists and turns. A fab read!!

[Elite Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should Go Down Like A Bomb


I was put off by the title of this book initially. It sounded as if it should be something for the hormonally challenged teens to channel their excesses into. And there are war books a plenty. But as I started to read there was a great deal that resonated with me. One of the main characters in this book is the Blitz and without the Blitz I wouldn’t be here!! For it was my Mum’s home being bombed to rubble that saw her and family on the nearest train out of London to the town where she eventually met my father. She would have loved this book. I grew up hearing how life was during the Blitz and during air raids and what life was like in the shelters. And what it was to lose someone; my mother’s aunt not only lost her home in the Blitz, she lost her life too leaving two young children who bore the scars of her loss for the rest of their lives. And so I commend this book to you for its authenticity and its humanity.


However, it IS a story, a fiction, first and foremost. I think May is an example of how war, in all its brutality, can bring out the best in a person. I think this book also draws our attention to the ATS and the bravery of the women called up to defend their country. It is also a story of the heightened intensity of family and friendships that occurs during war times. And it is a love story too which, as we read, we hope will find a meaningful conclusion. There are flaws in the book, there are some predictable outcomes and some contrived situations which only just stopped me giving this five stars. But it is a purposeful story that entertains and educates without pretensions.


Whizz

Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of the book to review.

[Cynthia (Bingeing On Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic book about the bombings that occurred in London during WWII. I loved that first and foremost, this book was about family. May was such a sweet character who showed amazing growth. She started out as a shy girl who went along with whatever her family said and she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere but London. She slowly changed into a courageous young woman willing to go out on her own and fight for her country. Peggy was the baby of the family who married young and never really took the time to think about what she wanted or learned to take care of herself. She changed a lot too. There was a lot of heartbreak and tragedy in this story and some hope as well. My only issues with the story were that Peggy’s chapters kind of died after certain events in her life (I would have liked more from her POV) and I thought the ending was a bit too quick. Other than that, great read.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this audiobook it was a pleasure to listen to.
I love stories from this era and this one was no exception.
Recommended.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tell me about your war, May.”

Mary Gibson writes a moving story of the lives of all who were caught up in the Second World War. The main protagonist is May LLoyd, recognised by her family as a “homing pigeon”. We follow May and the lives of those around her and how they all come to terms and adjust to a life they never thought they’d be living.

Grief, angst, heartache, despair, love, joy, heartache and hope are all interwoven through this beautiful story of discovering oneself when the world around is in turmoil.

The character progression throughout is beautiful. May and her sister Peggy in particular are stretched beyond recognition as they are forced to do their part for their country. Accepting such tragedy and coming to terms with the daily loss and grief around them is a lesson they are both pushed to learn every day.

And amongst all of their battles in fighting for survival at a time when the world was in chaos, love is anchored at the very centre of this story. As it says right at the very end: “May understood that the war, full of predictable tragedies and unexpected miracles, had taught her that the only true guide to the future was love.”

This is quite possibly my read of 2019, and I’m already making preparations of who I’ll be recommending this remarkable book to.

[Annie Boby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very wholesome, great as a holiday read!

[T'leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start by saying this isn't a war story, but a story about people during the war. So if you're hoping to read about life as a gunner girl and shooting down german planes and exciting war scenes, you'll be disappointed.

This story is a coming of age story for two sisters experiencing completely different, yet fairly common, situations during the blitz. It's a story about the lives of English women during the war, and how much the blitz cost families. It's also a love story.

Peggy is trapped in a suffocating marriage with a controlling man. The war is the backdrop for her finding her way back to herself.

May is a shy homebody girl who, after a family tragedy, marches out of her comfort zone and into the military to protect her home from the bombs.

The story is fairly simply written, and a good light read with a great story. I could see making a movie out of this book.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good enough holiday read, but for me, too many coincidences to be believable.

This is a long book - I felt it could have done with some serious editing. The story itself is OK, a little hackneyed, but the research is good and the detail adds interest. I found the characters are fairly one dimensional and predictable and there are so many happy coincidences that for me it lost any credibility - it just stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too far and I found myself laughing aloud in disbelief by the end.

A good enough holiday read if you like your books to be featherweight and unchallenging, but rather too repetitive and obvious at times. I just wish that authors writing about this period, paid more attention to detail ... there are so many modern phrases and expressions with language and phrases straight out of today's lexicon and it just breaks the concentration and any suspension of disbelief.

[mica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very light read - it was entertaining enough in the moment, but felt very light and fluffy, and won't stick with the reader too long afterwards (or, at least, it won't do so for me). It seems like it might be a bit of a monster in terms of length, but lacks density, so I would call it a relatively easy read.

There aren't really many big questions or challenging themes - it follows two young women from a poor London neighbourhood as they take employment during World War II, and, along the way, find companionship, courage and discover their own strengths. It's nice to have a book that focuses on the "home front" during the World Wars, but the conflicts and consequences seemed almost too ...easy and simple for me, and the plot felt relatively predictable and safe.

[Anna Falcucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

It's been a while since I last read books from this genre and I'm glad I found a good read to start with.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys” by Mary Gibson, is a novel from the The Factory Girls series about the defenders of England left at home. The army enlists girls to man the gun placements that try to shoot down the German planes before they can drop their loads of bombs.

May lives with her mum and dad and brother Jack near Liverpool. Her sister is married and lives not too far away. Her husband is running a black market scheme which she ignores, although she has a suspicion that he is involved in criminal activities.

The dynamics of this story are so convincing that I felt the fear of the residents as they tried to shelter from the bombs. After May’s brother Jack was killed in an air raid, her home destroyed by a bomb and friends were missing, she decides that she wants to join the ATS. Her family is dead set against it, but she feels her duty to England calling her. Instead of a desk job, she is assigned to one of the gun emplacements, as a plotter. She calculates the position of the planes and decides when to fire the guns.

She has been enamored of a boy from the neighborhood for years, but he is interested in someone else. Another boy has always loved her but has not pressed her. He and she are like very good friends. He is in the RAF as part of a ground crew and eventually is sent overseas. They exchange letters but his stop suddenly. She finds that he is missing in action. She finds that she is in love with him and can only hope that he will return home and that they can get on with their life after the war.

I enjoyed this book because it was written in the British vernacular. I had to guess at some of the phrases because I had not heard them before. I found this a lot of fun as I read the novel. I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review. You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-wP. Other reviews can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.

[Brodie Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A saga of the Lloyd family from Bermondsey in London, England through World War 2, primarily focused on the Blitz and, later, German rocket attacks. The book gives us a keen sense of the misery of working-class life along the Thames during the Blitz: Anderson shelters, explosions, fear, macabre scenes where everyday life should be, docks, blackout curtains, pub life, hunger, petty criminals and profiteers, piles of brick, and water hoses. The Lloyd family suffers death and deprivations, and is a proxy for the untold number of families of the time. Young daughter May finds the courage to “do her bit” by joining up as a gunner girl on an “ack ack” crew, and she and her sister Peggy are our protagonists, survivors who pursue loves that are convoluted and threatened by the war. Authenticity in dialect and setting is terrific, though throughout much of the book I felt I was on a level emotional plane, without the build-ups and peaks the subject matter suggests.

Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.

[Val Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, although truth be told I was drawn to this book because it's set on my doorstep, so I read it from a local history point of view. The was clearly meticulously researched, and in my minds eye I was able to follow the characters as they walked through Bermondsey, passing my local shops, sheltering in the crypt of the church at the top of the road and so on.

Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys is a feel good book, lightly sprinkled with a bit of romance. The story follows the lives of two sisters, May is a little too 'good' for my liking, she's an absolute saint. Yes it makes her likeable, but ever so slightly unrealistic. Peggy on the other hand flourishes as the story unfolds.

There's a slight continuity error in the book relating to the baby that they rescued from Shad Thames, they reveal his name too early in the story, which was a bit of a spoiler for me. However I'm being ridiculously picky, this is the only areas that can be improved upon, and hopefully this will be addressed in future editions. I'll finish by saying that I started reading Mary Gibson's book Jam and Roses off the back of this book.

[Joy Margetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read four of Mary Gibson's books, set in the East End of London, in the first half of the last century, and based around the women who lived and worked there. I have loved all of them, but this has been the best so far. I think because it is based on the lives and experiences of the author's own parents, it is more realistic and gritty. Those of us of a certain age know some of the effects the Second World War had on London and it's people. This book does not hold back. The terror of the bomb raids, devastated homes and work places, the casualties and sudden deaths, the volunteers and the enlisted all doing their bit, under extreme pressure. Tragedy hits the lives of the main characters, not once, but many times. But it is not a maudlin book. Far from it. It is full of determination, loyalty, self-sacrifice, duty, compassion, resilience, and love. Well done Mary Gibson. This book is a must read. I devoured it, and it left me wanting to know what happened next, to the Lloyds, and the Gilbies, and the Flints. And to Bermondsey itself!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indeed, another great period piece by Mary Gibson. A gentle romance evoking the tough times, the socio-economic ramifications of war in small communities. The timeless nature of people, their needs to love and be loved. Mary Gibson has a neat way of appearing to write from insider knowledge. Obviously well researched. Her writing is class-less. A good read indeed.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! With all the WWII books I’ve read, I’ve never “been” in the blitz or really had known that England was under attack throughout the war. I’ve mostly read about what was going on on the mainland. The story was great, too. I look forward to reading more of Mary Gibson’s books.

[Victoria Frow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Heartwarming story about how even though war has it's horrors there is still hope and love to be found. My only issue with this is that even after the main character's family had been introduced the author used the formal way of saying the character's name i.e Mrs Lloyd and Mr Lloyd throughout the book.

[Tiffany Johnstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

May is a very interesting Character, she is literally a home bird. When May's family home is bombed in the Blitz. Her nickname is the homing pigeon because of her uncanny sense of direction. She decides to do her bit for the war and join the ATS and become a gunner girl, much to her mother's despair, its a fantastic read by Mary Gibson.

[Emma Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the first few pages. The story of May and Peggy feel so real, the struggles and accomplishments throughout the war really pulled at my heartstrings.
Highly recommend to anyone who wants a story that will have you invested from the first page.
Not my usual style of book but it's just what I needed. Makes you appreciate how important family and friends are in life.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this one and the narrator was a perfect match for this book. Although the setting isn't the easiest, it was a breeze of a listen; a good one to keep you company (which is mostly down to the narrator's voice). Not the most enthralling story, but it had its moments of suspense and heartache.

[Abbi Earnshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another enjoyable read - once again I felt totally absorbed in the lives of the characters. Given that historical fiction is not something I'm generally interested in, this series of books has a way of dripping in the history without being bogged down in too much detail, and without losing sight of the fact that the characters are the stars.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot because of the realistic characters and story. I liked that there was no explicit sex and profanity. Not everything turned out well, which is realistic. I definitely want to read more in this series.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction. It was really a great book in that aspect. I just cannot imagine how difficult it must have been in England during WWII. That being said, it was just a little slow and a little predictable. The characters and families were engaging and I did enjoy reading it.

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found the writing slightly awkward at times, this was a very enjoyable book. It offered a really interesting look at England during WWII, a different perspective than what I've usually read, of the women who worked during the war.

[Rowlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this read. I learnt a lot about the role women played in the second world war in this book. I had no idea that women defended England with ack ack guns and were capable of shooting down enemy aircraft.
I look forward to reading another of Mary Gibson's books.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and emotional read!

Good pace throughout the book. Emotional and inspiring story! Not sure how historically accurate it is, but it has inspired me to do some research on that time period.