The Railway Girl

by Nancy Carson

Only tragedy can save her… Lucy Piddock meets Arthur Goodrich, solid, kind and dependable; a stonemason by trade working in his father’s Black Country business. Arthur seems to be the ideal match, but he lights no flame in Lucy’s heart. Anyone else would be satisfied. But Lucy wants more. She dares to dream of love and hankers for Dickie Dempster, the debonair young guard she meets who works on the newly constructed railway. Prompted by Lucy’s rejection, Arthur leaves home to seek a new life and a new love in Bristol, leaving Lucy free to pursue her dream of happiness with Dickie. Free to make her own choices, Lucy finds the water muddied by tragedy, and must re-examine where her heart really lies . . ..

464 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2016

About the author

I was born and bred in the Black Country, that part of the West Midlands in England that lies between the eastern fringes of Wolverhampton and the western edges of Birmingham. Dudley was my home town and though I’ve travelled widely, I still live no more than 6 miles from my birthplace.
When I left school I was always interested in the opposite sex, and loved to go out with my friends to dances and to concerts by famous rock and pop groups. I became a nursery nurse before I married (in my early twenties) and had a son, but that marriage ended – amicably. My second marriage blessed me with a wonderful spouse and a ready-made stepson whom I adore.
I always knew I would become an author, but there never seemed any rush. Throughout life I have been a ‘people-watcher’, and I believe this has given me a clear insight into human interactions – male and female – especially when it comes to relationships. So, my stories spring from the broad canvas of human nature. The characters that populate them have often been inspired from life, as have the situations I sometimes place them in. Many have been embellished, some not.
The very first novel I wrote, which I thought was the best thing since sliced bread, had multiple rejections, simply because it was not good enough. However, undaunted and with the encouragement of several editors, literary agents, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, I pressed on with new ideas. I have written several novels with plans and outlines for more.
Writing is a very fulfilling and yet solitary occupation, so I am lucky inasmuch as I still find time to enjoy other things with my very understanding better half, and lead a full and active life.
Anyway, I do hope you’ll read my novels and that you’ll enjoy them as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Reviews

[Helena Connaughton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meandering to nothing! Couldn't get past page 78

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very predictable the whole way through, but perfect for a light summer holiday read.

I struggled to relate to or come to like the character of Lucy due to her very shallow and unfair personality and I felt for poor old Arthur! But she grew on me towards the end when she effectively grew up a bit and matured.

From reading a couple of reviews prior to starting the book I thought I’d struggle slightly with the language at points but this wasn’t an issue for me at all! I enjoyed living through a period of history that I’m not all that familiar with or educated in and discovering that it was all based on historical fact at the end motivated me to do some of my own research.

All in all, not a bad read (although I’d be cautious about who to recommend to due to one or two rather explicit scenes throughout...!)

[susan atyeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

the railway girl

I have so enjoyed this book, the humour is absolutely great, it kept me laughing all the way through. Well written, good story, and a brilliant sense of humour.
I have read several by Nancy Carson, but this really surprised me. I’m wondering what her next one will be like. I can’t wait to find out. Well done Nancy, excellent!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book. Lots of twist and turns. Really liked the characters.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance, of course, but not your run-of-the-mill one. I appreciated the authenticity and the characters, almost all of whom were likeable and relatable.

[India]

dnf at page 121

i started this over two years ago and i'm just accepting that i'll never finish it because it's just boring me

[Ruth Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Being from the Black Country, it was great to read a book about my area and I could imagine places like Brettal Lane and the Stations (even though they are all blocked off now!) The blurb made the book very predictable (does something happen to Arthur?).. From the blurb you can predict it's either going to be Dickie or Arthur who is a part of this "tradgedy." A fanastic storyline though!

For some readers, they may struggle slightly with the way it is written. Some characters speak with a strong Dudley dialect so for readers outside the Black Country, they may not understand. Perhaps for some people they may rate down for that but I think it's good how the author wanted to make it seem as Black Country as possible.

Overall, brilliant book. I also have the Chapel Street book and I look forwards to reading that!

5 star!