The Shipyard Girls

Shipyard Girls #1

by Nancy Revell

THE FIRST SHIPYARD GIRLS NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, NANCY REVELL.___________________Sunderland, 1940, and the women go to the shipyards to do their bit for the war effort.Polly never dreamed she would be able to work in the shipyards like the men in her family but times are tough and her new job ends up giving her more than she ever expected when she meets enigmatic dock diver Tommy Watts.During the day, head welder Rosie teaches her fledgling flock of trainees their new trade, but at night she hides a secret life.And mother hen Gloria signs up to escape her brutal husband, but finds she can't run from her problems.The Shipyard Girls start off as strangers - but end up forging an unbreakable bond of friendship in the most difficult times.Praise for The Shipyard Girls 'Nancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart!' The Northern Echo'The author is one to watch' Sun'A brilliant read' Take a Break'Well-drawn, believable characters combined with a storyline to keep you turning the pages' Woman

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, World War II, Family, Historical, Romance

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2016

About the author

Nancy Revell is the pseudonym of Amanda Revell Walton a writer and journalist that has worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She has also worked for just about every woman's magazine in the country, writing amazing and inspirational true life stories. Nancy has recently relocated back to her home town of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where The Shipyard Girls series is set. The subject is close to Nancy's heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well-known in the area.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to follow but this is a cracking saga set in the North East of England during World War 2. I LOVED it and became totally immersed and involved in the story. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a long TBR on here that I started in 2014, it's rare for me to pick up a random book I had never heard of before. But that's exactly what I did with this book when I went to the library last week, and I'm glad I did!

The Shipyard Girls really pulled me in. It's a story about a few different women in England during WWII, who start working in the shipyards while many men are off at war. Each of the women in the little group have their own problems, and the book focuses on each of them. I really enjoyed reading this, as the plot was very interesting and moved very fast. My favorite thing was the friendship that formed between the women.

I wasn't aware that this was a long series when I picked up this book, but I'm considering hunting down the second one so I can see what happens next. I didn't expect I'd have the urge to do that when I started this.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard hitting, well written with a gritty plot. I switched off a bit, with the drama and relationship explanations. I was really looking forward to this book.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the start of a set of thoroughly enjoyable saga stories following a group of women and their families who work in the shipyards in Sunderland, Northern England. Why have I left it till now to discover how good they are, if the rest are as good as this first one I am in for a definite treat.

Polly is determined to do her bit by working in the local Shipyard much to the annoyance of her mum Agnes who says its no place for a woman. Her sister in law Isabelle, who works on the buses, or Bel as she prefers, has a two year old daughter Lucille. Polly likes a young diver called Tommy who lives with his elderly grandad, (Arthur) who also used to be a diver when he was younger, but with the owner's daughter on the prowl will she manage to be his girlfriend.
Rosie works at the Shipyard during the day and in the evenings at a red light establishment to pay for her younger sisters boarding school fees. There are some secrets going on here and Rosie fears her secret will come out.
Gloria also has a secret that she is ashamed to share with her friends and colleagues as it involves abuse from her husband.
With the rest of the welding section of women always nearby they are guaranteed friendship and help with anything. A great start to this series of books involving the women who worked in the steel yards during WW2 in the North East of England. I truly loved it a 5☆ read.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell is starts in August 1940 and England is at war. Rosie Thornton is the head welder at J.L. Thompson & Sons in the shipyards in Sunderland, and she will be getting some new recruits to train. Polly Elliot, Hannah, Gloria, Dorothy Williams, Martha Perkins and Mary are the new hires. Rosie sizes them up and figures one of them will not last the week (it turns out to be Mary). Welding is a tough job, but the women are up to the job. Rosie works hard at the shipyard during the day, but at night she has a second job. She is not proud of it, but she needs the money to support her sister, Charlotte. Their parents died in a car accident and their only other family is their sinister uncle, Raymond Gallagher. Rosie set up Charlotte at Runcorn Girls’ School in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Rosie will do what she must to protect Charlotte. But Rosie is always afraid that her secret will get out. Polly lives with her mother, sister-in-law, and niece. Polly’s twin brothers are off at war. Polly sees Tommy Watts one day when he emerges from the water at the shipyards. Tommy is a deep-sea diver and does underwater repairs to the ships. Polly is instantly attracted to Tommy (Tommy feels the same way). But Helen Crawford, the yard’s manager daughter, has her own designs on Tommy. Helen is not going to let Polly get her in way and sets out to eliminate the competition. Each woman has her own troubles, but together this group can handle anything that comes their way. Join Polly, Hannah, Gloria, Dorothy, Martha, and Rosie in The Shipyard Girls.

The Shipyard Girls is the first book in a new series. It is nicely written and easy to read. I enjoyed getting to know each character. This book focuses on Rosie, Polly, and Gloria for the most part. There is a little too much time spent on the romance between Polly and Tommy (I must admit to skimming a little through their mutual admiration section). This book reminds me of the works of Donna Douglas (I love her books). I give The Shipyard Girls 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). There are a couple of slow sections, but they did not detract from my reading pleasure. I liked reading about these women and the work they did to help the war effort. The author did a good job with her research. I will be reading the next book titled The Shipyard Girls at War (no release date at this time).

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve just noticed that I hadn’t added my review for the first book in this lovely series about a group of women who work on the shipyards during the war.
It’s a great book full of friendship, the war effort and romance and family relationships.
Rosie, the head welder is given a bunch of new girls to train and we get to know them all.
A lovely writing style that has you quickly engaging with the characters and set during one of my favourite eras for a series.

[A Red Headed Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him. Polly managed to put one foot on the edge of the trains ledge and grab hold of Tommy with her other arm. He pulled her face to his and the two kissed - a kiss which felt like it was the end of the world, and these were there last moments together.’

I have always loved a family saga, especially one set during WW2. I enjoy reading about all sorts of different family members and their life through the historical time. Especially when authors include historical facts within their books.
The shipyard girls is book 1 of 11 - so just the start of this families story.
This is the 2nd time reading this book, I first read it in 2016 but I really wanna try and read the set now



2016 review ~
Such a good book with an insight into a skill which was highly important during the war. It’s my first book about the shipyards i have read and iv already pre ordered the next!

[Fi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant enough read (I'll certainly be looking out for subsequent books in the series), & very interesting to learn something about what goes/went on in a shipyard.
I'm probably nitpicking here, but, whilst too much regional dialect can sometimes disrupt the flow of reading, in this case I feel there was too little - just occasionally somebody called another 'Pet', but otherwise nothing to suggest that events were taking place in the North-East of England; in my opinion either the language should have been consistent, or not done at all

[kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the books I've actually enjoyed reading in the last few weeks. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book it is riveting

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second book I've read by Nancy Revell ( having previously read The Widow's Choice ) and again, this is a brilliant showcase of Nancy's storytelling and style.

Set in Wartime North East England, I found the historical aspects of this novel to be incredibly well researched. As you read, you can imagine exactly what that place and time felt like and what the people were like through Nancy's top notch story telling.

I do love a good War Time novel, and let me tell you, The Shipyard Girls is an impressive interpretation of those times. It's just a lovely novel about the vital role women played during those turbulent years.

We tend to forget what a huge contribution women made to the war effort by keeping companies in production, working on farms and factories etc, so it's great to read a novel highlighting these amazing achievements.
Unfortunately, most of these brave Women received little to no recognition for their work and were forgotten to history once the war was over. So novels such as this are incredibly important in keeping their memory alive.

I found myself being drawn into the story right from the beginning as you explore the gritty insight into the lives of these incredibly important women as they take up from where the Men left who went to war. It highlights the daily struggles they encountered and how they coped with their Men being gone for so long.

I found the characters had good depth, the plot flowed well and was engaging and compelling and i found myself flying through this read in just two sittings.

All in all, a very enjoyable read and so five 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunderland. 1940. After posting a review of Wartime with the Cornish Girls, I saw a recommendation for Nancy Revell books. The Sunderland tagline did it for me. Having very close friends who live in or in Sunderland's 'burbs, I've spent several lovely visits in the Northeast at various times of the year. The war years have been mentioned occasionally during our numerous chats but never in great detail. Until I read this book, I had no idea that Sunderland was targeted in the bombings by "the Jerries." I knew that shipbuilding was a HUGE part of Sunderland's vast history because of it's location. Again, it never occurred to me that my friends might not be my friends had the bombings been successful. Needless to say, this book and its subsequent stories have now opened a new line of questioning on my part with Our Tina, Our Catherine, Our Pat, Our Paul and their loved ones. Mr. and Mrs. surely must have told their family about what they lived thru. If possible, thinking about this makes me love them and hold them more closely in my heart.

I nearly dropped the book when I read that the former J. L. Thompson and Sons shipyard is where the National Glass Centre is now located. I spent several hours walking along The Wear, admiring how it lead into the North Sea and at the Centre. Little did I know that two years later I'd be reading about the location's shipbuilding history.

This book will be forever near and dear to my heart. Nancy Revell, thank you for opening my eyes!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1941 and England is at war. Polly has been working at a little seaside café but business is slow and she knows she must find work elsewhere. Her two elder twin brothers, Teddy and Joe are in Egypt fighting for Britain while Teddy's wife, Bel is living with Polly and her mother, Agnes. Lucille, is the little baby belonging to Bel and Teddy and is loved dearly by Polly. Bel is working as a conductor on the buses while Agnes looks after Lucille during the day. Polly decides to apply for a job at the shipyards as a welder and after Agnes realizes her fears are falling on deaf ears, finally relents. There, Polly meets Rosie, the head welder who takes the new workers under her wing. All are women who the men look at as a threat to their future jobs but ships are being sunk and welders are desperately needed. Rosie has a secret life which she works hard to protect. Both her and her younger sister, Charlotte were immediate orphans after their parents died and Rosie has vowed to keep her younger sister safe. When a threat from her past returns, she tries desperately to find a way out of her predicament but cannot see any solution. I enjoyed this book learning how the women in England stepped up to the plate during the war taking on jobs the men had previously done. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Reeds · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a “shipyard during WWII connection” so I really wanted to like this book. However, I have to force myself to read a little bit more to get through it each time I pick it up.
One of the main girls is working on ship building during the day, and prostituting herself in the evenings in a brothel, to take care of her sister. She says she’s not proud of it, but she does make sex jokes with the madam.
Men’s lewd treatment and thinking of women in the street is described.
I’m only 29% done with the book, and the author has made my nose curl up in distaste several times already.
If I actually manage to finish this book, I’d definitely not read it a second time.
There are also a lot of characters so the author does bounce you around a lot along with all the grittiness.
She also over-describes things. She went on and on about how to weld. She also does that thing that authors do these days like if she mentions a song she has to tell you every detail she knows about the song. Just give the lyrics and if we want to know more we can search for it on the internet.
I made it to 46% of the book, and it didn't get any better so I'm moving on.
Sayonara

[Fleur Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, I found it at a book fair and it has been waiting for me to read it on my TBR list. I took my time reading it as I wanted it to last, like a delicious dessert. I love the writing style, the characters' familiarity, and how everyday life is depicted with air raids, rations, and the war effort. I loved Agnes, she reminded me so much of my mum. I loved the short chapters, I could take a nibble or a significant bite and read several chapters depending on my time frame.
I'm so glad there are 12 books in this series, I will be fully absorbed with each one. A brilliant read :-)

[Becki Basley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shipyard Girls (Shipyard girls series book one )by Nancy Revell (Audiobook read on Everand app)


This book takes place in Sunderland, England in the year 1940. A group of women each with their own unique reasons answer the call to be trained as welders to help construct ships for the war effort.

As time goes in these strangers become a family. All looking out for the other as they navigated this new chapter in their lives. It’s an interesting beginning to this series and it also highlights another hard working group of women who stepped into traditional men jobs when most of the men were fighting in the war.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It tells the story of six women who start work as welders at a shipbuilders in Sunderland during the Second World War, and how their friendship builds. We get to know and care for these characters, and live through their home and love lives with them. Will Polly find happiness with Tommy? Will Gloria escape her home life? Will Rosie's secret second job be revealed? I grew to love these characters and really look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Lisbeth Zabihi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skøn fortælling om en flok stærke kvinder, der løfter opgaverne på skibsværftet, da mændene er draget i krig.
Hver af de seks kvinder har en historie og en baggrund der ikke er helt normal - eller måske er det? Vi får historien om ung spirende kærlighed, om hustruvold og om misbrug af en mindreårig pige. På charmerende vis, kædes de seks kvinders historie sammen og trods store forskelligheder, finder kvinderne hinanden i et ubrydeligt bånd.
Jeg glæder mig til at læse næste bog i serien.

[Marty Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Great Book

I was drawn into the lives of each character right from the start. This book gives an interesting and gritty look at the life of the women who went into the ship yards and picked up the torch for the men who went to war. It also gave a true to life look at how these women coped with their men being gone for so long and very sporadic communication. I'm ready for the next book in this series!

[Stephii-Dawne Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? It has made me feel every emotion known to man. Nancy Revell has a beautiful knack of making the characters come to life. I have especially loved following Polly and Rosie's stories. They've had me hooked from the beginning, and now I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! I truly was drawn into this book, felt as if I was there. I just hope the rest of the series is as enthralling!

[Tricia Toney · Rating 3 out of 5]

During WW2, several women worked at the shipyards in order to help with the war effort. A group of women come together as welders and become friends. Polly is falling in love with Tommy, who is a diver but their love is tested. Gloria has a deeply unhappy marriage and sees the shipyards as an escape. Rosie is a supervisor by day and has a secret profession at night. They all get through adversity together.

[Jessica Parry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy books that cover life during WW2 and this was a different interesting story for me about the part women played in the shipyards. A very good read about life for 3 women in particular and how they coped with all the various aspects of their lives at this difficult time. There are also 2 more in the series and enjoyed them all

[Christine Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous insight into the hard work and struggles that these women suffered during the war.

I will be going straight on to read the next book in this series. The writer brings the story to life so well that you feel as if you actually know the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to escape into a good book.

[MRS CHRISTINE SITTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl power!

A really fascinating story of which I knew nothing about. The determination of a group of women to support the war effort was brilliant. Felt as if you knew all the characters with lives ups and downs. Have loaded my kindle with all the series and can't wait to start on the second.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series

I came across this series by chance, love reading about all the characters, once you start reading it becomes addictive. The attention to detail makes you want to visit the area. This is the last book just now, can't wait until October for the next book!.

[Karen G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which highlights another one of the critical roles that women in England played in WWII. It also informs the reader of some of the other restrictions women found themselves under simply because they are women and/or married women. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Amanda Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read book no 7 first! so it was great to start from the beginning and find some of the back stories, Rosie's horrible uncle and why she is working as a prostitute, and Gloria's history with Jack as ever a great insight to some of Sunderland's history—going to try and get hold of all the other books now.

[Lucie Aran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hodnocení: 4,5/5 ✩
Příběh holek z loděnice, mě vtáhl už od prvních stránek a nepustil, až do samotného konce. Je to fiktivní příběh několika silných a odhodlaných žen, které v Anglii za druhé světové války, zatímco muži bojovali, zaujaly jejich místa, jako svářečky v lodních docích. A že to mnohdy neměly snadné. Ať už v profesním životě, nebo tom osobním.

Jak příběh postupně plyne, seznamujeme se s osudem každé z nich, a že je velice snadné, si jednotlivé z žen oblíbit. Vše propojuje jejich pevné přátelství, odvaha a odhodlání. Nechybí však ani láska, ať už klasická, mateřská, nebo ta sesterská, romantika, boj o přežití, naděje či důvěra. Je to příběh, který pohladí, má spád, a příjemně plyne bez sebemenšího zaškobrtnutí. Kniha, která dodá vnitřní pocit naděje.

I přes to, že klasické válečné knihy moc nečtu, příběhům jako tento, nikdy neřeknu ne. A že rozhodně patří k těm lepším. Jediné, co mě mrzí je, že do češtiny nejsou přeloženy i ostatní díly. Autorka píše velice čtivě, a tak není divu, že by mě zajímalo i pokračování příběhů jednotlivých holek z loděnice.

[Maria K. Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it!

I purchased this book by accident while clicking in and out of various suggested reads. I am glad I did for it was great lunchtime reading. I was drawn in by the storyline of friendship and family woven throughout the book.

[c m bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

WOW what those women and men went through is unbelievable. It's great to read all about it and with your beautifully written work enter another world. Please keep writing. Your words bring these women to life.