Hattie's Home

by Mary Gibson

Hattie, a rising star in the ATS, finds herself relegated to the factory floor on her return from the war. Her work mates are unforgiving at Hattie's attempt to raise herself up and she is soon ostracised. After journeying across the world to Australia to marry her beloved, Clara is betrayed and returns penniless, homeless and trying to raise a child in the face of prejudice. Lou, a war widow, has lost more than most in the war. Her daughter and parents are dead, killed in a bomb blast on an air raid shelter.

These women will forge a lifelong bond to overcome crippling grief, harsh prejudice and post-war deprivation to find hope in a better tomorrow for themselves and their children.

Genres: Historical Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2018

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

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Loved every minute of reading this Heart Warming, Poignant Book!

Hattie's Home is a passionate, heart warming story of three very different young ladies struggling with the aftermath of the war in Bermondsey.
As they come together and form a friendship as they battle with life, work, tragedy, heartache, grief, mental health, prejudice and family dramas.

First of all we meet Hattie. She is fiercely strong.
After being in the ATS ( The Auxiliary Territorial Service- the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War) She is no longer needed.
She comes home to Bermondsey to help look after her mother when she finds out her vision is impaired.
But when she gets home her mother is entertaining her new fella, a Polish man who lives downstairs and completely forgets she is coming.
The house her mum lives in has alot of war damage and the other residents had to move out when the living conditions got so bad the rats moved in!

Then we meet Clara, sweet endearing Clara.
Clara comes home with her baby girl Martha.
Now you see Clara brings shame and scandal to her parents house after she travels too Australia and falls in love with Barry.
Firstly Barry is Black, secondly Barry is a bigamist. He marries Clara whilst already being married to another women.
Bringing outrage and shame on her parents.

So when Clara travels home to seek refuge with her parents.
Her father and mother make it VERY clear they disowned her and they meant it!
Chucking her and baby Martha out on the streets.

You see Clara' s Father is on the parish council and doesn't condone her behaviour calling her a common slut.
It broke my heart to think such prejudice was shown upon that poor baby.
But that is what it was like in those days and Mary Gibson gives us a realistic insight as to what it was like back then.

Then we go on to meet Lou.
Lou really got under my skin. My heart went out to her.
You see Lou lost her husband during the war.
Then her only daughter Sue and lou's parents were killed when a bomb hit their air raid shelter.
Leaving only Lou and her son Ronnie.
Lou is suffering with mental health through grief and PTSD.
Very very heart breaking.

Mary transported me right into the heart of Bermondsey and the damage, heartache and devastation The war had left behind.
The sights, smells, wreckage, the poverty it was all so real.
Yet what shines through is even in such dark times friendship and the community shines through.
Mary has thoroughly done her research and It really shows. She writes with compassion, emotion and sensitivity.

I want to applaud Mary for writing such a powerful yet thought provoking book.
I simply adore books set in the war.

I also loved Mary's writing style, very easy to follow, it had a nice flow to it, and she never once swayed from the loveable London Cockney accent, which I found was written perfectly!

I used to love reading books and listening to the stories my 99 year old aunt told me. I only wish i had recorded her as she sadly passed away last year just before her 100th birthday. (She was the first Lady firefighter In the war)

So when I came across Hattie's Home a real gem of a book, I was swept away with depth and passion of the three young women and their courage to rebuild their lives. A message of hope, new beginnings and friendships.
It really reminded me of the fabulous Catherine Cookson books it was that good.

If like me you are fascinated by the war times and what life was like back then.
Then this is the book for you.
It truly is a compelling, Passionate, Poignant, heart warming, real portrayal of life after the war that is simply a gem to read.
Highly addictive, blew me away.

This is my first book I have read by Mary Gibson and I can't wait to read more

Thank you to Head of Zeus for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promised myself to take more time out in a day this year and utilise my time better to read. That as well as me not feeling too well lead to quite a bit of reading time this month.
I’m so glad as it’s given me time to read this chunk of a book.

From page to page, from cover to cover this author can sure relate a good story.

My first book by this author although I have another one, unread. I need to read it as I think I’m liking her style!

Maggie Home.

Maggie came home because her Mother needed her, she said her eyesight was failing her.
She couldn’t manage.

Upon Maggie difficult homecoming she finds her Mother doing OK for herself and to boot, she has another fella. Mario.

Maggie, to say, in the least is not happy.

Then we have Clara. She has to return home. When she fell in love with her man who hailed from Australia she boarded a brides boat to be with him. Squashed in with lots of other women.

On arriving her bloke is nowhere to be seen on land. All the other women were greeted but not her.

When she finally tracks him down he has a reasonable excuse.
But he has hidden things from her. He’s already married.
Now Clara and her Baby has to return home. She can’t bear to be anywhere near him.

She turns up at her parents. They don’t want anything to do with her and her “brown” baby. She’s known as a slut.

Clara has nowhere to go.

Then there’s Lou.
She’s lost everything including her sanity in the bomb blasts.

Buster is the guy that’s mingled in with these women.

These women form a friendship.

The resilience the hardworking the sheer determination of survival is paramount within these pages.

I loved how it showed the commendable attitude and empathy that we certainly don’t see as much today.
They say the war brought people together as much as it tore families apart, we can see this within these pages.

I loved the Community spirit. It all was as much heart breaking as equally inspirational.


I received this book from the publishers and enjoyed every word.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and it was absolutely brilliant.
Very well written and narrated. Highly recommended.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the Publisher, Head of Zeus for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Blake from Head of Zeus for organising the blog tour and giving me the opportunity to be part of it.

Hattie’s Home is a standalone book and is based in London shortly after the end of World War II. As the title suggests, Hattie is home after serving 8 years in the ATS throughout World War II. She returns to her home in Bermondsey which is virtually unrecognisable following the Blitz. She manages to get her old job back working in a fur factory, but after finding life unbearable living back with her mother she commandeers some old army huts to live in. She also meets Clara who has recently returned from Australia with her baby daughter. Clara followed her aboriginal soldier sweetheart, Barry there only to find him already married. Once back in Bermondsey, hoping to live with her parents, Clara is distraught to be turned away by them due to her baby being mixed race. She finds herself living in a waterlogged basement in Hattie’s mother’s house and life couldn’t be worse, until she meets Hattie who takes her under her wing.

This was a really good read. I love wartime books, but this one was slightly different as it was set in 1947, a couple of years after the war was over. The country was still ravaged by war with rationing still in place, little or no employment and poor hygiene and housing conditions. London is still trying to rebuild itself following the bombing, and Hattie’s home is still a picture of death and destruction. Despite that, the community spirit shows through in this book with people sticking together through thick and thin, just like I imagined they did during the war years. Hattie is a strong character, although she does show her emotional side. This shows up most when she returns home and is beaten up by a bunch of kids. She thinks that after being in the ATS for so many years that she is able to handle anything, and is shocked by what she experiences and sees.

Clara’s story was handled sensitively and must have definitely been such a taboo subject back in those days. I love the way that Clara never realised that Barry was aboriginal and merely thought he had a suntan, showing the innocence of these young women. Her relationship with her parents when she returned home was very sad when they, particularly her father, refused to acknowledge her or her baby due to the colour of the baby’s skin. Whilst you’d like to think such prejudices were left behind a long time ago, unfortunately I’m sure there are still instances of this today.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book mainly for the refreshing change of being set just after the war and the camaraderie of the community. I also loved the fact that it was delicately balanced between the hardships and horrors of war and the love and friendship of the characters. My first Mary Gibson book, and it definitely won’t be my last! A highly recommended story

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first Mary Gibson book which I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. Hattie’s Home is a great read on so many levels: the friendship of three women, the working lives of Londoners and the sheer hardship which rationing and lack of basic comforts thrust upon the population.

Hattie returns home to Bermondsey after eight years in the army .. eight happy years in which she has grown as a person and really loved her job. Thinking she was returning to help her mother out, she gets a rude awakening. Clara returns home to her family after having sailed to Australia as a service bride – but with a mixed heritage baby her parents close the door on her. Lou has lost her husband, daughter and parents to the war and has suffered so badly that her son is running wild on the streets. As she gives birth again, she asks the midwife to give her new daughter to another family who can look after her better than she can. Finding each other is the salvation of all three women – but life is by no means easy.

I love that this novel takes up where most finish. The poverty endured is almost unbelievable in this day and age. ‘Bambeating’ made me think that Health & Safety would have had a field day! The indomitable spirit of the characters makes this book compulsive reading. I was glued to it as the story played out.

Highly recommended to all those who enjoy a good read and like to learn something at the same time. This book is packed with details which will both entertain and shock!

My thanks to Melanie Price at Head of Zeus for the arc of this novel. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hattie’s Home by Mary Gibson sweeps you back in time to 1947 in Bermondsey, England. Hattie Wright is returning home after serving eight years as a sergeant in the ATS. Hattie received a letter from her mother, Cissie asking her to return because she was “almost blind”. Bermondsey was hit hard by the bombs during the war leaving devastation behind. Many homes were destroyed causing a severe housing shortage. After traveling two days from Belgium to get home and then being attacked by a gang of kids, Hattie discovers her mother is just fine and has a new beau living with her in the one habitable room of their house. Unable to find office work, Hattie returns to the Alaska-a fur factory (thanks to her friend, Buster). While working in the factory, she takes Clara and Lou under her wing. Clara is returning from Australia disgraced and with a child. She has no money and her parents will not welcome her in their home. Clara fell in love with an Australian soldier who was not white and hiding a terrible secret. Lou is a widow with a mischievous (and unruly) son and a new baby. She is grieving the loss of her daughter, Sue who died in the bombings along with her husband. Unable to take living on her mother’s couch, Hattie seeks out a new place to live. She discovers empty army huts that would be habitable with a few improvements. One is occupied by a chemist from the Alaska named Joe. Hattie and others move in to the dwellings, but then Hattie’s ex-fiancé (a dangerous man) decides they want them (and force people to pay rent). He will go to great lengths to get the tenants to vacate. Will the tenants be able to defeat the bullies?

Hattie’s Home is well-written, and I was drawn into the book at the beginning. I thought it was an engaging story. The author captured the city and what it was like after World War II (the devastation—the bombed-out buildings). Rationing was still in effect for many years (on food and clothing) and housing was impossible to find (unless you had deep pockets). The author did her research for the book and incorporated the facts without overwhelming the story (or making it seem like a textbook). I thought Hattie’s Home was realistic. Life was hard for these people, but they had hope, love, family, resilience, determination, community and friendship. The author did not sugar coat the grim realities. I liked how people came together to help each other out (something we do not see today). Hattie was a great main character. She is strong, independent, intelligent and spunky. I liked that Hattie’s Home takes place after the war. It affected each person differently and we get to experience it from different perspectives in Hattie’s Home. The book has a slower pace, but it goes with the story (suits it). I found the children flats program creative and a wonderful way to get the kids off the street where they were wreaking havoc (and getting killed from unexploded ordinances). The ending is heartwarming and will have readers smiling. This was the first book that I have read by Mary Gibson, but it will not be my last.

[Pat Langhelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about the bomb sites in London around Tooley Street Spa Rd were my in laws lived and my hubby who played on the bomb sites X

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

This was a great book that was full of enjoyable characters and wonderful friendships and it was so well written.

The story is about three different women a couple of years after the end of WWII. Hattie was an ATS Clara marries a man who is black (a sin in her family's eyes, as well as much of society) and she is heartbroken to discover that he is already married to her after she has his baby, so she is desperately trying to raise little Martha on her own. Then there is Lou, who is still grieving over the loss of her husband and her daughter and her grief and PTSD prevent her from being the mom she needs to be to her surviving son.

I loved all of these women and how much they were there for each other. These women have to deal with bigotry and sexism and horrible living conditions and they realize how hard it is to start over after the war. I wasn't really feeling the romance part of it, but I loved that this author made these friendships the strongest part of the plot and the romance was just kind of a side note. This was a great book and I highly recommend it.

[Cressi Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this book and literally didn’t want to put it down. Having never read anything by this author I will now be seriously seeking out other novels. The characters draw you in and ya can’t help but get absorbed in the story. Would highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next installment.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's January 1947 and Hattie Wright is a young English woman who has been relieved of her military post as an ATS Sergeant stationed in Belgium for the last five years. After receiving a letter from her Mom, urging her to come home to Bermondsey because she's nearly blind, Hattie complies.
Shocked by the destroyed buildings, beaten up by a gang of unruly kids and finding her Mom with a boyfriend living in the only habitable spot is one room in a house, she knows that crashing on the couch can only last for so long and she hopes she can get a life away from Bermondsey.
Unfortunately, things don't go as planned so Hattie finds herself working back at the Alaska which is a factory that turns furs into clothing, reconnecting with old friends, making a few friends including a woman named Clara who is a new Mother whose parents refuse to help her due having a child with a half colored Australian, trying to stay away from some of the drama that a couple of nosy gals are stirring up and avoiding her ex-fiance as much as possible.
After a month or so, she's fed up with living at her Mom's and decides to find a new place to live. Turned away from all but the most expensive places, not wanting to be put on a two year wait list for prefab, she comes across some abandoned huts that gunners used during the war and figures one wouldn't be so bad with a few improvements. A man named Joe who works as a chemist at the Alaska is already staying in one and grumbles about her being there but eventually learns to be fine with it. She finds herself bringing a small crowd of people to most of the other huts when word spreads and working together, help make the huts habitable.
Just when things start to look up for Hattie and her fellow neighbors, her ex and his family start making trouble because they want to own the huts and force the inhabitants to pay rent. When two huts are burned and a man is seriously injured helping people escape one hut, the people of this small community know that actions need to be taken before things get worse.
It will take the unlikely help of a street smart kid, someone loyal to Clara and staying one step ahead of the family to take care of the issue once and for all.

Equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking, it was such a fascinating book to read. I loved the sense of community, unexpected love, adventure and the power of friendship during the aftermath of World War 2.

This was my first time reading a book by Mary Gibson and I look forward to reading more by her!

[emma morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Another lovely book thankyou Mary, I'm not sure I can wait until next year I may have to read the other books again!!

[Kamla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lead me to do some digging research of my own - This story seemed so real about the 'Huts' - is it that real? Yes it damned well is.

https://thebristolcable.org/2022/09/h...

https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org...

Thank you to Mary Gibson for keeping history alive.
It's a wonderfully told story narrated by Anne Dover, but when you realise this actually happened - it's appalling.

My favourite character was Buster. His terrible persecution late 1940s is heartbreaking. Thank God for the LGBTQ movement now.

I recommend this book - just to show you how it was then. Apart from that, it's a good story with wonderful characters. My elusive 5 stars go to this one xxxxx

[Eileen Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting novel about the aftermath of war in London's Bermondsey.
Although fiction, it goes some way in describing the difficult time of rebuilding lives and infrastructure in this war ravaged city.
The author, a resident of Bermondsey, portrays a vivid account of the area she knows best and what happened when the bombs stopped falling.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Head of Zeus via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Leanne Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an eye-opening novel in the sense that I had no idea how hard it was for Londoners in the early years after WWII. The story captured the desolation, desperation and danger that characterised Bermondsey at the time, as well as the tenacity and faith exhibited by those who took the lead in rebuilding communities. A tough read but very inspiring overall.

[Kathy E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I only give four stars to as it is not the best of Mary Gibson's books. I found the ending very flimsy and could be left open for a sequel. I can relate to the area around where the book is written. I must admit I did enjoy it .

[Jo Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I have now read all 5 of the factory girls books and will miss Bermondsey and all the great characters! I do hope the book that is due out later this year is going to follow in the footsteps of the others and give me another great read!

[Ruth Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed but went onto long for me

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second of Mary Gibson’s books and I love them. This is post WWII London. Such an amazing look at post war Britain.

[Ron Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the continuation of GB and WW II

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[Raluca Damian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story resembling a sunday movie. Nothing special just a romantic and a post WW II story ☺️

[Sharlene Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read of post war Bermondsey

[Alaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story about post war Bermondsey with many interesting characters