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The Night Raid
Nottingham, WW2. War Artist Dame Laura Knight is commissioned to go back to her birthplace to paint propaganda portraits of factory girls. But her return home unleashes memories she has spent half a lifetime trying to forget.
Two munitions workers, Violet Smith and Zelah Fitzlord are bound to Laura in ways they don't yet know.
All three women have something to hide; will the night shift keep their secrets, or will the past explode into the present and change their lives forever?
Two munitions workers, Violet Smith and Zelah Fitzlord are bound to Laura in ways they don't yet know.
All three women have something to hide; will the night shift keep their secrets, or will the past explode into the present and change their lives forever?
420 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2017
9 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Clare Harvey
5 books83 followersI was born in Devon but grew up in Mauritius and Surrey. As the trailing spouse of a serving soldier I spent a large part of married life shuttling between postings. I've worked variously as a freelance journalist, radio reporter, English teacher and PR consultant in Northern Ireland, Germany, Nepal and England. I'm now settled with my family in Nottingham.
I wrote my debut, The Gunner Girl, whilst my husband was on operations with the British Army in Afghanistan. The Gunner Girl won both the Exeter Novel Prize and the Joan Hessayon Award for new fiction. Since then I've written The English Agent, The Night Raid, and The Escape.
All my books are available in paperback, e-book, large print, and audio.
You can contact me here, but also via my author page on Facebook, on Twitter @ClareHarveyauth or via my website http://clareharvey.net.
Would love to hear from you!
Cx
I wrote my debut, The Gunner Girl, whilst my husband was on operations with the British Army in Afghanistan. The Gunner Girl won both the Exeter Novel Prize and the Joan Hessayon Award for new fiction. Since then I've written The English Agent, The Night Raid, and The Escape.
All my books are available in paperback, e-book, large print, and audio.
You can contact me here, but also via my author page on Facebook, on Twitter @ClareHarveyauth or via my website http://clareharvey.net.
Would love to hear from you!
Cx
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 14, 2025
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If you are a fan of drama, history, romance, World War II related books, heartwarming read and words that will make you laugh and cry at the same time - The Night Raid from Clare Harvey is the perfect book for you.
In the time of the World War II, in a factory in England, women work their way to earn a bit of money for themselves and their families. All of these women have their own stories and their own secrets.
When a woman comes to the factory to paint the ladies working the night shift, a lot of secrets will be revealed. The stories of love, broken hearts, never-haves, hopes and dreams for the future will be painted on that canvas.
Full with passion, mystery, warmness and moments that will stay with you forever, Clare Harvey captures all of these and more in this amazing book.
She describes the characters in a unique way, she gives them life and meaning, and in a page or two you will already be inside their world, going through their happiness and pain.
This book was quite fast paced - in the meaning of - the story goes on smoothly, and there aren’t any sideway streets where you can get lost into. It was easy to keep track of what is happening from the very first beginning and easy to stay on track as well.
Clare managed to capture the World War II period in England quite well. I would never know how it was then, of course, but by reading the book, I could find myself being there, stuck in that time, stuck with those principles that we don’t believe in now. Stuck in a time where people believed that if a woman becomes pregnant during her working time, she has to either give up the baby, or live in a house full of other women that ended up the same way as her. Stuck in a time where gender equality is not a thing, and how could it be?
I would definitely recommend this book to every one of you, because it is a perfect blend of history and romance, of sadness and happiness, and of such powerful women that fought against all odds to survive and achieve in what they believed in!
If you are a fan of drama, history, romance, World War II related books, heartwarming read and words that will make you laugh and cry at the same time - The Night Raid from Clare Harvey is the perfect book for you.
In the time of the World War II, in a factory in England, women work their way to earn a bit of money for themselves and their families. All of these women have their own stories and their own secrets.
When a woman comes to the factory to paint the ladies working the night shift, a lot of secrets will be revealed. The stories of love, broken hearts, never-haves, hopes and dreams for the future will be painted on that canvas.
Full with passion, mystery, warmness and moments that will stay with you forever, Clare Harvey captures all of these and more in this amazing book.
She describes the characters in a unique way, she gives them life and meaning, and in a page or two you will already be inside their world, going through their happiness and pain.
This book was quite fast paced - in the meaning of - the story goes on smoothly, and there aren’t any sideway streets where you can get lost into. It was easy to keep track of what is happening from the very first beginning and easy to stay on track as well.
Clare managed to capture the World War II period in England quite well. I would never know how it was then, of course, but by reading the book, I could find myself being there, stuck in that time, stuck with those principles that we don’t believe in now. Stuck in a time where people believed that if a woman becomes pregnant during her working time, she has to either give up the baby, or live in a house full of other women that ended up the same way as her. Stuck in a time where gender equality is not a thing, and how could it be?
I would definitely recommend this book to every one of you, because it is a perfect blend of history and romance, of sadness and happiness, and of such powerful women that fought against all odds to survive and achieve in what they believed in!
March 10, 2022
It took me a very long time to finish reading this book. For some reason it just didn't seem to hold my attention. It was fictional but featured a real artist though her back story was not really based on fact. The other main characters were George, Zelah and Violet. Only Zelah came across as being "good" or "likeable ". All three work at a factory in Nottingham that is involved with war work. The title gives the reader a heads up that something bad is likely to happen. The author makes it clear how dreary the situation was especially for women and how judgemental society was to women pregnant outside of marriage. Towards the end I enjoyed the book more and I did some googling afterwards to learn more about Dame Laura Knight, the artist who was supposedly commissioned to paint at the factory.
February 12, 2020
I was interested in this book because it referred to Laura Knight, the renowned Nottingham artist, and as I live there, I wrote about her for the local Talking Newspaper for the Blind! I certainly enjoyed reading about the factory girls, especially the one who had a very unwanted pregnancy.
Recommended
Recommended
March 5, 2018
Great read!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this extremely heart-warming book.
The base of the story is the armament factory during World War II and the girls who work there - such wonderful believable characters - I was sorry to reach the end!!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this extremely heart-warming book.
The base of the story is the armament factory during World War II and the girls who work there - such wonderful believable characters - I was sorry to reach the end!!!
October 1, 2023
This book is sooooo underrated. It has everything a classic historical book needs. But I don't know why it hasn't reached yet. Except for the irregular information provided by the protagonist, everything is soooo good
January 24, 2018
Another great read from Clare Harvey. The links between the characters was intriguing but present throughout the story with a surprising twist at the end.
May 22, 2018
i won a copy of this book in the good reads giveaway, i really enjoyed it, i don't normally go for books about the war, but was surprised how much i really enjoyed it even if it did break my heart
April 12, 2018
I wish I had liked this more, it is a great little love letter to Nottingham and I have learnt a few things about my home but honestly found the story and style quite dull... sorry!
May 1, 2018
Pretty decent historical novel, considering I'd never heard of the author and randomly picked it up off the shelf at the library. A few historical errors in turns of phrase but nothing too bad.
September 6, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so I read it straight through forgoing a few hours sleep to complete it. Clare has a knack for bringing her characters to life, and sharing the ups and downs of an ordinary life in extraordinary times.
October 7, 2018
Lovely book. Takes you back and I even learnt a little history along the way.
May 13, 2018
A while ago I posted on my blog a guest post from Clare Harvey about The Night Raid and its historical elements. The novel is inspired by the real-life Dame Laura Knight, a well-known artist at the time of WWII (see the 17 December 2017 post on https://jennieensor.com), but many of the incidents described are imagined. So I began reading The Night Raid with interest when I received a copy from the author a few months ago. My review is entirely voluntary though somewhat delayed owing to my habit of a. reading several books at once, b. a trip to Africa and c. receiving a contract to publish my second novel.
Anyway, back to the book in hand – in short, I found The Night Raid a wonderfully satisfying read. Ms Harvey has succeeded in creating authentic, memorable characters within an engaging story - and her writing is stunning. Richly detailed prose stirs the senses and brings the period settings to life – fittingly, much of the description feels like it is through an artist’s eyes.
Artist dame Laura arrives in her home city of Nottingham to paint a gun factory to help bolster civilian morale and ends up painting two of the factory workers, Zelah and Violet. Both work in the factory under their boss, George Handford. The oppressive atmosphere of the factory is powerfully conveyed, becoming an almost malevolent force.
All four point-of-view characters are affected by the war in various ways; they all face dilemmas in the present that arise from their pasts. Zelah, the welfare officer running from the pain of losing her wartime love, is the character I identified with the most.
"Once she starts here she’ll become part of the machinery itself, Zelah thinks, a fleshy cog in the factory, not a real person at all.
It is perfect."
I particularly enjoyed the changing relationship Zelah has with fellow worker Violet, a feisty, no-nonsense girl who ‘gets into trouble’ after an impulsive night with an airman. The novel highlights very well society’s even-less-tolerant attitude to unmarried mothers in those days, and the hardships that women suffered as a result. Violet’s quiet desperation after becoming pregnant got me rooting for her; she is practical and tough but also vulnerable.
Violet’s plight is contrasted with Zelah’s restrained approach to life and love. Believing her love life over, she is reluctantly attracted to her boss George Handford (who has a stern reputation but is in fact turns out to be relatively liberal as a boss, letting Zelah set up a creche for women workers). Misunderstandings between Zelah and Mr Handford ramp up the drama, and Laura is forced to examine her marriage to fellow artist Harold, an older man, once the more successful of the pair. Laura’s journey to the discovering the truths of the past is subtly handled. Then there’s a life-changing crisis for all the characters with the (imagined) German attack on the gun factory... (I was startled and a bit upset by the abrupt change in Zelah’s situation and had to skip ahead to see if what I thought happened actually had.)
Be warned this is not a light, feel-good read, though it certainly is an absorbing one. It has serious themes, such as the need to be true to oneself versus the duty to conform to social expectations. Love, loss, the vagaries of fate and circumstance – all are woven into The Night Raid. The war exacts its price on all the novel’s characters. As Zelah observes: "The war is a sharpened blade, with love on one side and tragedy on the other, and all of us just balanced on the slim edge in between."
Anyway, back to the book in hand – in short, I found The Night Raid a wonderfully satisfying read. Ms Harvey has succeeded in creating authentic, memorable characters within an engaging story - and her writing is stunning. Richly detailed prose stirs the senses and brings the period settings to life – fittingly, much of the description feels like it is through an artist’s eyes.
Artist dame Laura arrives in her home city of Nottingham to paint a gun factory to help bolster civilian morale and ends up painting two of the factory workers, Zelah and Violet. Both work in the factory under their boss, George Handford. The oppressive atmosphere of the factory is powerfully conveyed, becoming an almost malevolent force.
All four point-of-view characters are affected by the war in various ways; they all face dilemmas in the present that arise from their pasts. Zelah, the welfare officer running from the pain of losing her wartime love, is the character I identified with the most.
"Once she starts here she’ll become part of the machinery itself, Zelah thinks, a fleshy cog in the factory, not a real person at all.
It is perfect."
I particularly enjoyed the changing relationship Zelah has with fellow worker Violet, a feisty, no-nonsense girl who ‘gets into trouble’ after an impulsive night with an airman. The novel highlights very well society’s even-less-tolerant attitude to unmarried mothers in those days, and the hardships that women suffered as a result. Violet’s quiet desperation after becoming pregnant got me rooting for her; she is practical and tough but also vulnerable.
Violet’s plight is contrasted with Zelah’s restrained approach to life and love. Believing her love life over, she is reluctantly attracted to her boss George Handford (who has a stern reputation but is in fact turns out to be relatively liberal as a boss, letting Zelah set up a creche for women workers). Misunderstandings between Zelah and Mr Handford ramp up the drama, and Laura is forced to examine her marriage to fellow artist Harold, an older man, once the more successful of the pair. Laura’s journey to the discovering the truths of the past is subtly handled. Then there’s a life-changing crisis for all the characters with the (imagined) German attack on the gun factory... (I was startled and a bit upset by the abrupt change in Zelah’s situation and had to skip ahead to see if what I thought happened actually had.)
Be warned this is not a light, feel-good read, though it certainly is an absorbing one. It has serious themes, such as the need to be true to oneself versus the duty to conform to social expectations. Love, loss, the vagaries of fate and circumstance – all are woven into The Night Raid. The war exacts its price on all the novel’s characters. As Zelah observes: "The war is a sharpened blade, with love on one side and tragedy on the other, and all of us just balanced on the slim edge in between."
September 12, 2019
The Night Raid
At first when I began to read this book,I wasn't sure it was the book for me.However as I read on,it became more and more interesting when the main character's emerged together.This book is so different from the other WW2 books I've read,but is a beautiful story and well worth reading.
At first when I began to read this book,I wasn't sure it was the book for me.However as I read on,it became more and more interesting when the main character's emerged together.This book is so different from the other WW2 books I've read,but is a beautiful story and well worth reading.
September 8, 2018
I love this type of war time fiction so this is an ideal book, was not the ending I was expecting and as usual with this author she leaves you wondering what next, what happened to the characters which I hate but I love!
December 26, 2022
Absolutely beautiful, heart-breaking but... pretty much perfect.
May 19, 2018
Brilliant read. Will now read Clare's other books when I can find them
January 1, 2019
Absolutely wonderful story. I loved all of the characters. I liked George in particular. I am looking forward to reading the other stories as well.
April 20, 2019
I liked it overall, a nice read. I felt I didn’t really connect with any of the characters - so many viewpoints to follow it was perhaps a bit disjointed for me. I liked the writing, and maybe as it’s set in an area I know and is fairly local I maybe recalled that fondness and enjoyed it being represented in this book. The first half of the book was definitely better than the second for me as I felt it rushed through some pretty major events.
I think the romance was rushed, with no real passion or sense of love which is a shame as the characters had such great potential to be engaging.
It was lovely to read the local dialect. I’d like to read more by the author.
I think the romance was rushed, with no real passion or sense of love which is a shame as the characters had such great potential to be engaging.
It was lovely to read the local dialect. I’d like to read more by the author.
April 30, 2021
I’m enjoying discovering new authors. New to me anyway. Clare Harvey has captured so well the snapshot of war where women working in factories try to capture some semblance of a life they might dream of, but seems to escape them.
All the characters in this story are exquisitely portrayed. Laura the war artist, Violet the girl escaping the mundane home life, Zelah working to forget the bomb that killed her boyfriend and George grieving his loss and escaping into work.
This story is a revelation of 3 months in their lives and I was drawn into their lives via the beautiful prose and descriptive sense of place.
All the characters in this story are exquisitely portrayed. Laura the war artist, Violet the girl escaping the mundane home life, Zelah working to forget the bomb that killed her boyfriend and George grieving his loss and escaping into work.
This story is a revelation of 3 months in their lives and I was drawn into their lives via the beautiful prose and descriptive sense of place.
March 15, 2018
(Goodreads Giveaway Win)
Meh. This book was okay. Nothing special. George and Zelah's romance seemed forced, and her death was pointless. It felt like Clare Harvey was just trying to shock and upset, but since I didn't really care for any of the characters, it wasn't a big deal. The timing was annoying too as there wasn't really the chance to see how her relationship with Laura could have developed.
Meh. This book was okay. Nothing special. George and Zelah's romance seemed forced, and her death was pointless. It felt like Clare Harvey was just trying to shock and upset, but since I didn't really care for any of the characters, it wasn't a big deal. The timing was annoying too as there wasn't really the chance to see how her relationship with Laura could have developed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2018
I thought this book should tick all the boxes for me, since it is a mix of ww2, romance and UK, but it didn’t work out. The author didn’t catch me and still 150 pages in the book I’m still waiting for the catch. I read The English Agent from the same author and it gave me the same feeling. We don’t get along. I don’t feel for the characters. I don’t think the story has any plot or pace. I can’t see why I should finish this book. How could it go so wrong considering all the ingredients???
June 13, 2024
Not my normal read but once started couldn’t put it down.
The stories of dame Laura and Howard knight, zelah and violet following the commissioning of portraits, a love story of second chance with George and how single mothers were viewed.
Heartwarming, well written story with lots of twists.
The stories of dame Laura and Howard knight, zelah and violet following the commissioning of portraits, a love story of second chance with George and how single mothers were viewed.
Heartwarming, well written story with lots of twists.
December 27, 2017
Love these books normally but was a bit slow going for me.
February 26, 2018
good book but found bit off putting withe constant change of which character we were following.
May 14, 2018
Interesting take on the artist Dame Laura Knight. Not a bad read but perhaps a few too many POVs for it to work as it might.
January 2, 2019
A good read, intespersing a real life charater into the story but very plausibly and the story is well told,
October 1, 2019
I thought there would be more about Laura Knight and her work in this novel but it is really just a pleasant-enough saga, not particularly memorable. Some annoying historical errors.
October 20, 2019
Absolutely awful book which was such a shame as Clare Harvey’s previous book Gunner girls was very good
This was slow and I found the book hard going and I did not care for any of the characters
This was slow and I found the book hard going and I did not care for any of the characters
February 12, 2020
Not up to her other stories, I found it very bitty, moving from one person to another
May 10, 2020
Too predictable and feel I've read too many books with same theme. Skipped pages and didnt miss out on anything.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews