The Candle Factory Girl

Banbury Street #1

by Tania Crosse

1930's London - A backstreet saga full of hopes, dreams and the fight for survival. Perfect for the fans of Rosie Clarke and Lindsey Hutchinson.

Work at Price's Candle Factory in Battersea is tedious for intelligent, seventeen-year-old Hillie Hardwick, but she knows she is lucky to have a job at all.

Her home life is no better, as she constantly battles with her exacting and bullying father in order to protect her mother and five younger siblings from his abuse.

Her only solace is her loving relationship with the chaotic Parker family and her best friend, Gert Parker.

When matters violently escalate for Hillie, smitten Jack-the-Lad Jimmy Baxter seems her only salvation.

But could this be the biggest mistake of her life, and should she be looking for protection nearer home?

A story that crackles with unease where courage and friendship are the only hope.

Genres: Historical Fiction

538 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2018

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Beautiful insight into the 30s

 The Candle Factory Girl is a beautifully written historical Saga.

I adore reading historical stories set in the 30s life was so much different then.

We meet Hillie a young women setting out to work in the Candle Factory.
Her father however is an evil and Minipulative beast who bullies Hillie all the time.

Hillie gets the attention from Jimmy who also works at the factory doing the deliveries. He has a reputation as a ladies man. But he also has a big soft spot for Hillie. 
He is well aware of how her dad treats her and he knows he has to tread carefully if he wants to get to know her.

Can Jimmy truly save Hillie from her abusive life at home. Or will it only end in disaster and upset?

Hillie's  best friend was Gert. They were literally born together. Best Friends since birth. I loved their bond together.
Gert's family is everything Hillie's isn't. Warm and loving. Even with no money they welcome Hillie into their family.

Hillie is head strong, determined and protective. She only wants the best for her mother and siblings as she tries to protect them from her father.

You see her father was always a stern man with abusive tendencies. But after being made sergeant in the army he came out 10xs worse. Expecting his family to obey as his soldiers did.

The Candle Factory Girl is a beautiful comming of age story.
Tania gives the reader a fantastic glimpse into what it was like for women in the 30s.
This is a great Saga that packs so much emotion and passion into it that you are swept away, wishing a better life for Hillie as her character gets under your skin.

If you enjoy historical Sagas then this one is for you. A great story for the Year of the Women!

Thank you to Aria for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

For more info plus a Guest Post & my review check out my Blog:

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Jo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely distraction, I actually only popped it in because it’s due to disappear from being included with audible soon, and I generally needed something not to concentrate to heavily on. So it was a welcome surprise to be fully immersed in 1930’s London with all the trials and tribulations of the time, family dramas, love and friendship. Lovely!

Beautifully narration 🎧

Included with audible until July 1st

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I really enjoyed this book, it has some great characters and I loved the setting!

The author really takes you in to the story with her writing style and I found myself savouring every page. I am a massive lover of historical fiction and this period is one of my favourites and the author has written a great book for this era and genre.

It is an easy book to read that I found myself reading very quickly as I didn't want to put it down without reading just one more page...

Four stars from me - a lovely book to read!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book i have loved reading about Hillie and her family of how they struggled with a bully for a father.If you want a good book to read then get this as it draws you in from first page to the last.well worth 5*

[Kathy E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and the plot was interesting. Hillie was particularly an interesting character especially the way she stood up to her brutal father. Her friend Gert was a character you could Love and especially Gert's mum Eva and the whole Parker family.. This book reminded me of Kitty Neale books and was an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Candle Factory Girl is the newest novel by Tania Crosse. The story opens in Battersea in June 1931. Hillie Hardwick is seventeen years old and works in the candle packing department of Price’s Soap and Candle Factory. Hillie is an intelligent young woman, but her father would not let her continue with her schooling. Harold Hardwick is a brute and a bully who makes life miserable for his wife and five children. He is particularly abuse towards his wife, Nell and Hillie (physical and mental abuse). Hillie is even forced to turn her paycheck over to him each week. The one bright spot in Hillie’s life is her friend, Gert Parker and her extended family. The Parker family and their home is a refuge filled with love, comfort and kindness. One day Jimmy Baxter, who works in deliveries, starts flirting with Hillie. They begin spending time together behind her father’s back. When Harold becomes violent with Hillie, Jimmy offers her a way out. Will Hillie regret her decision? What does the future hold for Hillie?

The Candle Factory Girl has nice writing and a slower pacing which suits the book. It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the story. Once I drawn into Hillie’s story, I was hooked. While Hillie was the main focus of the book, we also get the stories of her friends Gert, Jessica, Belinda. I thought Tania Crosse captured the era, locale and lifestyle. Her portrayal of the working class was realistic. People lived paycheck to paycheck in shabby dwellings with little pay and little food. However, there were bright spots in their lives with their friends, family, the local park, free concerts, etc. Hillie was a strong, smart female character. I enjoyed her friendships and the closeness she shared with her siblings. All the characters are genuine and believable. They had real problems, heartache and struggles. I could picture the scenes in my head while reading The Candle Factory Girl. The story has a feel-good ending and all the storylines were nicely wrapped up. The book does contain British slang that was true to the 1930s and there is some foul language along with the abuse. The Candle Factory Girl is my favorite book by Tania Crosse.

[Sarah Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably something my Nan would read, however I thought I’d try the audiobook as it was free. I really liked the detail and the characters, but my god it made me feel a bit depressed and sad at times. Whilst the plot was very predictable, the narrator was brilliant.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and the plot was interesting and engaging. Highly recommended.

[Pat Langhelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it look forward to reading more from this author x

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

Pros:

- Strong female friendships. Hillie has lots of girl friends and they're all so close and always have each other's backs.

- It's a decent coming of age story. The characters make mistakes, get tangled in false starts, and finally find their way in the end.


Cons:

- Terrible writing. It's amateurish and awkward, and with an overuse of exclamation marks.

- The dialogue is horrific. It's full of info-dumps and is generally just cringy and unrealistic.

- I wanted more of the candle factory and the girls' jobs. Instead, the story focuses on their love lives.

- The characters are so stereotypical and cliche. Hillie is a special snowflake who can do no wrong, who's the prettiest of all the girls, and who's loved by everyone. Jimmy, the hero, is also annoying, and he's the stereotypical bad boy who's smitten with Hillie because she's the only girl to refuse his advances and because she's the smartest and most beautiful of all the other girls.

- The romance between Jimmy and Hillie is extremely inconsistent. One minute Hillie's set on their future and busy kissing Jimmy, and the next she's trying to decide if she loves him. UGH.

- Jimmy and Hillie's marriage is so problematic. She's hesitant about having sex for the first time and is clearly uncomfortable when Jimmy makes a move, but she makes herself to endure it because it's what "a proper wife must do." More than once, she's uncomfortable with sleeping with her husband and with him undressing her, but she stays silent and lets him to what he wants with her. That's not healthy! You need to talk to your partner, you need to talk....Hillie and Jimmy never do that. Marriage is not a one-sided show - and nor is sex - that's ruled by one person's desires and needs. It goes both ways.

- The book's ending is so predictable and convenient.



How many of you have watched the TV series Land Girls? If you're a fan of that, I think you'll love this book. Otherwise it's not worth reading.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but it really needed another edit. Hillie's got a lousy life and marriage to Jimmy is not going to solve things. I know this is set in the 1930s when conditions for women were in many cases pretty rotten but this just didn't ring true for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I've enjoyed Crosse in the past and expect I will again.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always look forward to a Tania Crosse novel knowing it's going to be packed with lots of detail and a fabulous storyline, and this one fulfilled all expectations.

Hillie is the eldest of six and as well as holding down a full time job in Price's Candles where she is on her feet all day, she does her best to take the strain from her mother at home and protect her from her bully of a husband. He seems to take great delight in setting his wrath on Hillie and her mother, often resorting to physical violence to get his way. Hillie has dreams of getting away, but would never leave her beloved mother to deal with her tyrant of a husband on her own.

This is a wonderful saga, encompassing so much more than the Hardwick family and yet totally centred on them all. We follow Hillie through the highs and lows of her young life and the trying times she has to face. Skillfully written, as always, the author has conjured a terrific tale of fortitude in the face of adversity and, in my opinion, this is her best book yet. I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending this one as a truly great read.

My thanks to publishers Aria for pre-approving my requests via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life was hard in 1930s England for most people. During 'the depression', women had little or no say in their lives, forced into domestic drudgery or menial factory jobs, paying less than men and with few prospects.
Hillie Hardwick is a young woman, she works in the Candle Factory with her best friend Gert Parker, and hands over most of her wages to her father to help support their large family. Money is tight, and her home life is far from idyllic, Hillie's father is abusive, and Hillie seeks solace with Gert's family who financially are no better off than the Hardwicks but happy. The tone of this story realistically reflects the period, full of angst,  despair and hardship, which will not be the everyone's reading tastes. 
Jimmy offers Hillie a lifeline to a better life but is she moving in the right direction or following a different path to the same disastrous end? Romance, friendship and mystery are all explored in this saga. Abusive behaviour and crime also feature and the last few chapters are sinister and action-packed, Hillie's life is in turmoil and changes irrevocably.
Intrinsic historical detail brings the story to life, but you do spend a lot of time in Hillie's head which does slow the story's pacing and makes it daunting to read in parts. Overall, if family sagas that showcase the best and worst of life, full of realistic but often mundane events are your thing, this will be an enjoyable read. The ending is lovely and romantic and gives Hillie the type of life she deserves.
I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting for the book is Price's Candle Factory in 1930's London. One of the girls who works there is Hillie Hardwick, a seventeen-year-old who works long hours only to hand over her paycheck to a violent and cruel father. By her side at all times is best friend Gert Parker who was born just a few days apart from Hillie. Their mothers are best friends and the two girls, who grew up together have a tight bond.

Hillie's father is an ex-army sergeant. He rules his family with a rod of iron and expects the house to be pristine at all times. If things are not as he pleases, Hillie and her mother pay the price.

Times are hard, the family face extreme poverty but Hillie stands up to her father's rants and helps her mother out any way that she can. When Jimmy Baxter starts to show an interest in Hillie, she knows that her father would never approve and turns him down flat. However, Jimmy's cheeky humour soon wins Hillie over and a secret romance develops.

Hillie was an amazing character, she stood up to her father when it would be easier to just say nothing. The friendship between Hillie and Girt was so precious and I loved the fact that the Parker family were the exact opposite of the Hardwicks..loving, carefree and united.

I loved Hillie's story, the characters were all well rounded and believable (unfortunately even Hillie's father Harold) and the story had a solid flow.

For anyone who loves a great historical family saga.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

[Mrsk Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tania Crosse has captured the essence of Depression Era London in her novel The Candle Factory Girl. This was a time when youth were expected to leave school at 14 years old and start earning money to turn over to their family. Factory working conditions were often poor, long hours of monotonous manual labour and only Sundays off were the norm. Yet, one was glad to have a job when so many others did not. Married women stayed at home and worked like drudges to maintain a clean house, raise large families and prepare hearty meals on a strict budget. Men worked hard for the money, and hid behind their newspapers or at the pub after supper.

This novel has the added creep factor of a miserable father who treated his eldest daughter like dirt, by emotionally, verbally and physically abusing her. He treated his wife even more poorly by adding sexual abuse into his list of misdeeds. Trials and tribulations are many in the life of the candle factory girl, including getting caught up in illegal activities yet love conquers all and everyone (who deserves to) lives happily ever after.

A fun read.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a time where women and girls did not have much say in their lives. It was acceptable to leave school at 14 and go to work. And that is what Hillie did. Much to her own dismay. She works and must turn her paycheck over to her father, who in turn physically and verbally abuses her on a daily basis as well as her mum.

Hillie doesn't understand why her father does this. Why he hates her so much. She just wants out. And in her desperation she makes a choice she may later come to regret.

This story of families, secrets, hardship and life in the 30's was a little sad, but ultimately seeing Hillie free herself allows other girls to stand up to their overbearing parents and grab the life and love that they want.

Good, Solid story!

[Faith Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read from this author and I can say that I'm loving these books more and more. They are set in the 1930's and the detail is so rich you almost feel that you are living with Hillie and Gert in a street fully furnished with friends and one or two that you'd prefer not to be friends with!
It's a story filled with emotion and the relationships in Hillies' life, from the love for her family to the brutality of her father will pull at your heartstrings from the outset. In saying that, it's also a coming of age saga and Hillie is a strong, relateable character, I was rooting for her all the way - I was not disappointed in the end. I closed this book with the feeling that everything was as it should be and look forward to the next great read from Ms Crosse.

[Yves Donlon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of a young woman's struggles in a poverty-stricken life, battling with an abusive father, a mother with secrets, and the difficulties of romance.

I personally didn't enjoy this book. I found Hilly Hardwick to be a little frustrating in her perfection throughout. She seemed a little flat, a tad one-dimensional for me. I'm someone who enjoys a character one can sink their teeth into; she was not that. I also found some of the dialogue a little bit clunky and unrealistic.

That being said, there were some wonderful examples of prose and description in this book. Perhaps it simply wasn't for me.

[Linn Halton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engaging read!

Life was hard in the 1930’s and particularly so for many women who had to fight to have their voices heard, often to no avail.

As with Hillie, many wives and daughters were subjected to cruel, controlling men from whom there seemed no escape. Often, they swapped one misery, for another.

But there were also fun times and it was lovely to step back into another era for a while. One to curl up with on a cold, winters day to escape!

[Andie Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping, and at times, gritty tale of one young woman's life in 1930's Battersea. Tania writes with passion and creates an incredible prose that had me fully absorbed and turning pages into the wee hours of the night. I fell in love with Hillie, her tragic life, and her will to keep moving on. Highly recommended! Can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Street of Broken Dreams, which was just shortlisted for an RNA award.

[Eowynselixure_book Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. Hillie was an enjoyable main character, you felt for her and identified with her. Her Dad was a fantastic villain and the plot was fast and exciting.

I think we can all identify with making bad life choices under duress and Hillie suffers from several such decisions but she really has no choice.

The author really immersed the reader in the setting and time of the story and I was sorry to finish this one.

[jayne hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

One girl/woman who's live is about survial

When Hillie though she found love in Jimmy but it was a way for her to escape her brute off a father but in the end she lost both to death and kit a childhood friend became a true friend in the end

[Jennsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a young girl who works at w candle factory and who has a violent father. There is a love triangle and issues arise with one of the men. There are other friends as well in the novel who start their own lives with romance. I enjoyed the story, but it was predictable.

[Marilyn Bolger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all Tanias books

[Ruth Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good audio book best one other books now to read Ambulance girl

[Sharlene Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story easy to follow enjoyed the characters within the story

[Jan Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resiliance

The characters are all so real. I loved the main character who had more than her share of troubles. Nice story

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn’t put it down

It was a brilliant story, couldn’t put the book down. Very captivating and didn’t know what was going to happened nexy

[Diane Edbauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Candle Factory Girl By Tania Crosse is a historical novel about a family in a town outside of London in the 1930s. I enjoyed this historical novel because of it's vivid description of life in this war and depression era. Hillie Hardwick, the protagonist shows unyielding strength despite of the adversity in her life. I admired her character.
I did not like the dialect used in this book. Perhaps the book needed another editing, I do not know.
I found many errors in tenses of words which I found distracting. Overall The Candle Factory is an excellent story and I endorse this book. Thank you Netgalley for sharing this book with me

[RedRobinXXX · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reviewing this book for Tania Crosse, Aria,, and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
Set during the depression, this highlights how hard life was for the women. This book focusses on candle maker Hillie and her relationship at work, at home with her father and with her new love.