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The Outcast Girls
An utterly heartbreaking tale of two young girls, worlds apart, who are thrown together when they have lost everything. Fans of Wives of War, Before We Were Yours and Diney Costeloe will absolutely love this poignant and moving World War Two novel.
England, 1937: After a devastating childhood at Blakely Hall Orphanage, fifteen-year-old Sandra is released. She finds work as a housemaid, finally able to put her past behind her. But the start of World War Two throws the country into turmoil, and her brother Alf is sent away to fight, leaving her completely alone.
Germany, 1939: Eleven-year-old Frieda is about to board a ship bound for England with her brother, Kurt. Life at home is perilous, with synagogues set alight and innocent lives lost to the Nazis. They have no choice but to flee, with only their identity cards and a small suitcase. But at the last moment, as Frieda stands on the deck crammed with frightened children, she spots her brother jumping off, back to land.
England, 1943: Joining the Land Army, Sandra is sent to a farm in the remote countryside where she meets evacuee Frieda. The girls are grappling with their own tragedies – Sandra fretting over whether Alf, flying a bomber in the heavens, will see tomorrow, and Frieda distraught that Kurt abandoned her, uncertain whether he is alive.
Sandra and Frieda form a friendship that sees them through the darkest of days, but in times of war heartbreak is always just around the corner. Will the girls ever be reunited with their loved ones? And will the relationships they have fostered amidst the terror of war survive?
Shirley Dickson is breaking readers’ hearts all over the world:
‘I was gripped from the very first page… It was heartbreaking… I smiled through these happy times with them but also shed tears… I could not put it down… Will undoubtedly pull at your heartstrings. Just make sure you have a box of tissues ready!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘Absolutely fabulous… Had me hooked from the very first page… Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and had me in tears by the end of the book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I absolutely loved it!... An emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war... Will tug at your heartstrings... Will have you reaching for the tissues... Wonderful.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘A beautifulstory! Had me in tears from the very beginning. I couldn't put this one down.’ A Book With Review, 5 stars
‘Outstanding... I absolutely loved this superb page-turner.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Make sure you have tissues handy… The story is heartbreaking… Worthy of 5* and more.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Promises to keep you turning the pages as your heart attempts not to break.
England, 1937: After a devastating childhood at Blakely Hall Orphanage, fifteen-year-old Sandra is released. She finds work as a housemaid, finally able to put her past behind her. But the start of World War Two throws the country into turmoil, and her brother Alf is sent away to fight, leaving her completely alone.
Germany, 1939: Eleven-year-old Frieda is about to board a ship bound for England with her brother, Kurt. Life at home is perilous, with synagogues set alight and innocent lives lost to the Nazis. They have no choice but to flee, with only their identity cards and a small suitcase. But at the last moment, as Frieda stands on the deck crammed with frightened children, she spots her brother jumping off, back to land.
England, 1943: Joining the Land Army, Sandra is sent to a farm in the remote countryside where she meets evacuee Frieda. The girls are grappling with their own tragedies – Sandra fretting over whether Alf, flying a bomber in the heavens, will see tomorrow, and Frieda distraught that Kurt abandoned her, uncertain whether he is alive.
Sandra and Frieda form a friendship that sees them through the darkest of days, but in times of war heartbreak is always just around the corner. Will the girls ever be reunited with their loved ones? And will the relationships they have fostered amidst the terror of war survive?
Shirley Dickson is breaking readers’ hearts all over the world:
‘I was gripped from the very first page… It was heartbreaking… I smiled through these happy times with them but also shed tears… I could not put it down… Will undoubtedly pull at your heartstrings. Just make sure you have a box of tissues ready!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars
‘Absolutely fabulous… Had me hooked from the very first page… Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and had me in tears by the end of the book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I absolutely loved it!... An emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war... Will tug at your heartstrings... Will have you reaching for the tissues... Wonderful.' Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘A beautifulstory! Had me in tears from the very beginning. I couldn't put this one down.’ A Book With Review, 5 stars
‘Outstanding... I absolutely loved this superb page-turner.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Make sure you have tissues handy… The story is heartbreaking… Worthy of 5* and more.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Promises to keep you turning the pages as your heart attempts not to break.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2020
2711 people are currently reading
1891 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Dickson
6 books205 followersShirley Dickson is the author of The Orphan Sisters, her debut novel.
She lives under the big skies of Northumberland with her husband, family and lucky black cat.
She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a childrens' magazine competition. She didn't win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime.
For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips.
Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels when she retired.
She signed with Bookouture in 2018 for a two-book deal. She has written two stirring World war two historical novels.
Shirley says she is a prime example of 'never give up on your dream.'
Follow Shirley on her Facebook 'Shirley Dickson Author' page.
She lives under the big skies of Northumberland with her husband, family and lucky black cat.
She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a childrens' magazine competition. She didn't win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime.
For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips.
Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels when she retired.
She signed with Bookouture in 2018 for a two-book deal. She has written two stirring World war two historical novels.
Shirley says she is a prime example of 'never give up on your dream.'
Follow Shirley on her Facebook 'Shirley Dickson Author' page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
January 28, 2020
5☆ A Captivating, Poignant and Heart Warming Historical Fiction, I couldn't put down!
The Outcast Girls is a WWII Historical Fiction that is simply captivating, poignant, heart warming and powerful.
It's a heart breaking story of the effects the war has on families and in particular Two Young Ladies and their friendship and bond they formed, despite the chaos and heartache around them!
1938 - Frieda and her brother Kurt were boarded on a train clutching their possessions and identity cards waving their Mother Goodbye as she sent the children to safety in England to escape the horrors that was happening in Berlin to the Jewish Community.
However Kurt didn't make it to England as he escaped leaving Frieda all alone and scared!
1943 - Sandra had been brought up in Blakeley Orphanage with her younger brother Alf after their Mother died during childbirth and their father could no longer cope due to illness.
But now Sandra works as a Servant for Mrs Kirton the lady of the house and her brother Alf was now in the RAF doing his bit for the War.
However Instead of going to do her bit for the war, Mrs Kirton insisted Sandra stayed on as her house maid, which was agreed as long as she did voluntary work for the war.
Eventually Sandra makes the decision and enlists in the Land Girls.
Sandra and Frieda paths cross and they become friends, after meeting in difficult circumstances. The two quickly bond as they have faced so much heartache and pain they can relate to each other's story.
The Outcast Girls is a raw and heart breaking story that had me engrossed from the first few pages. Frieda and Sandra's strength and courage simply shines through. Their friendship is so heart warming and powerful.
This is a Story about Friendship, Hope, Courage, Heartache, War, Children Refugees and Orphaned. It's a powerful, Gripping and poignant read that I couldn't put down. My only hope is that the Author considers writing more of their story as I really want to hear more!
Oh and I have to mention I adore the cover and the title it's perfect!
If you enjoy powerful, Gripping historical Fiction set in WWII that's captivating and wonderfully compelling then you will love The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson.
I would like to thank Book On The Bright Side Tours and Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
The Outcast Girls is a WWII Historical Fiction that is simply captivating, poignant, heart warming and powerful.
It's a heart breaking story of the effects the war has on families and in particular Two Young Ladies and their friendship and bond they formed, despite the chaos and heartache around them!
1938 - Frieda and her brother Kurt were boarded on a train clutching their possessions and identity cards waving their Mother Goodbye as she sent the children to safety in England to escape the horrors that was happening in Berlin to the Jewish Community.
However Kurt didn't make it to England as he escaped leaving Frieda all alone and scared!
1943 - Sandra had been brought up in Blakeley Orphanage with her younger brother Alf after their Mother died during childbirth and their father could no longer cope due to illness.
But now Sandra works as a Servant for Mrs Kirton the lady of the house and her brother Alf was now in the RAF doing his bit for the War.
However Instead of going to do her bit for the war, Mrs Kirton insisted Sandra stayed on as her house maid, which was agreed as long as she did voluntary work for the war.
Eventually Sandra makes the decision and enlists in the Land Girls.
Sandra and Frieda paths cross and they become friends, after meeting in difficult circumstances. The two quickly bond as they have faced so much heartache and pain they can relate to each other's story.
The Outcast Girls is a raw and heart breaking story that had me engrossed from the first few pages. Frieda and Sandra's strength and courage simply shines through. Their friendship is so heart warming and powerful.
This is a Story about Friendship, Hope, Courage, Heartache, War, Children Refugees and Orphaned. It's a powerful, Gripping and poignant read that I couldn't put down. My only hope is that the Author considers writing more of their story as I really want to hear more!
Oh and I have to mention I adore the cover and the title it's perfect!
If you enjoy powerful, Gripping historical Fiction set in WWII that's captivating and wonderfully compelling then you will love The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson.
I would like to thank Book On The Bright Side Tours and Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
January 18, 2020
It was 1939 when eleven-year-old Frieda and her brother Kurt were boarding a ship bound for England from Germany, where they would be fostered until their family could join them. But Kurt was determined to stay and look after their mother and grandmother, as their father had been arrested. To Frieda’s shock, Kurt ran from the ship as the ramp was about to be raised – would she ever see him or her family again?
Sandra and her brother Alf had spent their years in the Blakely Hall Orphanage after their mother had passed away and when Sandra turned fifteen, she was released while Alf remained. Her work as a housemaid was never ending, with the mistress making things twice as difficult for her. On learning that Alf had enlisted to fight in the war, Sandra wanted to do her bit as well and joined the Land Girls, so in 1943 she found herself living in a hostel in a small country town outside London. Working on a nearby farm, Sandra met Frieda who lived with her Aunt Doris nearby and the two girls became friends. They both had a common background; their lives seemed a mirror of each other’s.
While Sandra worried for Alf, Frieda was the same about Kurt – what would the end of the war bring?
The Outcast Girls is the third book by Shirley Dickson that I’ve read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it once again. Frieda and Sandra were wonderful characters while their work on the farm – hard though it was – helped them through the days of uncertainty. Friendly with all the Land Girls in the hostel, Sandra felt herself become more outgoing after her life in the orphanage, while Frieda’s confidence grew through having a friend. The Outcast Girls was an excellent read, and one I highly recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Sandra and her brother Alf had spent their years in the Blakely Hall Orphanage after their mother had passed away and when Sandra turned fifteen, she was released while Alf remained. Her work as a housemaid was never ending, with the mistress making things twice as difficult for her. On learning that Alf had enlisted to fight in the war, Sandra wanted to do her bit as well and joined the Land Girls, so in 1943 she found herself living in a hostel in a small country town outside London. Working on a nearby farm, Sandra met Frieda who lived with her Aunt Doris nearby and the two girls became friends. They both had a common background; their lives seemed a mirror of each other’s.
While Sandra worried for Alf, Frieda was the same about Kurt – what would the end of the war bring?
The Outcast Girls is the third book by Shirley Dickson that I’ve read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it once again. Frieda and Sandra were wonderful characters while their work on the farm – hard though it was – helped them through the days of uncertainty. Friendly with all the Land Girls in the hostel, Sandra felt herself become more outgoing after her life in the orphanage, while Frieda’s confidence grew through having a friend. The Outcast Girls was an excellent read, and one I highly recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my copy of: The Outcast Girls.
England, in 1939: After the death of their parents Sandra and Alf Hudson grow up in an orphanage called Blakely Hall, all children have to leave and find a job when they turn fifteen. When it's Sandra's turn to find a employment, she's given a job working for the Kirton's as a housemaid and she soon discovers that she was much safer at the orphanage. Luckily the cook Olive Goodwin, has been kind to Sandra, she offers her a place to stay, until she finds another job and Sandra joins The Women's Land Army.
Germany, in 1939: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg and her brother Kurt are about to board a ship to take them from Holland to England. After the night of broken glass, their father decides to get his Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. At the last minute Kurt jumps ship, poor Frieda has to travel to England on her own and she doesn't speak a word of English. She's given a home by a widow called Mrs Doris Leadbeater, she's kind and Frieda calls her Aunty Doris. She the postmistress in a little town called Leadburn, here Frieda attends the local primary school and she's bullied terribly by the other children for being a German.
England, in 1943: Both girls meet, when Sandra joins The Land Army and is sent to Leadburn. The girls grow very close, due to both having such difficult childhoods and they are true kindred spirits. Frieda is worried about Kurt, her parents and her grandmother in Germany and she has no contact with them since she left Germany in 1939. It takes it's toll on her mentally, she has a terrible time and she stops eating. Sandra worries about her brother Alf, he joined the air force and he's listed as missing in action. Sandra has issues due to growing up in the orphanage, she feels all alone in the world, she struggles socially and she's also illiterate.
I enjoyed The Outcast Girls, it's a story about how two lost and lonely young women form a strong friendship, how being friends helps both of them get through the difficult war years. Both girls are very lucky to find each other and have two caring women who step up and guide them through their teenage years. I loved the characters of Aunty Doris, Olive Goodwin and Matthew Carlton, I really enjoyed reading the book and I gave it four stars.
Merged review:
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my copy of: The Outcast Girls.
England, in 1939: After the death of their parents Sandra and Alf Hudson grow up in an orphanage called Blakely Hall, all children have to leave and find a job when they turn fifteen. When it's Sandra's turn to find a employment, she's given a job working for the Kirton's as a housemaid and she soon discovers that she was much safer at the orphanage. Luckily the cook Olive Goodwin, has been kind to Sandra, she offers her a place to stay, until she finds another job and Sandra joins The Women's Land Army.
Germany, in 1939: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg and her brother Kurt are about to board a ship to take them from Holland to England. After the night of broken glass, their father decides to get his Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. At the last minute Kurt jumps ship, poor Frieda has to travel to England on her own and she doesn't speak a word of English. She's given a home by a widow called Mrs Doris Leadbeater, she's kind and Frieda calls her Aunty Doris. She the postmistress in a little town called Leadburn, here Frieda attends the local primary school and she's bullied terribly by the other children for being a German.
England, in 1943: Both girls meet, when Sandra joins The Land Army and is sent to Leadburn. The girls grow very close, due to both having difficult childhoods and they are true kindred spirits. Frieda is worried about Kurt, her parents and her grandmother in Germany and she has no contact with them since she left Germany in 1939. It takes it's toll on her mentally, she has a terrible time and she stops eating. Sandra worries about her brother Alf, he joined the air force and he's listed as missing in action. Sandra has issues due to growing up in the orphanage, she feels all alone in the world, she struggles socially and she's also illiterate.
I enjoyed The Outcast Girls, it's a story about how two lost and lonely young women form a strong friendship, how being good friends helps both of them get through the difficult war years. The girls are very lucky to find each other and have two caring women who step up and guide them through their teenage years. I loved the characters of Aunt Doris, Olive Goodwin and Matthew Carlton, I really enjoyed reading The Outcast Girls and I gave it four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Australia Amazon, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
England, in 1939: After the death of their parents Sandra and Alf Hudson grow up in an orphanage called Blakely Hall, all children have to leave and find a job when they turn fifteen. When it's Sandra's turn to find a employment, she's given a job working for the Kirton's as a housemaid and she soon discovers that she was much safer at the orphanage. Luckily the cook Olive Goodwin, has been kind to Sandra, she offers her a place to stay, until she finds another job and Sandra joins The Women's Land Army.
Germany, in 1939: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg and her brother Kurt are about to board a ship to take them from Holland to England. After the night of broken glass, their father decides to get his Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. At the last minute Kurt jumps ship, poor Frieda has to travel to England on her own and she doesn't speak a word of English. She's given a home by a widow called Mrs Doris Leadbeater, she's kind and Frieda calls her Aunty Doris. She the postmistress in a little town called Leadburn, here Frieda attends the local primary school and she's bullied terribly by the other children for being a German.
England, in 1943: Both girls meet, when Sandra joins The Land Army and is sent to Leadburn. The girls grow very close, due to both having such difficult childhoods and they are true kindred spirits. Frieda is worried about Kurt, her parents and her grandmother in Germany and she has no contact with them since she left Germany in 1939. It takes it's toll on her mentally, she has a terrible time and she stops eating. Sandra worries about her brother Alf, he joined the air force and he's listed as missing in action. Sandra has issues due to growing up in the orphanage, she feels all alone in the world, she struggles socially and she's also illiterate.
I enjoyed The Outcast Girls, it's a story about how two lost and lonely young women form a strong friendship, how being friends helps both of them get through the difficult war years. Both girls are very lucky to find each other and have two caring women who step up and guide them through their teenage years. I loved the characters of Aunty Doris, Olive Goodwin and Matthew Carlton, I really enjoyed reading the book and I gave it four stars.
Merged review:
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my copy of: The Outcast Girls.
England, in 1939: After the death of their parents Sandra and Alf Hudson grow up in an orphanage called Blakely Hall, all children have to leave and find a job when they turn fifteen. When it's Sandra's turn to find a employment, she's given a job working for the Kirton's as a housemaid and she soon discovers that she was much safer at the orphanage. Luckily the cook Olive Goodwin, has been kind to Sandra, she offers her a place to stay, until she finds another job and Sandra joins The Women's Land Army.
Germany, in 1939: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg and her brother Kurt are about to board a ship to take them from Holland to England. After the night of broken glass, their father decides to get his Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. At the last minute Kurt jumps ship, poor Frieda has to travel to England on her own and she doesn't speak a word of English. She's given a home by a widow called Mrs Doris Leadbeater, she's kind and Frieda calls her Aunty Doris. She the postmistress in a little town called Leadburn, here Frieda attends the local primary school and she's bullied terribly by the other children for being a German.
England, in 1943: Both girls meet, when Sandra joins The Land Army and is sent to Leadburn. The girls grow very close, due to both having difficult childhoods and they are true kindred spirits. Frieda is worried about Kurt, her parents and her grandmother in Germany and she has no contact with them since she left Germany in 1939. It takes it's toll on her mentally, she has a terrible time and she stops eating. Sandra worries about her brother Alf, he joined the air force and he's listed as missing in action. Sandra has issues due to growing up in the orphanage, she feels all alone in the world, she struggles socially and she's also illiterate.
I enjoyed The Outcast Girls, it's a story about how two lost and lonely young women form a strong friendship, how being good friends helps both of them get through the difficult war years. The girls are very lucky to find each other and have two caring women who step up and guide them through their teenage years. I loved the characters of Aunt Doris, Olive Goodwin and Matthew Carlton, I really enjoyed reading The Outcast Girls and I gave it four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Australia Amazon, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
December 25, 2019
During World War II girls Frieda and Sandra meet under difficult circumstances. Not only are they among the many evacuees of the war, having had to flee their homes, they both lost their brothers. In Frieda's case, it was her brother Kurt, and Sandra, her brother Alf.
A bit older than Frieda, Sandra takes her under her wing. Sandra refuses to give up hope of seeing Alf again, and looks forward to any correspondence she can get. Meanwhile, Frieda is heartbroken as it seems she will never see Kurt again.
Although safe from the Germans on the farm where both girls now reside, things certainly are not easy. Fortunately, their friendship gives both girls strength and they grow into young women over the next several years.
The Outcast Girls is a well-written historical fiction novel. For me as a reader, I will say it was rather fortunate that I was not reading of the horrid tragedies of the war with this particular book. I turned the pages quickly while reading, especially as my mind was reaching for hope for both Frieda and Sandra. This story definitely tug on my heartstrings.
Reviewer's note: I applaud Ms. Dickson for dealing with a sensitive issue revolving around one of the girls in this particular genre and time period in history. As it was during World War II, diagnosis and treatment of the particular ailment mentioned was not clear at all.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
A bit older than Frieda, Sandra takes her under her wing. Sandra refuses to give up hope of seeing Alf again, and looks forward to any correspondence she can get. Meanwhile, Frieda is heartbroken as it seems she will never see Kurt again.
Although safe from the Germans on the farm where both girls now reside, things certainly are not easy. Fortunately, their friendship gives both girls strength and they grow into young women over the next several years.
The Outcast Girls is a well-written historical fiction novel. For me as a reader, I will say it was rather fortunate that I was not reading of the horrid tragedies of the war with this particular book. I turned the pages quickly while reading, especially as my mind was reaching for hope for both Frieda and Sandra. This story definitely tug on my heartstrings.
Reviewer's note: I applaud Ms. Dickson for dealing with a sensitive issue revolving around one of the girls in this particular genre and time period in history. As it was during World War II, diagnosis and treatment of the particular ailment mentioned was not clear at all.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
February 17, 2020
What a lovely book.
I am pleased that I listened to it instead of reading it as the narrator, Rosie Jones, was excellent! She had a great local accent too. The book just seemed to come alive, living in the North East I love the warmth of the accent.
The story was heartwarming and a little sad in places highlighting the plight of children in the war.
I would strongly recommend it.
I am pleased that I listened to it instead of reading it as the narrator, Rosie Jones, was excellent! She had a great local accent too. The book just seemed to come alive, living in the North East I love the warmth of the accent.
The story was heartwarming and a little sad in places highlighting the plight of children in the war.
I would strongly recommend it.
June 24, 2020
This book takes up the story of Sandra Hudson from the Orphan sisters that i so enjoyed. along with german girl Frieda Sternberg as they both come together working during WW2 1943 on Nicols Farm in Leadburn near Hexham. Frieda in 1938 flee's Berlin, Sandra from an orphanage Blakeley South Shields, they both have family member's lost to them will they ever hear from them again? This was such an inspirational book to read for me, it will warm your heart, and both girl's share their past lives to each other, both feeling they don't belong but a comfort to be working together, The Outcast Girls are both hiding secret's unknown to anyone but both help each other overcome them. .a story of a bonded friendship that will bring tears to your eyes in places, i truly enjoyed every page. so well worth the stars, and loved it all to the end.
January 7, 2020
3,5/5
This was a nice story of friendship between two girls in UK during WWII.
I really like reading stories set in this period of history and this was a different perspective from what I have read before. It didn't know about the "Land Girls". They were young women who volunteered to go do farm work while most men where in the army. They were paid for it and lived all together in a hostel.
Frieda is a jew german girl who was sent as a refugee to UK leaving her family behind and Sandra is an orphan who has had a hard life and find this "job" as a way to support herself. Both girls need to learn to go on with their life in the relatively safe countryside while dealing with their worry for the family they have in the battle. We see how they become a support for each other and create a beautiful friendship during this hard times.
This was a really enjoyable read that has given me a new perspective on how the war affected these people that were far away from the battles or the prison camps, women that had to take on the jobs the men were doing until then to keep the country running while worrying for them on the battlefield.
Merged review:
3,5/5
This was a nice story of friendship between two girls in UK during WWII.
I really like reading stories set in this period of history and this was a different perspective of what I have read before. It didn't know about the "Land Girls". They were young women who volunteered to go do farm work while most men where in the army. They were paid for it and lived all together in a hostel.
Frieda is a jew german girl who was sent as a refugee to UK leaving her family behind and Sandra is an orphan who has had a hard life and find this "job" as a way to support herself. Both girls need to learn to go on with their life in the relatively safe countryside while dealing with their worry for the family they have in the battle. We see how they become a support for each other and create a beautiful friendship during this hard times.
This was a really enjoyable read that has given me a new perspective on how the war affected these people that were far away from the battles or the prison camps, women that had to take on the jobs the men were doing until then to keep the country running while worrying for them on the battlefield.
This was a nice story of friendship between two girls in UK during WWII.
I really like reading stories set in this period of history and this was a different perspective from what I have read before. It didn't know about the "Land Girls". They were young women who volunteered to go do farm work while most men where in the army. They were paid for it and lived all together in a hostel.
Frieda is a jew german girl who was sent as a refugee to UK leaving her family behind and Sandra is an orphan who has had a hard life and find this "job" as a way to support herself. Both girls need to learn to go on with their life in the relatively safe countryside while dealing with their worry for the family they have in the battle. We see how they become a support for each other and create a beautiful friendship during this hard times.
This was a really enjoyable read that has given me a new perspective on how the war affected these people that were far away from the battles or the prison camps, women that had to take on the jobs the men were doing until then to keep the country running while worrying for them on the battlefield.
Merged review:
3,5/5
This was a nice story of friendship between two girls in UK during WWII.
I really like reading stories set in this period of history and this was a different perspective of what I have read before. It didn't know about the "Land Girls". They were young women who volunteered to go do farm work while most men where in the army. They were paid for it and lived all together in a hostel.
Frieda is a jew german girl who was sent as a refugee to UK leaving her family behind and Sandra is an orphan who has had a hard life and find this "job" as a way to support herself. Both girls need to learn to go on with their life in the relatively safe countryside while dealing with their worry for the family they have in the battle. We see how they become a support for each other and create a beautiful friendship during this hard times.
This was a really enjoyable read that has given me a new perspective on how the war affected these people that were far away from the battles or the prison camps, women that had to take on the jobs the men were doing until then to keep the country running while worrying for them on the battlefield.
January 10, 2020
I was quickly absorbed in this read, and it soon became a page-turner.
We journey from Germany to England, from an evil permeating Europe to living as a refugee, and being bullied. Yes, kids will be kids, but I can’t imagine what this young girl was going through, and her family was in so much danger.
Enter a young woman, girl, who has spent most of her life in an orphanage, and then in service, but she has a bright spot in the cook in the home she works. Love how God puts people in your path, and both these young women receive this blessing.
The author gives us a chance to walk in each of these survivor’s shoes, and we get to really care about each of them.
I just wished that there had been an epilogue at the end, I wanted more information about Frieda’s family, but I did enjoy this story, saw how these people worked so hard on the home front!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.
We journey from Germany to England, from an evil permeating Europe to living as a refugee, and being bullied. Yes, kids will be kids, but I can’t imagine what this young girl was going through, and her family was in so much danger.
Enter a young woman, girl, who has spent most of her life in an orphanage, and then in service, but she has a bright spot in the cook in the home she works. Love how God puts people in your path, and both these young women receive this blessing.
The author gives us a chance to walk in each of these survivor’s shoes, and we get to really care about each of them.
I just wished that there had been an epilogue at the end, I wanted more information about Frieda’s family, but I did enjoy this story, saw how these people worked so hard on the home front!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookoutour, and was not required to give a positive review.
January 27, 2020
I received a free electronic ARC of this debut historical novel on December 30, 2019, from Netgalley, Shirley Dickson, and Bookouture. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of the work. Shirley Dickson is on my favorite authors' list. She paints wartime England beautifully, and her characters are complete, complex people with heart.
After November 1938 Kristallnacht in Berlin in February 1939, Frieda Sternberg, 11 or 12 years old, and her little brother Kurt, two years younger, were placed on a Jewish Children's emigration train via a group known as 'Movement for the care of Children from Germany' which set up transportation and foster families to take-in the children when they reached rural England. The children, all under 17 years, could carry only a small suitcase and they would cross into Holland, train to the Dutch coast and then boat or ferry to England and stay with foster families for the duration of the war. Their father had already been gathered up in one of the pogroms, leaving their mother and grandmother hiding in the home of a family friend. Kurt wanted to stay in Berlin and help out the ladies - his dad had told him that he was the man of the house until father returned. He boarded the train but was known for obstinance and stubbornness. Frieda worried that he would give her trouble. She didn't anticipate him jumping ship as the boarding ramp was removed, however. He waves her goodbye as she steams out of the Holland port. Frieda arrived in England alone and feeling guilty that she had let her parents down, and of course, worried sick about Kurt. Her foster situation is nice, she works part-time and lived with the post-mistress, Aunty Doris, in Leadburn. Life in England is very trying, however. Frieda is ostracized and resented and occasionally abused by most of her classmates in school, if not for her German heritage and accent, then for her Jewish religion. She develops a food aversion while still in school, finding it almost impossible to eat anything, and dwindles down to a twig. When she is about to age out of the program of relief that helps Doris support her at not-quite-fifteen, Frieda is offered a job on Nichol's farm on the outskirts of Leadburn. Without other options, she is grateful for the job with housing, though she still isn't eating enough to keep a bird alive and can add Mrs. Nichols to Doris among those worried about her.
Sandra Hudson was raised as was her older brother Alf in a British orphanage after their mother died. Their father was an invalid and died soon after they settled into the routine of the children's home. At 15 she went into service. Her brother Alf was already in the Royal Air Force and stationed on the coast. Sandra was unlucky with the draw of an employer - she is basically slave labor for the Kirton family, taking the place of several staff members as they quit or are laid off, until only she and the Cook, Olive, are left to do the work of many. The only highlight in her life is when she received mail from her brother - which Olive happily reads to her. Olive also has son Kenneth in the military, so in their friendship, they feel like old souls and confidants despite the age difference. The Kirton son Duncan, home from school, does his best to sexually abuse the girl. After Sandra screams for help several times, a nearby bomb knocks the corner off of the house next door and drops ceiling and roof parts onto Sandra. After she is dug out of the debris, Sandra tries to explain how she wound up in Duncan's bed, but Mrs. Kirton lets her go without reference or past wages and threatens her should she tell anyone what happened with Duncan. But for the assist of confidant and friend Olive Goodwin, she would have been broke and homeless, and Sandra knew she needed to find work fast. She is unable to read or write, so service work is about all that she feels confident to seek, but Olive talks her into shooting a little higher, something where she can learn a new trade or go to school part-time. When Sandra sees the advertisements for The Women's Land Army at the local bus stop, she is inspired to apply. To her surprise, she is accepted without hesitation, despite the fact that she has never been out of the city. She is sent to the Leadburn hostel in Northumberland. And again to her surprise, she learns many farm skills quickly and finds true friends among the girls from all walks of life that she lives and works with. The farm work is challenging and always interesting. Sandra actually for the first time feels confident and content. And the local clergyman is not only willing to read to her and answer her letters from Alf and Olive, but is also willing to teach her to read.
The two girls meet at the local church in Leadburn and find they have much in common. Often Sandra is sent to work on the Nichols farm, and Frieda helps her learn to milk cows. Soon the girls are friends, a mutual support sisterhood that helps them both find confidence and peace. And they need moral support - Frieda has still after nearly three years heard nothing from her German family including Kurt, and the news of the imprisonment and murder of German Jews is very disturbing. And her Italian POW prisoner boyfriend is going to be a problem. Sandra also receives a telegraph - the Red Cross notifies her that brother Alf is a POW in Switzerland. And her American pilot is actually married. And then Alf escapes to who knows where? Complications. If they can make it through the war, life would be much simpler. But at least they have each other. And Olive.
Pub date Jan 24, 2020
Bookouture
Reviewed on January 25, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
After November 1938 Kristallnacht in Berlin in February 1939, Frieda Sternberg, 11 or 12 years old, and her little brother Kurt, two years younger, were placed on a Jewish Children's emigration train via a group known as 'Movement for the care of Children from Germany' which set up transportation and foster families to take-in the children when they reached rural England. The children, all under 17 years, could carry only a small suitcase and they would cross into Holland, train to the Dutch coast and then boat or ferry to England and stay with foster families for the duration of the war. Their father had already been gathered up in one of the pogroms, leaving their mother and grandmother hiding in the home of a family friend. Kurt wanted to stay in Berlin and help out the ladies - his dad had told him that he was the man of the house until father returned. He boarded the train but was known for obstinance and stubbornness. Frieda worried that he would give her trouble. She didn't anticipate him jumping ship as the boarding ramp was removed, however. He waves her goodbye as she steams out of the Holland port. Frieda arrived in England alone and feeling guilty that she had let her parents down, and of course, worried sick about Kurt. Her foster situation is nice, she works part-time and lived with the post-mistress, Aunty Doris, in Leadburn. Life in England is very trying, however. Frieda is ostracized and resented and occasionally abused by most of her classmates in school, if not for her German heritage and accent, then for her Jewish religion. She develops a food aversion while still in school, finding it almost impossible to eat anything, and dwindles down to a twig. When she is about to age out of the program of relief that helps Doris support her at not-quite-fifteen, Frieda is offered a job on Nichol's farm on the outskirts of Leadburn. Without other options, she is grateful for the job with housing, though she still isn't eating enough to keep a bird alive and can add Mrs. Nichols to Doris among those worried about her.
Sandra Hudson was raised as was her older brother Alf in a British orphanage after their mother died. Their father was an invalid and died soon after they settled into the routine of the children's home. At 15 she went into service. Her brother Alf was already in the Royal Air Force and stationed on the coast. Sandra was unlucky with the draw of an employer - she is basically slave labor for the Kirton family, taking the place of several staff members as they quit or are laid off, until only she and the Cook, Olive, are left to do the work of many. The only highlight in her life is when she received mail from her brother - which Olive happily reads to her. Olive also has son Kenneth in the military, so in their friendship, they feel like old souls and confidants despite the age difference. The Kirton son Duncan, home from school, does his best to sexually abuse the girl. After Sandra screams for help several times, a nearby bomb knocks the corner off of the house next door and drops ceiling and roof parts onto Sandra. After she is dug out of the debris, Sandra tries to explain how she wound up in Duncan's bed, but Mrs. Kirton lets her go without reference or past wages and threatens her should she tell anyone what happened with Duncan. But for the assist of confidant and friend Olive Goodwin, she would have been broke and homeless, and Sandra knew she needed to find work fast. She is unable to read or write, so service work is about all that she feels confident to seek, but Olive talks her into shooting a little higher, something where she can learn a new trade or go to school part-time. When Sandra sees the advertisements for The Women's Land Army at the local bus stop, she is inspired to apply. To her surprise, she is accepted without hesitation, despite the fact that she has never been out of the city. She is sent to the Leadburn hostel in Northumberland. And again to her surprise, she learns many farm skills quickly and finds true friends among the girls from all walks of life that she lives and works with. The farm work is challenging and always interesting. Sandra actually for the first time feels confident and content. And the local clergyman is not only willing to read to her and answer her letters from Alf and Olive, but is also willing to teach her to read.
The two girls meet at the local church in Leadburn and find they have much in common. Often Sandra is sent to work on the Nichols farm, and Frieda helps her learn to milk cows. Soon the girls are friends, a mutual support sisterhood that helps them both find confidence and peace. And they need moral support - Frieda has still after nearly three years heard nothing from her German family including Kurt, and the news of the imprisonment and murder of German Jews is very disturbing. And her Italian POW prisoner boyfriend is going to be a problem. Sandra also receives a telegraph - the Red Cross notifies her that brother Alf is a POW in Switzerland. And her American pilot is actually married. And then Alf escapes to who knows where? Complications. If they can make it through the war, life would be much simpler. But at least they have each other. And Olive.
Pub date Jan 24, 2020
Bookouture
Reviewed on January 25, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
January 24, 2020
The Outcast Girls is the third book I have read by author, Shirley Dickson. I loved both The Orphan Sisters and Our Last Goodbye. So, when I saw Dickson had another new release, I knew I just had to have it. I love how Dickson easily transports you back in time with each of her beautifully written stories immersing us in history centering around World War II.
The forefront of this story is about two young women, Sandra and Frieda, and while they both have differences they share a lot of the same similarities. Sandra’s childhood was spent at Blakely Hall Orphanage and Frieda, a Jewish girl from Germany, is an evacuee from the war. Both have younger brothers that are not in their lives right now. While Sandra’s brother is off fighting in the war, Frieda is not really sure where her brother is as he hopped off the ship before they landed in England. Sandra does not think very highly of herself, thinks she is stupid and has no confidence. Frieda has been bullied all throughout school for being Jewish and not “skinny” which later manifests itself psychologically. When the two women meet they form a bond and here is where you can see how both Sandra and Frieda both change for the better with their new found friendship.
I found this such an easy story to read and it flowed so well. Although Dickson writes about the war, her stories tend to be more about her characters and their stories as they navigate their way through the war. At times heartbreaking and other times uplifting, Dickson weaves her way through the two emotions so effortlessly
The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson is such a heartwarming story and one I easily found myself becoming deeply invested in the friendship between Sandra and Frieda. Another perfect read and another five star story from Dickson.
The forefront of this story is about two young women, Sandra and Frieda, and while they both have differences they share a lot of the same similarities. Sandra’s childhood was spent at Blakely Hall Orphanage and Frieda, a Jewish girl from Germany, is an evacuee from the war. Both have younger brothers that are not in their lives right now. While Sandra’s brother is off fighting in the war, Frieda is not really sure where her brother is as he hopped off the ship before they landed in England. Sandra does not think very highly of herself, thinks she is stupid and has no confidence. Frieda has been bullied all throughout school for being Jewish and not “skinny” which later manifests itself psychologically. When the two women meet they form a bond and here is where you can see how both Sandra and Frieda both change for the better with their new found friendship.
I found this such an easy story to read and it flowed so well. Although Dickson writes about the war, her stories tend to be more about her characters and their stories as they navigate their way through the war. At times heartbreaking and other times uplifting, Dickson weaves her way through the two emotions so effortlessly
The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson is such a heartwarming story and one I easily found myself becoming deeply invested in the friendship between Sandra and Frieda. Another perfect read and another five star story from Dickson.
November 21, 2021
A nice story but a bit slow.
January 26, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Shirley Dickson's new book The Outcast Girls. It was just that little bit different to some of the more recent historical fiction that I have read and I found it quickly got to the heart of the story and its themes. It had such depth to it and dealt with some serious issues which two young girls were experiencing during the war years. Both are from different sides of the spectrum yet over time and through a moving and interesting journey they come to realise their lives mirror each other in many ways. The friendship and moving similarities between the two slowly became apparent and in turn become the main focus of the book.
Both Sandra and Frieda go on an incredible journey and this is certainly one book where you could see the voyage and transformation unfolding beneath your eyes. It was so well written with such a clear, concise beginning, middle and end with real changes occurring in each section. Even if I did think the very end, as in the last two or three pages, was slightly abrupt and even an end note with a page or two would have wrapped things further together even more. The two girls we meet at the start are vastly different to those we meet at the end and their metamorphosis through the help of love, support and simply getting out there in the world and doing their bit was a joy to read.
Chapters alternate between Sandra and Frieda and I loved how each girls perspective gave us such a well rounded view of the story as a whole. The prologue introduces us to Frieda, it is 1938 and Berlin is a city on the edge. Frieda's family are Jewish and have suffered the wrath of people on the night of Kristallnacht. They fear for their lives and steal away to a place of safety but with tensions rising and they do not know what the future will hold. Their father decides to sent them away to England where a group called The Movement for the Care of Children from Germany are helping children under the age of 17 to escape until it is safe to return.
Frieda and her younger brother Kurt are sent away but Kurt jumps ship in Holland leaving Frieda alone. This abandonment will wear away at Frieda for the years she is in England as war rages on all around her. Leaving her family, and in turn Kurt abandoning her and she herself doing nothing to stop it, will have such a profound affect on her that guilt, fear, anger, sadness and distress all become commonplace emotions that she can never shake off. Fast forward to 1943 and Frieda is living with Aunty Doris in the country village of Leadburn, although not related by blood the two women have gotten to know each other better over the years since Doris took Frieda in. They have a good bond but Doris wishes they could be closer as Frieda bottles so many things up. You couldn't blame Frieda for being wary after all she had left her family and homeland behind and does not know what has happened to them. The guilt she feels at not doing her best to keep Kurt with her, or even to follow him, just keeps eroding at her leading to some devastating consequences.
Now she has just left school and despite being still relatively young she feels it has not done much for her due to the bullying she has experienced. No doubt about it, Frieda has had it tough and all she has been through affects her state of mind and well being. An issue begins to make itself apparent and to be honest I had given scant thought to such a thing occurring back in the war years. Said problem is more prevalent today so I thought it was brilliant that the author brought our attention to something and showed that it can happen to anyone and at any point and place in time.
Throughout the story, you just feel an overwhelming sadness for Frieda as she can't see the good qualities about herself of which there are many. She is on a destructive path and those around her begin to see it and want to try and help her but Doris can't even reach beyond the walls that Frieda has established around her. She develops self loathing at what she believes to be her cowardice but I felt she was placing such harsh judgements on herself when there was no need to. Of course she should pine for, and worry about, her family but her parents sent her away for a reason and if they knew the state she had gotten herself into they would have been distraught.
It's when Freida begins work on a local farm and in turn the arrival of Sandra to work as a Land Girl that she begins to open up but it is not without its difficulties and matters of the heart slowly begin to come into play also. The friendship that develops between Frieda and Sandra was a catalyst for change in both their lives and it kept me reading even quicker to discover would there be a happy ending or would things turn even further sour with more heartache to come?
Sandra was a brilliantly crafted character. You could really see this young women go from being meek, afraid and sub servant to an impressive person who knew what she wanted in life and her confidence just seemed to grow and grow. Having been raised in an orphanage with her younger brother Alf due to the loss of their mother and their father being ill and then going straight into service, Sandra had not much worldly experience in many matters and it showed. The fact she was so innocent and couldn't stand up for herself said a lot. There were two characters mentioned when talking about the orphanage and I went back and checked. They were from the authors first book and the little connection between them and Sandra was a nice little added touch.
An unfortunate incident leads to Sandra leaving her employment as a housemaid and although it was traumatic and devastating at the time maybe in the end it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. It spurred her onto make changes and with the help of Olive Goodwin, the cook in the house, she got some small bit of courage in order to buck up and make the necessary changes in her life. The biggest one being that she applies to be a Land Girl. Being a townie she knows nothing about the countryside or farming but all that is about to change as she arrives in Leadburn and stays at the hostel established for Land Girls who come from all over the country.
Similar to Frieda, Sandra was so down on herself and it was simply because she didn't have the courage and confidence. There was something major holding her back and we all take this thing for granted every minute of every day of our lives. Coupled with the worry of not knowing what will happen to Alf during the war as he is fighting with the RAF, Sandra takes time to settle into the rhythm and pace of village life. She really is like a fish out of water but I admired the fact that she just kept going and she became eager to learn everything in order to better herself both mentally, emotionally and physically.
The little lost girl from the orphanage who has been institutionalised all her life certainly underwent many adjustment and developments. But it was all handled so carefully and sensitively but it never felt forced or rushed or that it couldn't be within the realms of possibility. Initially, there was a certain naivety about her and a reticence but when she strikes out of her own that's when she comes to the fore although as with Frieda she goes through some tough and challenging times and you do wish she would see what was before her very eyes and not let a certain opportunity slip through her fingers.
The Outcast Girls was a beautiful story and one I very much enjoyed reading. As the line on the front cover suggests this is a heartbreaking and gripping story that I am glad I did not miss out on. Shirley Dickson has created two believable characters who really get under your skin and you feel every bit of emotion they go through. I feel privileged to have journeyed with them and The Outcast Girls has reminded me that Shirley is a historical fiction author who is not to be missed.
Both Sandra and Frieda go on an incredible journey and this is certainly one book where you could see the voyage and transformation unfolding beneath your eyes. It was so well written with such a clear, concise beginning, middle and end with real changes occurring in each section. Even if I did think the very end, as in the last two or three pages, was slightly abrupt and even an end note with a page or two would have wrapped things further together even more. The two girls we meet at the start are vastly different to those we meet at the end and their metamorphosis through the help of love, support and simply getting out there in the world and doing their bit was a joy to read.
Chapters alternate between Sandra and Frieda and I loved how each girls perspective gave us such a well rounded view of the story as a whole. The prologue introduces us to Frieda, it is 1938 and Berlin is a city on the edge. Frieda's family are Jewish and have suffered the wrath of people on the night of Kristallnacht. They fear for their lives and steal away to a place of safety but with tensions rising and they do not know what the future will hold. Their father decides to sent them away to England where a group called The Movement for the Care of Children from Germany are helping children under the age of 17 to escape until it is safe to return.
Frieda and her younger brother Kurt are sent away but Kurt jumps ship in Holland leaving Frieda alone. This abandonment will wear away at Frieda for the years she is in England as war rages on all around her. Leaving her family, and in turn Kurt abandoning her and she herself doing nothing to stop it, will have such a profound affect on her that guilt, fear, anger, sadness and distress all become commonplace emotions that she can never shake off. Fast forward to 1943 and Frieda is living with Aunty Doris in the country village of Leadburn, although not related by blood the two women have gotten to know each other better over the years since Doris took Frieda in. They have a good bond but Doris wishes they could be closer as Frieda bottles so many things up. You couldn't blame Frieda for being wary after all she had left her family and homeland behind and does not know what has happened to them. The guilt she feels at not doing her best to keep Kurt with her, or even to follow him, just keeps eroding at her leading to some devastating consequences.
Now she has just left school and despite being still relatively young she feels it has not done much for her due to the bullying she has experienced. No doubt about it, Frieda has had it tough and all she has been through affects her state of mind and well being. An issue begins to make itself apparent and to be honest I had given scant thought to such a thing occurring back in the war years. Said problem is more prevalent today so I thought it was brilliant that the author brought our attention to something and showed that it can happen to anyone and at any point and place in time.
Throughout the story, you just feel an overwhelming sadness for Frieda as she can't see the good qualities about herself of which there are many. She is on a destructive path and those around her begin to see it and want to try and help her but Doris can't even reach beyond the walls that Frieda has established around her. She develops self loathing at what she believes to be her cowardice but I felt she was placing such harsh judgements on herself when there was no need to. Of course she should pine for, and worry about, her family but her parents sent her away for a reason and if they knew the state she had gotten herself into they would have been distraught.
It's when Freida begins work on a local farm and in turn the arrival of Sandra to work as a Land Girl that she begins to open up but it is not without its difficulties and matters of the heart slowly begin to come into play also. The friendship that develops between Frieda and Sandra was a catalyst for change in both their lives and it kept me reading even quicker to discover would there be a happy ending or would things turn even further sour with more heartache to come?
Sandra was a brilliantly crafted character. You could really see this young women go from being meek, afraid and sub servant to an impressive person who knew what she wanted in life and her confidence just seemed to grow and grow. Having been raised in an orphanage with her younger brother Alf due to the loss of their mother and their father being ill and then going straight into service, Sandra had not much worldly experience in many matters and it showed. The fact she was so innocent and couldn't stand up for herself said a lot. There were two characters mentioned when talking about the orphanage and I went back and checked. They were from the authors first book and the little connection between them and Sandra was a nice little added touch.
An unfortunate incident leads to Sandra leaving her employment as a housemaid and although it was traumatic and devastating at the time maybe in the end it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. It spurred her onto make changes and with the help of Olive Goodwin, the cook in the house, she got some small bit of courage in order to buck up and make the necessary changes in her life. The biggest one being that she applies to be a Land Girl. Being a townie she knows nothing about the countryside or farming but all that is about to change as she arrives in Leadburn and stays at the hostel established for Land Girls who come from all over the country.
Similar to Frieda, Sandra was so down on herself and it was simply because she didn't have the courage and confidence. There was something major holding her back and we all take this thing for granted every minute of every day of our lives. Coupled with the worry of not knowing what will happen to Alf during the war as he is fighting with the RAF, Sandra takes time to settle into the rhythm and pace of village life. She really is like a fish out of water but I admired the fact that she just kept going and she became eager to learn everything in order to better herself both mentally, emotionally and physically.
The little lost girl from the orphanage who has been institutionalised all her life certainly underwent many adjustment and developments. But it was all handled so carefully and sensitively but it never felt forced or rushed or that it couldn't be within the realms of possibility. Initially, there was a certain naivety about her and a reticence but when she strikes out of her own that's when she comes to the fore although as with Frieda she goes through some tough and challenging times and you do wish she would see what was before her very eyes and not let a certain opportunity slip through her fingers.
The Outcast Girls was a beautiful story and one I very much enjoyed reading. As the line on the front cover suggests this is a heartbreaking and gripping story that I am glad I did not miss out on. Shirley Dickson has created two believable characters who really get under your skin and you feel every bit of emotion they go through. I feel privileged to have journeyed with them and The Outcast Girls has reminded me that Shirley is a historical fiction author who is not to be missed.
December 20, 2019
I was really looking forward to reading Shirley Dickson's new book and i can honestly say i loved it.Being raised in an Orphanage with her brother Alf has been hard for Sandra but she had no idea it was going to get worse.Frieda a young German Jew is on her way to England to safety but she is still shocked that her brother Kurt jumped ship before it left port,alone and scared Freida is taken in by a lovely caring lady she calls Aunty Doris.Sandra has a hard life as housemaid but has a friend in the cook but things come to a head one night during an air raid.With no-where to go Sandra faces a bleak future untill Mrs Goodwin the cook takes her in.Both girls meet on the Nichols farm and form a close friendship that will help both of them through the aweful times ahead.I have loved reading The Outcast Girls and can highly recommend it 5*
April 22, 2020
Nothing like a non-ending
Whew. I love WW2 fiction. And I was fascinated by this book’s premise. What a disappointment. I never cried or was surprised or FELT a thing for any of them. I wanted to know how the girls ended up and was so disappointed. The book just stopped. It wasn’t an ending at all....
Whew. I love WW2 fiction. And I was fascinated by this book’s premise. What a disappointment. I never cried or was surprised or FELT a thing for any of them. I wanted to know how the girls ended up and was so disappointed. The book just stopped. It wasn’t an ending at all....
January 27, 2020
Starting at the orphanage that was the jumping off point of The Orphan Girls, we have Sandra – a long term orphanage resident with her younger brother and we have Frieda, a German Jewish girl who was sent from Germany to England with her younger brother for their safety. Unfortunately, before they left German, Frieda’s brother left ship, leaving his sister alone, frightened and worrying for him. Plunked into the orphanage and as the ‘new kid’ who was also different, Frieda’s worries for her brother aren’t soothed by the bullying or newness of her situation, and only her courage and hope helped.
Leaving the orphanage after aging out, Sandra finds herself in domestic service for a woman who ‘didn’t always’ appreciate her. When she learns that her bother is going to war, she wants to do her part and joins in the Woman’s Land Army which is where she meets Freida in the small village where the farm is. While the two girls have plenty in common and even their worries for their brothers are things to tie them together – the gentle use of their actual differences and approaches to each day and the world around them shows the strength of them both, and the support they gain from one another.
Make no mistake, there were moments in the story that felt very ‘here we go again’ as situations and some dramatic moments that felt more ‘dressing’ than ‘substance’ were here, but the story was clever and tried to provide insight into the homefront and the women of the Land Girls with a bit of a twist, adding in Frieda and her own unique perspective on both the war and her own worries for family. Most striking is the moments when both girls allow themselves a moment to wonder IF they’ll ever see family again, allowing the reader to remember just how ‘alone’ both of them are. A solid read with plenty of moments to enjoy.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Leaving the orphanage after aging out, Sandra finds herself in domestic service for a woman who ‘didn’t always’ appreciate her. When she learns that her bother is going to war, she wants to do her part and joins in the Woman’s Land Army which is where she meets Freida in the small village where the farm is. While the two girls have plenty in common and even their worries for their brothers are things to tie them together – the gentle use of their actual differences and approaches to each day and the world around them shows the strength of them both, and the support they gain from one another.
Make no mistake, there were moments in the story that felt very ‘here we go again’ as situations and some dramatic moments that felt more ‘dressing’ than ‘substance’ were here, but the story was clever and tried to provide insight into the homefront and the women of the Land Girls with a bit of a twist, adding in Frieda and her own unique perspective on both the war and her own worries for family. Most striking is the moments when both girls allow themselves a moment to wonder IF they’ll ever see family again, allowing the reader to remember just how ‘alone’ both of them are. A solid read with plenty of moments to enjoy.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
January 20, 2020
I’ve read a few of this author’s books now and each time she’s given me a captivating and emotional wartime saga which pulls at your heart strings right from the first page. In this book we meet Sandra and Frieda. Both are young girls, one from England and one from Germany. They have completely different lives but are brought together as friends during the perils of war.
I love this author’s previous books, so I knew I would be able to settle down and enjoy this one. Told from the perspectives of both girls, we first meet Frieda in occupied Berlin. She and her brother Kurt are sent away from Berlin onboard a ship heading for England, but just as the ship is about to leave Kurt jumps back onto land and leaves Frieda on her own. Sandra, along with her brother Alf, is an orphan and throughout her teenage years becomes a maid. She isn’t treated very well in service, and finds herself without work, money or a home. Desperately worried about her brother Alf, Sandra joins the Land Girls and here is where she meets evacuee Frieda who is living with her aunt.
The story is just so well told and you can’t help but be caught up in the storyline from the first page. Both of the girl’s characters were very likeable and whilst their backgrounds were so different, their lives now were similar in that they wanted to survive the war and find out what has happened to their brothers. I couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for both of them – Frieda in a foreign country, speaking a different language and no family, and Sandra, an orphan with no family to speak of and no home or job. I loved how they became friends, with Sandra definitely becoming more of an older sister or mother figure for Frieda to look up to.
The story flowed well and kept me tenterhooks, waiting to see what happened in the two girls lives as the war raged on. As in the author’s previous books, the scene was set wonderfully and it was full of emotion, heartache and most importantly friendships. It described perfectly how, at that time, friendships were formed in the unlikeliest of circumstances. A mesmerising read which shows, once again, how the people of England coped during the war, even under the most difficult of circumstances, thanks to the support and friendship of the people around them. Would definitely recommend!
I love this author’s previous books, so I knew I would be able to settle down and enjoy this one. Told from the perspectives of both girls, we first meet Frieda in occupied Berlin. She and her brother Kurt are sent away from Berlin onboard a ship heading for England, but just as the ship is about to leave Kurt jumps back onto land and leaves Frieda on her own. Sandra, along with her brother Alf, is an orphan and throughout her teenage years becomes a maid. She isn’t treated very well in service, and finds herself without work, money or a home. Desperately worried about her brother Alf, Sandra joins the Land Girls and here is where she meets evacuee Frieda who is living with her aunt.
The story is just so well told and you can’t help but be caught up in the storyline from the first page. Both of the girl’s characters were very likeable and whilst their backgrounds were so different, their lives now were similar in that they wanted to survive the war and find out what has happened to their brothers. I couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for both of them – Frieda in a foreign country, speaking a different language and no family, and Sandra, an orphan with no family to speak of and no home or job. I loved how they became friends, with Sandra definitely becoming more of an older sister or mother figure for Frieda to look up to.
The story flowed well and kept me tenterhooks, waiting to see what happened in the two girls lives as the war raged on. As in the author’s previous books, the scene was set wonderfully and it was full of emotion, heartache and most importantly friendships. It described perfectly how, at that time, friendships were formed in the unlikeliest of circumstances. A mesmerising read which shows, once again, how the people of England coped during the war, even under the most difficult of circumstances, thanks to the support and friendship of the people around them. Would definitely recommend!
January 31, 2020
It's 1938 and the rumbling of war has just begun. Jews are already being taken away, but Frieda Sternberg's parents have a chance to send her to England; so they send her away. There she is placed with a widow until the war is over. Sandra Hudson is an English orphan who has aged out and found a place as a cook in a wealthy home. But when the son tries to molest her, she is fired and takes off on her own. Frieda and Sandra both feel like outcasts and develop a close friendship when they end up becoming Land Girls. Due to the lack of male help because of the war, Land Girls were assigned to a hostel in a given area and assisted on any farm that needed extra help.
The relationship between Frieda and Sandra was so special. They both had individual problems that they helped the other try to overcome. They saw each other through first loves that weren't God's plan and didn't work out. They were strong for one another as they worried about their remaining family members who were caught up in the war. I hated to see this book conclude because I wanted to know what happened to the girls and Frieda's family after the war. Here's hoping Dickson decides to write a sequel because this new-to-me author certainly captured my attention with this wonderful novel.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
The relationship between Frieda and Sandra was so special. They both had individual problems that they helped the other try to overcome. They saw each other through first loves that weren't God's plan and didn't work out. They were strong for one another as they worried about their remaining family members who were caught up in the war. I hated to see this book conclude because I wanted to know what happened to the girls and Frieda's family after the war. Here's hoping Dickson decides to write a sequel because this new-to-me author certainly captured my attention with this wonderful novel.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
December 31, 2019
Best friends in hard times
Frieda and Sandra meet in England working on a farm milking cows. Frieda is a Jewish girl sent to England to escape the Nazi's and Sandra is an orphan working as a Land Girl. They become good friends and help each other through some hard times.
Both girls have brothers that are missing, Frieda's brother Kurt in Germany and Sandra's brother Alf in the RAF. They both have families that are gone, Frieda's an unknown fate in Germany and Sandra's no longer alive. They are both afloat in unfamiliar circumstances and help each other to adapt. Through the trauma of the war and through first love and heartbreak they are there for each other.
It is a heartwarming story of love and sorrow and an endearing friendship. A story of a town with caring people and hard work to be done. The story was interesting, the characters were wonderful and I loved every page. I would like to read a 2nd book with the continuing story showing the girls reunited with their brothers and happy with their own lives and families. I hope the author writes one and continues the story.
I would recommend this book, it is good clean reading , you will not be disappointed.
Thanks to Shirley Dickson, Bookouture Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of the book.
Frieda and Sandra meet in England working on a farm milking cows. Frieda is a Jewish girl sent to England to escape the Nazi's and Sandra is an orphan working as a Land Girl. They become good friends and help each other through some hard times.
Both girls have brothers that are missing, Frieda's brother Kurt in Germany and Sandra's brother Alf in the RAF. They both have families that are gone, Frieda's an unknown fate in Germany and Sandra's no longer alive. They are both afloat in unfamiliar circumstances and help each other to adapt. Through the trauma of the war and through first love and heartbreak they are there for each other.
It is a heartwarming story of love and sorrow and an endearing friendship. A story of a town with caring people and hard work to be done. The story was interesting, the characters were wonderful and I loved every page. I would like to read a 2nd book with the continuing story showing the girls reunited with their brothers and happy with their own lives and families. I hope the author writes one and continues the story.
I would recommend this book, it is good clean reading , you will not be disappointed.
Thanks to Shirley Dickson, Bookouture Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of the book.
January 16, 2020
Two young women, fearing for their brothers lives but determined to do their part. After losing her job in Service, Sandra is determined to do more with her life, and sets out to support the war effort by joining the land army. There she meets Freida, a German Jew who was sent to England to ensure her safety. Both girls are desolate without their beloved brothers, but they soon form a friendship that will see them through even the darkest of days. But the question remains - will they ever be reunited with their families?
This is one of those books thats just lovely. A nice easy read with interesting characters, an engaging plot, and just enough drama to keep you reading. I've read a lot of these sorts of books, and while this wasn't the best, it definitely wasn't the worst.
I will say though, I did feel that the synopsis oversold it slightly - comparing it to Before We Were Yours I feel is a mistake, as there are some fairly significant differences between the two. I really enjoyed Before We Were Yours, and so that was the main reason I requested this, which meant I was left a bit underwhelmed. Part of the reason was that this just didn't seem quite as well written. I did find the writing was at times a little simplistic - the language could be quite stilted, and there was a fair few examples of telling not showing, especially when it came to the girls emotions. All in all, it felt like the writing was just a tad simplistic.
If you're a fan of the genre, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's not going to blow your mind, but its a nice enough book to while away the afternoon.
This is one of those books thats just lovely. A nice easy read with interesting characters, an engaging plot, and just enough drama to keep you reading. I've read a lot of these sorts of books, and while this wasn't the best, it definitely wasn't the worst.
I will say though, I did feel that the synopsis oversold it slightly - comparing it to Before We Were Yours I feel is a mistake, as there are some fairly significant differences between the two. I really enjoyed Before We Were Yours, and so that was the main reason I requested this, which meant I was left a bit underwhelmed. Part of the reason was that this just didn't seem quite as well written. I did find the writing was at times a little simplistic - the language could be quite stilted, and there was a fair few examples of telling not showing, especially when it came to the girls emotions. All in all, it felt like the writing was just a tad simplistic.
If you're a fan of the genre, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's not going to blow your mind, but its a nice enough book to while away the afternoon.
February 15, 2020
War, Loneliness, Hope, Friendship
This is an amazing look into what life was like for those living in England during WWII. The story centers on two girls, young teens at the onset, neither of whom has living family to live with. The book details their first loves, coping, growing up, and a friendship both Frieda and Sandra develop and rely on. It is a beautiful story of survival even in the worst of times.
This is an amazing look into what life was like for those living in England during WWII. The story centers on two girls, young teens at the onset, neither of whom has living family to live with. The book details their first loves, coping, growing up, and a friendship both Frieda and Sandra develop and rely on. It is a beautiful story of survival even in the worst of times.
February 28, 2020
This is my first book by this author I found it really gripping from the start and I loved the characters of Sandra Olive and Freda It was interesting to see how their war progressed and Freda's eating disorder and Sandra's illiteracy was an interesting twist. I was sad when it ended and would recommend.
March 6, 2020
Wow, this was so wery good!
It may not have been intentional, but this story is definitely a one day read! I feel like I was truly there and expert all the tears, pride and happiness!
It may not have been intentional, but this story is definitely a one day read! I feel like I was truly there and expert all the tears, pride and happiness!
May 1, 2022
I really wanted to like this book more, it had a great story but lacked depth and the ending was very abrupt and I have a ton of unanswered questions still.
February 13, 2020
I really enjoyed this WWII story. It pulls at your heartstrings. My only problem was with the ending. I understand the story has to conclude at some point, but there needed to be some kind of resolution to both Alf and the curate's part in the storyline. They were both an integral part of the story, so the book seemed to have an inadequate and unsatisfying conclusion.
April 11, 2020
★★★★ 4.5 stars
THE OUTCAST GIRLS is the third book by Shirley Dickson I have read and I knew I was in for a treat. I loved "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" so when I saw another release by the author I knew I just had to have it. Dickson easily transports the reader back in time with her wonderful stories quickly absorbing us in life during World War 2. An enthralling page turner, we journey from Germany to England in this poignant tale of love, loss and friendship.
England 1939: After the death of their mother, Sandra Hudson and her younger brother Alf are sent to live at Blakely Hall by their father who is unable to cope. Soon after, their father also dies so the two children are left to grow up in the orphanage until the age of 15, when they must then leave to find a job. When the time came, Sandra is given a job as a housemaid in the Kirton household. But she soon discovers that life in the orphanage was a lot safer when the Kirton's eldest son Duncan comes home on leave. The only other servant is the cook, Olive Goodwin, who takes young Sandra under her wing and gives her a place to stay with her and her husband Tommy. Not wanting to be idle and yet not wanting to return to service, Sandra decides to join the Women's Land Army. A decision that is only cemented upon learning that her brother Alf has joined the RAF.
Germany 1938: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg lives in the Jewish quarter in Berlin with her family. Tensions are rife and before the Nazis deport them to concentration camps, the Sternbergs learn of the "Movement for the Care of Children from Germany"...where Jewish children are relocated and looked after by families in England. They decide at once that Frieda and her younger brother Kurt must be sent to safety. Their papa goes back to their apartment for the shop's weekly takings, a few precious possessions and photograph for the children to take with them for financial secrutiy...but he does not return, having been arrested as he left the Jewish quarter.
So Frieda and Kurt board a train, clutching their suitcases and identity cards, to Holland where they then board a ship that will take them to England. But at the last minute, Kurt jumps from the ship and escapes into the crowd leaving Frieda to travel to England alone where she doesn't speak a word of the language. Upon arrival in England, she travels by train to the north to Newcastle and ends up in a little village outside of Hexham called Leadburn, where she is given a home with Doris Leadbetter, the local postmistress. Over the months and years, Doris shows Frieda a kindness she didn't expect and teaches her the English language. She attends the local school but is bullied terribly by the other children for being German. Frieda grew to love the village and the kind widow who had given her a home, who she called Aunty Doris.
But at the back of her mind, Frieda could not stop thinking about her family back in Germany. Or her younger brother Kurt who jumped ship as they were about to embark on their new lives together. What had become of them? And would she ever see them again?
England 1943: Sandra is thrilled to be accepted into the WLA and is soon sent to the country to begin her work as a Land Girl in the village of Leadburn. The Land Girls reside in a hostel in the village and are tasked with their duties on various farms throughout the area. Sandra, never having ridden a bicycle before, soon learns its value when travelling to and from the farm she works on. But there is something else Sandra has never learnt to do...and that is read. So when letters from Alf and Olive arrive for her at the hostel, she secretes them for later when she can have someone read them to her...thereby keeping her illiteracy a secret from the others.
Upon arrival in Leadburn, one of the first things Sandra does is find the local church. She has made a bargain with God to keep her Alf safe and she will pray for him at church every Sunday. It is there she meets the young curate, Matthew Carlton. Sandra decides that as a man of the cloth she can trust him with her secrets, and so she asks Mr Carlton to teach her to read...as well as having him read her letters to her until she is able to read them herself.
One of her first jobs as a Land Girl was working on the Wilson farm milking cows, mucking out stalls and feeding the pigs. But as a townie, Sandra had never done such work before and the grumpy Mr Wilson - owner of the farm - had no time to teach her. It is there that Sandra meets shy German girl Frieda, who shows Sandra what to do. The two girls soon become friends and find that their childhoods, though different, were both difficult and they felt as if they were kindred spirits. Both girls worried for their younger brothers, miss their families and have low self confidence. While Sandra doesn't think very highly of herself being unable to read and thinks she is stupid, Frieda has been bullied throughout school for being German and has taken it upon herself to not eat for as long as her family is suffering. Both girls deal with their difficulties in secret until they find the strength to confide in each other and together they form a bond that changes them both for the better with their friendship.
Beautifully written, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is a story about two lost and lonely young women who find friendship in the midst of war and a happiness neither thought they would. Raw, heartbreaking and heartwarming, Frieda and Sandra's strength simply shines through the pages as they grow from girls into women, finding love where they least expect it.
Captivating and compelling, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is so heartwarming I was absorbed from the very first page and found myself becoming invested in the beautiful friendship between the two girls. I also love the characters or Olive, Doris and Matthew Carlton which added a depth to the stories involving each of them.
I have just one complaint about this otherwise wonderful story, and that was the ending. I found it just came to such an abrupt end that I was left feeling...what just happened? And it is that which keeps it from a 5 star rating this time.
As with all of Dickson's novels, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is an enjoyable read that shines a light on a different perspective to war in the way that it affects those at home and how the women do their bit for the war effort and keeping things running until their lads are home. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking but beautifully written.
My third read by Shirley Dickson, I especially love how pieces of her previous two - "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" - were cleverly incorporated into THE OUTCAST GIRLS. Blakely Hall featured in the first book, along with the friends she made there Dorothy and Esther (Etty) which were briefly mentioned. A nod to her second book with the mention of May Robinson and her parent's boarding house also noted. Having said that, it is important to note that all books can be read as standalones and do not follow on from each other...although they do complement each other. I thoroughly recommend them all!
I have loved Shirley Dickson's books since I discovered "The Orphan Sisters" and I continually look forward to more by this wonderfully talented author. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.
I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOutcastGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
THE OUTCAST GIRLS is the third book by Shirley Dickson I have read and I knew I was in for a treat. I loved "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" so when I saw another release by the author I knew I just had to have it. Dickson easily transports the reader back in time with her wonderful stories quickly absorbing us in life during World War 2. An enthralling page turner, we journey from Germany to England in this poignant tale of love, loss and friendship.
England 1939: After the death of their mother, Sandra Hudson and her younger brother Alf are sent to live at Blakely Hall by their father who is unable to cope. Soon after, their father also dies so the two children are left to grow up in the orphanage until the age of 15, when they must then leave to find a job. When the time came, Sandra is given a job as a housemaid in the Kirton household. But she soon discovers that life in the orphanage was a lot safer when the Kirton's eldest son Duncan comes home on leave. The only other servant is the cook, Olive Goodwin, who takes young Sandra under her wing and gives her a place to stay with her and her husband Tommy. Not wanting to be idle and yet not wanting to return to service, Sandra decides to join the Women's Land Army. A decision that is only cemented upon learning that her brother Alf has joined the RAF.
Germany 1938: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg lives in the Jewish quarter in Berlin with her family. Tensions are rife and before the Nazis deport them to concentration camps, the Sternbergs learn of the "Movement for the Care of Children from Germany"...where Jewish children are relocated and looked after by families in England. They decide at once that Frieda and her younger brother Kurt must be sent to safety. Their papa goes back to their apartment for the shop's weekly takings, a few precious possessions and photograph for the children to take with them for financial secrutiy...but he does not return, having been arrested as he left the Jewish quarter.
So Frieda and Kurt board a train, clutching their suitcases and identity cards, to Holland where they then board a ship that will take them to England. But at the last minute, Kurt jumps from the ship and escapes into the crowd leaving Frieda to travel to England alone where she doesn't speak a word of the language. Upon arrival in England, she travels by train to the north to Newcastle and ends up in a little village outside of Hexham called Leadburn, where she is given a home with Doris Leadbetter, the local postmistress. Over the months and years, Doris shows Frieda a kindness she didn't expect and teaches her the English language. She attends the local school but is bullied terribly by the other children for being German. Frieda grew to love the village and the kind widow who had given her a home, who she called Aunty Doris.
But at the back of her mind, Frieda could not stop thinking about her family back in Germany. Or her younger brother Kurt who jumped ship as they were about to embark on their new lives together. What had become of them? And would she ever see them again?
England 1943: Sandra is thrilled to be accepted into the WLA and is soon sent to the country to begin her work as a Land Girl in the village of Leadburn. The Land Girls reside in a hostel in the village and are tasked with their duties on various farms throughout the area. Sandra, never having ridden a bicycle before, soon learns its value when travelling to and from the farm she works on. But there is something else Sandra has never learnt to do...and that is read. So when letters from Alf and Olive arrive for her at the hostel, she secretes them for later when she can have someone read them to her...thereby keeping her illiteracy a secret from the others.
Upon arrival in Leadburn, one of the first things Sandra does is find the local church. She has made a bargain with God to keep her Alf safe and she will pray for him at church every Sunday. It is there she meets the young curate, Matthew Carlton. Sandra decides that as a man of the cloth she can trust him with her secrets, and so she asks Mr Carlton to teach her to read...as well as having him read her letters to her until she is able to read them herself.
One of her first jobs as a Land Girl was working on the Wilson farm milking cows, mucking out stalls and feeding the pigs. But as a townie, Sandra had never done such work before and the grumpy Mr Wilson - owner of the farm - had no time to teach her. It is there that Sandra meets shy German girl Frieda, who shows Sandra what to do. The two girls soon become friends and find that their childhoods, though different, were both difficult and they felt as if they were kindred spirits. Both girls worried for their younger brothers, miss their families and have low self confidence. While Sandra doesn't think very highly of herself being unable to read and thinks she is stupid, Frieda has been bullied throughout school for being German and has taken it upon herself to not eat for as long as her family is suffering. Both girls deal with their difficulties in secret until they find the strength to confide in each other and together they form a bond that changes them both for the better with their friendship.
Beautifully written, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is a story about two lost and lonely young women who find friendship in the midst of war and a happiness neither thought they would. Raw, heartbreaking and heartwarming, Frieda and Sandra's strength simply shines through the pages as they grow from girls into women, finding love where they least expect it.
Captivating and compelling, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is so heartwarming I was absorbed from the very first page and found myself becoming invested in the beautiful friendship between the two girls. I also love the characters or Olive, Doris and Matthew Carlton which added a depth to the stories involving each of them.
I have just one complaint about this otherwise wonderful story, and that was the ending. I found it just came to such an abrupt end that I was left feeling...what just happened? And it is that which keeps it from a 5 star rating this time.
As with all of Dickson's novels, THE OUTCAST GIRLS is an enjoyable read that shines a light on a different perspective to war in the way that it affects those at home and how the women do their bit for the war effort and keeping things running until their lads are home. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking but beautifully written.
My third read by Shirley Dickson, I especially love how pieces of her previous two - "The Orphan Sisters" and "Our Last Goodbye" - were cleverly incorporated into THE OUTCAST GIRLS. Blakely Hall featured in the first book, along with the friends she made there Dorothy and Esther (Etty) which were briefly mentioned. A nod to her second book with the mention of May Robinson and her parent's boarding house also noted. Having said that, it is important to note that all books can be read as standalones and do not follow on from each other...although they do complement each other. I thoroughly recommend them all!
I have loved Shirley Dickson's books since I discovered "The Orphan Sisters" and I continually look forward to more by this wonderfully talented author. Can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.
I would like to thank #ShirleyDickson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheOutcastGirls in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
January 26, 2020
A heart-breaking and poignant tale of love, loss, courage and the ties that bind, Shirley Dickson’s wartime tale The Outcast Girls is best read with a box of tissues handy as this book is sure to make readers tear up again and again.
The dark clouds of war have gathered and Germany is no longer a safe country for eleven year old Frieda and her brother Kurt. Synagogues are being set ablaze, civil unrest and prejudice are at an all time high and danger lurks around every corner. Trust has become an almost alien commodity for many people in Germany who find themselves trapped in a place that has seemingly transformed overnight. With Germany no place for young children, it is decided that England would be a better for Frieda and her brother. But on the crammed ship bound for their safe haven, Frieda is shocked when her brother Kurt jumps off back to land and disappears from sight.
Having spent her entire life trapped in an orphanage in England, the time has come for Sandra to make a new life for herself. Sandra cannot wait to start afresh and to make something of herself away from the shadows of the orphanage, however, the happiness she had thought would finally be hers after a lifetime of anguish and misery is fleeting as she finds out that her brother Alf is going to be flying bombers, leaving her alone and devastated once again. When Sandra and Frieda cross paths in the most surprising and unexpected of ways, a friendship is immediately struck and during these dark and difficult times, the girls begin to rely on one another and be a shoulder to cry on when all seems lost and desperate.
Sandra and Frieda are both worried about their brothers and about their families. Will they ever be reunited with their loved ones? Can they triumph over all the obstacles standing in their way? And will two letters destined for them reach them with news that will make them happy…or break their hearts all over again?
Shirley Dickson aims for the heart and does miss with her wonderfully written and beautifully affecting wartime tale, The Outcast Girls. Written with sensitivity, flair and compassion, this touching and beguiling saga is sure to touch readers’ hearts and keep them totally enthralled from the first page until the final sentence.
Sandra and Frieda are two terrific characters readers will instantly take to their hearts. Brilliantly nuanced and immensely believable, readers will be cheering them on and hoping that they will find the happiness which they seek.
A gripping and emotional saga that readers will not easily forget, Shirley Dickson’s The Outcast Girls is a must-read for historical fiction fans.
The dark clouds of war have gathered and Germany is no longer a safe country for eleven year old Frieda and her brother Kurt. Synagogues are being set ablaze, civil unrest and prejudice are at an all time high and danger lurks around every corner. Trust has become an almost alien commodity for many people in Germany who find themselves trapped in a place that has seemingly transformed overnight. With Germany no place for young children, it is decided that England would be a better for Frieda and her brother. But on the crammed ship bound for their safe haven, Frieda is shocked when her brother Kurt jumps off back to land and disappears from sight.
Having spent her entire life trapped in an orphanage in England, the time has come for Sandra to make a new life for herself. Sandra cannot wait to start afresh and to make something of herself away from the shadows of the orphanage, however, the happiness she had thought would finally be hers after a lifetime of anguish and misery is fleeting as she finds out that her brother Alf is going to be flying bombers, leaving her alone and devastated once again. When Sandra and Frieda cross paths in the most surprising and unexpected of ways, a friendship is immediately struck and during these dark and difficult times, the girls begin to rely on one another and be a shoulder to cry on when all seems lost and desperate.
Sandra and Frieda are both worried about their brothers and about their families. Will they ever be reunited with their loved ones? Can they triumph over all the obstacles standing in their way? And will two letters destined for them reach them with news that will make them happy…or break their hearts all over again?
Shirley Dickson aims for the heart and does miss with her wonderfully written and beautifully affecting wartime tale, The Outcast Girls. Written with sensitivity, flair and compassion, this touching and beguiling saga is sure to touch readers’ hearts and keep them totally enthralled from the first page until the final sentence.
Sandra and Frieda are two terrific characters readers will instantly take to their hearts. Brilliantly nuanced and immensely believable, readers will be cheering them on and hoping that they will find the happiness which they seek.
A gripping and emotional saga that readers will not easily forget, Shirley Dickson’s The Outcast Girls is a must-read for historical fiction fans.
Currently reading
February 2, 2020Okay
This is Dickson's second novel I have read. The Orphan Sisters was better. There are quite a few typos in this book, and it is distracting.
Frieda obviously was suffering from anorexia after having been teased that she was fat and from the turmoil of wondering about her Jewish family in war torn Berlin. She escaped prosecution and persecution by going to the countryside to live with a woman who ran the post office. She befriended Sandra, an orphan, who was fired from servitude with a rich family. Duncan, the son of the rich family, attacked Sandra, and the matron of the house fired her, blaming her for Duncan's indiscretions. Sandra went to live with Olive, another servant in the household. Wanting to find more for her life, she joined the Land Girls and ended up in the same small town as Frieda. Frieda also became a Land Girl, and the two of them made fast friends.
The girls felt like misfits and were able to commiserate in their misery and self-prescribed inadequacies together. Both ended up in relationships that were bad for them with men who were less than honest. They were both extremely young, and their fickleness showed as Frieda was "in love" with an Italian POW who worked on the same farm as her. Then she quickly forgot him after another LG took up with him, and Frieds was attracted to another boy on the farm. I guess when you're 15 or 16, you can be fickle.
Sandra fell for an American soldier, Brad, with secrets of his own. In the meanwhile, she had been going to see the curate, Matthew, at the church for reading lessons. She was illiterate, never having been taught to read or write in the orphanage. All along there was an attraction between the two, which each found difficult to do anything about since there were misunderstandings and the American soldier in the picture.
I found the girls' Land Girl work fascinating. They worked hard for little.
It ended in a very abrupt manner. I turned the page, and it was finished. Throughout the book, the author tried to tie in all the things Frieda and Sandra had in common, and she tried to end the book the same way, but it just didn't work for me. It needed a few more chapters to wrap things up more carefully.
All in all, it was an okay book. It needs some polishing and an editor with a good eye. I found it lacking in depth. I liked the characters for the most part, but things fell a little flat.
This is Dickson's second novel I have read. The Orphan Sisters was better. There are quite a few typos in this book, and it is distracting.
Frieda obviously was suffering from anorexia after having been teased that she was fat and from the turmoil of wondering about her Jewish family in war torn Berlin. She escaped prosecution and persecution by going to the countryside to live with a woman who ran the post office. She befriended Sandra, an orphan, who was fired from servitude with a rich family. Duncan, the son of the rich family, attacked Sandra, and the matron of the house fired her, blaming her for Duncan's indiscretions. Sandra went to live with Olive, another servant in the household. Wanting to find more for her life, she joined the Land Girls and ended up in the same small town as Frieda. Frieda also became a Land Girl, and the two of them made fast friends.
The girls felt like misfits and were able to commiserate in their misery and self-prescribed inadequacies together. Both ended up in relationships that were bad for them with men who were less than honest. They were both extremely young, and their fickleness showed as Frieda was "in love" with an Italian POW who worked on the same farm as her. Then she quickly forgot him after another LG took up with him, and Frieds was attracted to another boy on the farm. I guess when you're 15 or 16, you can be fickle.
Sandra fell for an American soldier, Brad, with secrets of his own. In the meanwhile, she had been going to see the curate, Matthew, at the church for reading lessons. She was illiterate, never having been taught to read or write in the orphanage. All along there was an attraction between the two, which each found difficult to do anything about since there were misunderstandings and the American soldier in the picture.
I found the girls' Land Girl work fascinating. They worked hard for little.
It ended in a very abrupt manner. I turned the page, and it was finished. Throughout the book, the author tried to tie in all the things Frieda and Sandra had in common, and she tried to end the book the same way, but it just didn't work for me. It needed a few more chapters to wrap things up more carefully.
All in all, it was an okay book. It needs some polishing and an editor with a good eye. I found it lacking in depth. I liked the characters for the most part, but things fell a little flat.
January 19, 2020
What a page-turner this beautifully written, heart-wrenching story is. Frieda and her brother Kurt are living in Berlin in 1938 when their parents send them to an orphanage in England to be safe. As the boat gets ready to leave the port, Kurt jumps off and runs. Frieda go to the orphanage by herself and is eventually adopted by a woman she calls Aunty Doris. England, 1937, 15-year-old Sandra is released from an orphanage to begin working as a housemaid. Her brother Alf joins the service. Frieda gets fired from her job and joins the Land Army where young girls are hired to work as farmhands. It is there that she meets Frieda and they become friends. This is a real tug-at-your heartstrings book as the two girls grow and learn about life while becoming close friends and confidants. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this outstanding book in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2020
Worst book I’ve ever read. It lacked depth, insight, and emotion. Overall, it was monotonous. I felt nothing and no connection to the characters at all due to the aforementioned flaws of the book. The build up was close to the end of the book (pathetic), but fell flat and just turned out to be a complete failure and waste of time once I actually finished the book.
Why include the story on the back of the book (from 1937 in the orphanage) and used as an afterthought.
And the book needs a new editor.
Why include the story on the back of the book (from 1937 in the orphanage) and used as an afterthought.
And the book needs a new editor.
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July 7, 2020I had great expectations of this book of historical fiction. The bombings of England were a focus as were the main character's family members going to war or being displaced by the Nazis. However, the story lines seemed rather simplistic and predictable, as were the main characters. In addition, the story ended abruptly. I give this book 2 1/2 stars.
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