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The Nightingales in Mersey Square
Can friendship save them in their time of need?
1940: When trainee nurses Clare and Gaye, alongside their new friend Diana discover that the war is forcing the mothers and children of Guernsey to seek safety in Stockport they immediately volunteer.
Yet, they each has their own troubles to Clare misses her family in Ireland, while Diana struggles to find her place in the parachute factory. And Gaye must hide a secret that could tear her family apart . . .
With the danger of war coming ever closer, it is their friendship and determination that will see them and the children in their care through. But can the girls and the evacuee families make a home in Mersey Square?
A heart-warming world war two saga of friendship and hope in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Elsie Mason, Maureen Lee and Lyn Andrews.
* * * * * * * *
Readers are LOVING The Nightingales in Mersey Square :
'I loved every page' 5*
'A brilliant read' 5*
'A work of art' 5*
'Absolutely amazing' 5*
'So heart-warming' 5*
1940: When trainee nurses Clare and Gaye, alongside their new friend Diana discover that the war is forcing the mothers and children of Guernsey to seek safety in Stockport they immediately volunteer.
Yet, they each has their own troubles to Clare misses her family in Ireland, while Diana struggles to find her place in the parachute factory. And Gaye must hide a secret that could tear her family apart . . .
With the danger of war coming ever closer, it is their friendship and determination that will see them and the children in their care through. But can the girls and the evacuee families make a home in Mersey Square?
A heart-warming world war two saga of friendship and hope in the face of adversity, perfect for fans of Elsie Mason, Maureen Lee and Lyn Andrews.
* * * * * * * *
Readers are LOVING The Nightingales in Mersey Square :
'I loved every page' 5*
'A brilliant read' 5*
'A work of art' 5*
'Absolutely amazing' 5*
'So heart-warming' 5*
384 pages, Paperback
Published August 10, 2021
39 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 17, 2020
I loved this book, it has everything that makes a good saga and this is an author to look out for! An emotionally charged and well written story with strong characters, I absolutely loved it - thank you!
My thanks to Orion Publishing via NetGalley
My thanks to Orion Publishing via NetGalley
December 30, 2021
★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)
One of the best things about reading so many books is the plethora of new authors that I would never have encountered otherwise. Having started my love of books in my youth with The Famous Five, my chosen genre has generally been mysteries and thrillers...but over the past few years I have found a new love in historical fiction. Particularly wartime sagas such as THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE. Lilly Robbins is not a name I am familiar with but the premise to this book intrigued me so that I found myself drawn to the tale that lay within.
Stockport 1940: Young student nurses Clare O'Sullivan, who is Irish, and Gaye Robinson, a Geordie, are in their second year of training at St Timothy's Hospital in Stockport in the county of Cheshire. They are enjoying a rare night out at the cinema featuring the dishy Laurence Olivier as the mysterious Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights" when the film slows to a stop and an announcement is made that there is a raid coming and for all patrons to make their way out to the shelter next door.
In the ensuing crowds, they stop to help the elderly Mrs Atherton who stumbles and falls, and guide her to the shelter with the assistance of the Red Cross. There they meet Diana Thornley, a well-spoken young woman a little older than themselves, from an obvious upper class background but who holds no weight in the difference in social classes. Diana works in a textile factory putting her sewing skills to good use in making parachutes from silk for the airmen who will come to rely on their special set of skills. However, Diana has come up against some indifference from the other women she works with due to their social differences, making her feel incredibly isolated at work. Which is why her new-found friendship with Clare and Gaye is just the tonic she needs.
The women call on Mrs Atherton in the coming days to see how the older woman is faring after her fainting episode at the cinema, and were thrilled to be received with such a welcome by both the older woman and her daughter Catherine. Mrs Atherton thus has a proposition for the younger women. It seems the Germans are advancing on the Channel Islands and fears for Guernsey falling under Nazi occupation becomes a very real possibility. And so women and children have been evacuated from the island and are on their way to Britain across the wilds of the English Channel, dodging German fire along the way, and Mrs Atherton working alongside the Women's Institute and the local vicar in helping these evacuees find accommodation here in Stockport. She encourages the young women into helping out, no matter their religion which is a concern for Clare who comes from a strict Irish Catholic upbringing, and they all band together to help the Guernsey families find homes here in Britain for the duration.
At once Clare and Gaye organise with their Sister in charge to allow them most weekends off to help out while Diana also makes herself available. Together they find homes for the evacuees and their families, as well as creating regular activities each weekend for the children so they are not bored or homesick. Gaye takes the singing lessons, Clare the knitting while Diana gives art classes.
As well as their volunteer work, the women continue with their regular jobs as well, meeting new people and finding love interests along the way. But as with any aspect of war forever looming largely over them, time is precious and each of them dare not waste a moment. But at what cost? And can the social classes cross the divide that separates them at a time when they all need to band together?
Set against the backdrop of Stockport, Liverpool and Manchester, with a fleeting glimpse of London, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a delightful read from start to finish. As with most stories set within this time period, it is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. And although it appears to be a standalone story, it could work well as a series as Clare, Gaye and Diana's stories continue to to unfold.
THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a light and easy read, despite the era, and the women are easily likable...even Diana's hypochondriac aunt Rosamund and her snobbish mother Annabelle, with the latter featuring briefly. I actually quite liked Aunt Rosamund despite her idiosyncrasies and myriad of excuses as to why they couldn't possibly house evacuees...lol In all, each of the characters shine through as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their faults and flaws, as well as their redeeming qualities that endear them to us all.
A truly delightful read, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is compelling tale of love and friendship in the midst of wartime throughout Britain's darkest days. I look forward to reading more by Lilly Robbins and any sequel to this wonderful tale, should there be one.
I would like to thank #LillyRobbins, #Netgalley and #OrionPublishing for an ARC of #TheNightingalesInMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
One of the best things about reading so many books is the plethora of new authors that I would never have encountered otherwise. Having started my love of books in my youth with The Famous Five, my chosen genre has generally been mysteries and thrillers...but over the past few years I have found a new love in historical fiction. Particularly wartime sagas such as THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE. Lilly Robbins is not a name I am familiar with but the premise to this book intrigued me so that I found myself drawn to the tale that lay within.
Stockport 1940: Young student nurses Clare O'Sullivan, who is Irish, and Gaye Robinson, a Geordie, are in their second year of training at St Timothy's Hospital in Stockport in the county of Cheshire. They are enjoying a rare night out at the cinema featuring the dishy Laurence Olivier as the mysterious Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights" when the film slows to a stop and an announcement is made that there is a raid coming and for all patrons to make their way out to the shelter next door.
In the ensuing crowds, they stop to help the elderly Mrs Atherton who stumbles and falls, and guide her to the shelter with the assistance of the Red Cross. There they meet Diana Thornley, a well-spoken young woman a little older than themselves, from an obvious upper class background but who holds no weight in the difference in social classes. Diana works in a textile factory putting her sewing skills to good use in making parachutes from silk for the airmen who will come to rely on their special set of skills. However, Diana has come up against some indifference from the other women she works with due to their social differences, making her feel incredibly isolated at work. Which is why her new-found friendship with Clare and Gaye is just the tonic she needs.
The women call on Mrs Atherton in the coming days to see how the older woman is faring after her fainting episode at the cinema, and were thrilled to be received with such a welcome by both the older woman and her daughter Catherine. Mrs Atherton thus has a proposition for the younger women. It seems the Germans are advancing on the Channel Islands and fears for Guernsey falling under Nazi occupation becomes a very real possibility. And so women and children have been evacuated from the island and are on their way to Britain across the wilds of the English Channel, dodging German fire along the way, and Mrs Atherton working alongside the Women's Institute and the local vicar in helping these evacuees find accommodation here in Stockport. She encourages the young women into helping out, no matter their religion which is a concern for Clare who comes from a strict Irish Catholic upbringing, and they all band together to help the Guernsey families find homes here in Britain for the duration.
At once Clare and Gaye organise with their Sister in charge to allow them most weekends off to help out while Diana also makes herself available. Together they find homes for the evacuees and their families, as well as creating regular activities each weekend for the children so they are not bored or homesick. Gaye takes the singing lessons, Clare the knitting while Diana gives art classes.
As well as their volunteer work, the women continue with their regular jobs as well, meeting new people and finding love interests along the way. But as with any aspect of war forever looming largely over them, time is precious and each of them dare not waste a moment. But at what cost? And can the social classes cross the divide that separates them at a time when they all need to band together?
Set against the backdrop of Stockport, Liverpool and Manchester, with a fleeting glimpse of London, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a delightful read from start to finish. As with most stories set within this time period, it is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. And although it appears to be a standalone story, it could work well as a series as Clare, Gaye and Diana's stories continue to to unfold.
THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is a light and easy read, despite the era, and the women are easily likable...even Diana's hypochondriac aunt Rosamund and her snobbish mother Annabelle, with the latter featuring briefly. I actually quite liked Aunt Rosamund despite her idiosyncrasies and myriad of excuses as to why they couldn't possibly house evacuees...lol In all, each of the characters shine through as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their faults and flaws, as well as their redeeming qualities that endear them to us all.
A truly delightful read, THE NIGHTINGALES IN MERSEY SQUARE is compelling tale of love and friendship in the midst of wartime throughout Britain's darkest days. I look forward to reading more by Lilly Robbins and any sequel to this wonderful tale, should there be one.
I would like to thank #LillyRobbins, #Netgalley and #OrionPublishing for an ARC of #TheNightingalesInMerseySquare in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
May 2, 2020
I am very happy to say that i have loved reading this book about Gaye,Clare and Diana and their lives during the war.Clare and Gaye are trainee nurses at St Timothy's in Stockport.One evening they are watching a film when the air raid siren went off while leaving the movie theatre an elderly lady takes a tumble as young boys run past them,Clare and Gaye go the lady's aid and make sure she is ok before going outside.A young girl had sent the red cross across to help them.After a night in the shelter the three girls become great friends and enjoyed getting to know each other and to becoming involved with the Evacuees from Guernsey.If i could i would give this book more than 5* EXCELLENT and well done to Lilly Robbins and i look forward to her next book.
March 24, 2023
The Stockport Air Raid Shelters are an underground system, south of Manchester, dug during WWII to protect local inhabitants during air raids.Preparation started in September 1938 and the first set of shelters was opened on 28 October 1939;Stockport was not bombed until 11 October 1940.There were tunnels in Brinksway in Edgeley,with the shelter excavations expanding upon the 17th century Brinksway Caves.The most famous was the Chestergate Shelter,it had luxurious amenities akin to a hotel such as chemical toilets,electric lighting,and a canteen.Then there's Dodge Hill in Heaton Norris.
People in the North of England were usually very generous,helping with clothes and shoes,arranging picnics,providing free tickets to cinemas and football matches,lending furniture and donating money for Christmas presents for children.Many held fond memories and grateful thanks for the northern people who showed so much kindness.If children or families had relatives in the UK,they tended to drift,with their single suitcase of belongings to them,to seek assistance.The psychological damage changed many evacuees,especially children and particularly those deprived of their parents,teachers,siblings and friends for 5 years.Some put up with,even though they hated the experience,most of the children had nobody to talk to about problems and abuse.It was not unusual to blame evacuee children if there was vandalism or something went missing.Most were content and more than a few children formed long lasting friendships with loving, and caring families that looked after them.
Anyone wanting to train as a nurse applied to a nursing school attached to a hospital and worked on the wards as an apprentice.Recruits were aged 21-30,and the ideal candidate was mature and reliable,someone who would fit easily into the hospital-an educated middle class girl perhaps,or a working class girl who was previously a domestic servant.Training was 3 years and pay was a pittance.In addition,the hours were long and the work hard.Time off was rare,and curfews were strict.City hospitals cared for casualties under difficult conditions.
People in the North of England were usually very generous,helping with clothes and shoes,arranging picnics,providing free tickets to cinemas and football matches,lending furniture and donating money for Christmas presents for children.Many held fond memories and grateful thanks for the northern people who showed so much kindness.If children or families had relatives in the UK,they tended to drift,with their single suitcase of belongings to them,to seek assistance.The psychological damage changed many evacuees,especially children and particularly those deprived of their parents,teachers,siblings and friends for 5 years.Some put up with,even though they hated the experience,most of the children had nobody to talk to about problems and abuse.It was not unusual to blame evacuee children if there was vandalism or something went missing.Most were content and more than a few children formed long lasting friendships with loving, and caring families that looked after them.
Anyone wanting to train as a nurse applied to a nursing school attached to a hospital and worked on the wards as an apprentice.Recruits were aged 21-30,and the ideal candidate was mature and reliable,someone who would fit easily into the hospital-an educated middle class girl perhaps,or a working class girl who was previously a domestic servant.Training was 3 years and pay was a pittance.In addition,the hours were long and the work hard.Time off was rare,and curfews were strict.City hospitals cared for casualties under difficult conditions.
September 23, 2020
I've just finished this beautiful book & if I could have given it 10 stars I would have .
I found the story both uplifting & sad, I loved the 3 main characters & I love Lilly's style of writing , the story is set in & around Manchester , Stockport & Liverpool & being a Manchester child myself it brought back such happy childhood memories of all these places .
I've been a huge fan of Lilly ( Geraldine O'Neill) for many years I've read & loved all her books & I always look forward to her releasing her latest novel & I hope she keeps them coming for a long time .
Highly recommend this beautiful wartime novel of love & friendship through the hardest of times.
Well done Lilly Robbins .
I found the story both uplifting & sad, I loved the 3 main characters & I love Lilly's style of writing , the story is set in & around Manchester , Stockport & Liverpool & being a Manchester child myself it brought back such happy childhood memories of all these places .
I've been a huge fan of Lilly ( Geraldine O'Neill) for many years I've read & loved all her books & I always look forward to her releasing her latest novel & I hope she keeps them coming for a long time .
Highly recommend this beautiful wartime novel of love & friendship through the hardest of times.
Well done Lilly Robbins .
March 13, 2022
Very Well Researched and Likeable Characters!
I really enjoyed this book as it was very realistic and picturesque. I felt as though I were in Stockton, England as World War II raged on. The main characters are three young women who have a strong friendship that helps carry each one through the highs and lows of their lives. Through air raids, helping Guernsey evacuees, factory work, grueling nursing schedules, loves, losses and time out for fun, the author gives the reader a compelling, true to life view of what life was like in small towns all over Great Britain in World War II. Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed this book as it was very realistic and picturesque. I felt as though I were in Stockton, England as World War II raged on. The main characters are three young women who have a strong friendship that helps carry each one through the highs and lows of their lives. Through air raids, helping Guernsey evacuees, factory work, grueling nursing schedules, loves, losses and time out for fun, the author gives the reader a compelling, true to life view of what life was like in small towns all over Great Britain in World War II. Highly recommend!
October 18, 2020
INTRIGUINGLY BEAUTIFUL
With grateful thanks to Geraldine O'Neill for once again producing yet another outstanding book. Stockport during war time with the lives of the trainee nurses Claire and Gaye going about there daily business there friendship with the very talented Diana the trials and tribunaltions that war brought too the trio of girls and how they survived heartache and love and loss.
This truly is a work of art and can highly recommend to friends and family who are looking for an outstanding book.
With grateful thanks to Geraldine O'Neill for once again producing yet another outstanding book. Stockport during war time with the lives of the trainee nurses Claire and Gaye going about there daily business there friendship with the very talented Diana the trials and tribunaltions that war brought too the trio of girls and how they survived heartache and love and loss.
This truly is a work of art and can highly recommend to friends and family who are looking for an outstanding book.
June 10, 2023
I must admit I really enjoyed this book and I was interested to find out about the evacuation of people from Guernsey. I would have given it 5 stars but it contains a glaring error towards the end which really rankled. One of the characters is told to use the Victoria line to get to Euston. The book is set in 1940.....the Victoria line didn't open until 1968!
November 27, 2023
Loved this book!
So many lovely characters and story lines. It was moving and funny. The fact that it was about evacuees from Guernsey was even more poignant for me. A really great book!
So many lovely characters and story lines. It was moving and funny. The fact that it was about evacuees from Guernsey was even more poignant for me. A really great book!
May 13, 2020
Wartime drama following the lives and loves of three young women from different backgrounds. A look at the evacuation of children from Guernsey which I wasn't aware of.. A good read.
September 12, 2020
Another great book by Geraldine O’Neill/Lilly Robbins.
September 29, 2020
Brilliant book ,I could not put it down.sad in parts and happy in others. I loved it all.
December 3, 2020
A superb WW2 read.
April 2, 2022
I just couldn't put it down
February 15, 2023
Lovely read, heart wrenching all that was endured during WW2
June 24, 2024
Loved both of these books.
February 4, 2022
Wonderful WW2 story about the loves & lives of 3 young women living in Stockport from different backgrounds & how they helped the evacuees from Guernsey both happy & sad times great read.
July 25, 2022
An enjoyable read.
May 2, 2020
Stockport Cheshire 1940. Irish Clare O'Sullivan and Geordie Gaye Robinson are nursing colleagues at St Timothy doing their training and war is raging. Diana Thornley working in the textile factory who's living with her aunt Rosamund and all three become friends through Mrs Atherton. Nightingales have to stick together they all also volunteer at weekends down at the town hall sorting and helping out with the Guernsey children and their families finding them all permanent homes so life is very busy for not much else. Oh this book what can I say it was such a delightful read right through. All the characters shine through as you get to know them all as the years during the war plod on. I found it a inspiration to read and enjoyed all of it and will definitely look out from more from this author in the future .
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews