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The Steel Girls #1
The Steel Girls
When war breaks out, friendship will see them through
‘A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers’, Nancy Revell, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls series
Sheffield, 1939. With war declared, these brave women will step up and do their bit for their country
Housewife Nancy never dreamed that she’d end up in Vickers steelworks factory but when husband Bert is called up to serve, she needs to put food on the table for her two young children.
Betty’s sweetheart William has joined the RAF Reserves so she can’t sit around and do nothing – even if it means giving up her ambitions to study law at night school.
Young Patty is relishing the excitement the war brings. But this shop-girl is going to have to grow up quickly, especially now she’s undertaking such back-breaking and dangerous work in the factory.
The Steel Girls start off as strangers but quickly forge an unbreakable bond of friendship as these feisty factory sisters vow to keep the foundry fires burning during wartime.
‘Hardship, courage and hope on the Home Front’ Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Lavender Girls
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Readers LOVE The Steel Girls!
‘Enjoyed this lovely story from the first page’
‘I’d love to read more about these inspirational ladies’
‘A heartwarming story’
‘The bravery of these women was deeply moving, I loved it!’
‘I was so engrossed from the start’
‘A really entertaining, feel-good and heartwarming read’
‘A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers’, Nancy Revell, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls series
Sheffield, 1939. With war declared, these brave women will step up and do their bit for their country
Housewife Nancy never dreamed that she’d end up in Vickers steelworks factory but when husband Bert is called up to serve, she needs to put food on the table for her two young children.
Betty’s sweetheart William has joined the RAF Reserves so she can’t sit around and do nothing – even if it means giving up her ambitions to study law at night school.
Young Patty is relishing the excitement the war brings. But this shop-girl is going to have to grow up quickly, especially now she’s undertaking such back-breaking and dangerous work in the factory.
The Steel Girls start off as strangers but quickly forge an unbreakable bond of friendship as these feisty factory sisters vow to keep the foundry fires burning during wartime.
‘Hardship, courage and hope on the Home Front’ Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Lavender Girls
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Readers LOVE The Steel Girls!
‘Enjoyed this lovely story from the first page’
‘I’d love to read more about these inspirational ladies’
‘A heartwarming story’
‘The bravery of these women was deeply moving, I loved it!’
‘I was so engrossed from the start’
‘A really entertaining, feel-good and heartwarming read’
368 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2022
253 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 3, 2021
I love a good Saga series and was pleased that Michelle Rawlins has brought us The Steel Girls.
What a flying start this book has gotten off to!
I took to Betty, Nancy & Patty straight away, Betty and Nancy the more mature and quieter of the trio and each have different lives but they hit it off straight away when they meet on their first day of training at the steel factory.
I've read books before where women over took the mens jobs during the War. These jobs were absolutely necessary to keep the country running and to help the war effort, but the steel works is an industry that I know little about. Until now.
Although informative it in no way detracts from the story and this helped hold my attention.
How frightening for the women who ventured into new territory and had to keep their heads at all times for fear of accident or worse.
I did think once I'd finished the book that there was much more to come and I'm pleased that I can catch up with the wonderful characters and find out how William and Bert are getting on.
William, Betty's only true love, dreamed of flying Spitfires and has got his wish by joining the RAF.
Bert, Nancy's husband has joined the Army and promised Nancy and their two young children that he will return home
Reading this as fiction is heartbreaking enough, but to know that men went off to war in real life really made my heart ache.
This is very well researched and a superb addition to the Saga genre.
I look forward to reading much more from this author.
This is my honest and unbiased review.
What a flying start this book has gotten off to!
I took to Betty, Nancy & Patty straight away, Betty and Nancy the more mature and quieter of the trio and each have different lives but they hit it off straight away when they meet on their first day of training at the steel factory.
I've read books before where women over took the mens jobs during the War. These jobs were absolutely necessary to keep the country running and to help the war effort, but the steel works is an industry that I know little about. Until now.
Although informative it in no way detracts from the story and this helped hold my attention.
How frightening for the women who ventured into new territory and had to keep their heads at all times for fear of accident or worse.
I did think once I'd finished the book that there was much more to come and I'm pleased that I can catch up with the wonderful characters and find out how William and Bert are getting on.
William, Betty's only true love, dreamed of flying Spitfires and has got his wish by joining the RAF.
Bert, Nancy's husband has joined the Army and promised Nancy and their two young children that he will return home
Reading this as fiction is heartbreaking enough, but to know that men went off to war in real life really made my heart ache.
This is very well researched and a superb addition to the Saga genre.
I look forward to reading much more from this author.
This is my honest and unbiased review.
March 19, 2021
The Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins is a wonderful historical novel celebrating the brave women who did their bit in Sheffield’s steelworks during World War II.
The novel is set in 1939 as Britain enters the war. It is an unsettling time as young men go off to war leaving their families behind. Life was hard but everyone wanted to help the war effort. For some women this meant entering the world of traditional men’s jobs. For others it was providing childcare. The women did whatever they could.
War brings out the very best and the very worst of humanity. In this novel we witness the indomitable bulldog spirit of those left behind.
Life in the steelworks was dirty, dangerous and hard. The women faced the prejudices of some men and the unwanted advances of others.
The Steel Girls follows three young women from different walks of life who bond in the factory and form a friendship. It was an entertaining and realistic read that I enjoyed.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The novel is set in 1939 as Britain enters the war. It is an unsettling time as young men go off to war leaving their families behind. Life was hard but everyone wanted to help the war effort. For some women this meant entering the world of traditional men’s jobs. For others it was providing childcare. The women did whatever they could.
War brings out the very best and the very worst of humanity. In this novel we witness the indomitable bulldog spirit of those left behind.
Life in the steelworks was dirty, dangerous and hard. The women faced the prejudices of some men and the unwanted advances of others.
The Steel Girls follows three young women from different walks of life who bond in the factory and form a friendship. It was an entertaining and realistic read that I enjoyed.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
February 3, 2021
Book one, Vickers steel factory Sheffield, Sunday 3rd September the country is at war with Germany, and welcomes The Steel Girls, Betty Clark, Nancy Edwards and Patty Andrews, stepping into steel toe-capped boots, women are relied on to keep the foundry fires burning, they had the steelworks munitions to fight the battle for the next four years to come.
getting to know all these women that are all different , Bert husband to Betty, William is Nancy's sweetheart and Patty a feisty seventeen years old it's not what they all expect when they start together, but become such good friends through out the story.
What a wonderful delight it was to read this book, I was so engrossed from the start, and eagerly await more in the next instalment, women of steel are so courageous in everything they do. The author has captured it all in here. I loved it.
getting to know all these women that are all different , Bert husband to Betty, William is Nancy's sweetheart and Patty a feisty seventeen years old it's not what they all expect when they start together, but become such good friends through out the story.
What a wonderful delight it was to read this book, I was so engrossed from the start, and eagerly await more in the next instalment, women of steel are so courageous in everything they do. The author has captured it all in here. I loved it.
February 20, 2021
This was an entertaining and quick read! I found the writing style easy to immerse myself in and the characters likeable. I do wish there was less telling and more showing in terms of backstories and general plot points, but it was still a fun story!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheSteelGirls. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheSteelGirls. All opinions are my own.
March 27, 2022
1st book in series of women working in WW2
I love the novels about women during the world wars. It gives you a personal view of how they learned to cope with home, rations, working in formerly male only jobs. To miss your love ones fighting for your freedom was incredibly hard to cope with, waiting for letters can be another job to handle. Love the way you got to know about these women as your friends and co workers.
I love the novels about women during the world wars. It gives you a personal view of how they learned to cope with home, rations, working in formerly male only jobs. To miss your love ones fighting for your freedom was incredibly hard to cope with, waiting for letters can be another job to handle. Love the way you got to know about these women as your friends and co workers.
July 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. After reading book 5 and not realising there were 4 before, it answered a lot of questions.
Definitely worth a read if you like nostalgic books.
Definitely worth a read if you like nostalgic books.
May 4, 2021
I've been looking forward to reading The Steel Girls since I first heard that Michelle Rawlins was writing it. She's taken all the research, knowledge and first-hand accounts that she garnered whilst writing her non-fiction book, Women of Steel, and applied it to this, her first work of fiction.
The Steel Girls is set in Sheffield and focuses on the women who, during World War II, went to work in the steelworks for which the city is so well known. We meet Nancy, Betty and Patty, the girls of the title. Nancy is the eldest of the three, not old enough to be Betty and Patty's mother, but she becomes the mother figure of the group when she joins the workforce at Vickers steelworks to keep her mind off what is happening to her husband after he is called up. Betty puts her ambitions to be a lawyer on hold and Patty is really just after a fella to call her own. The women forge a strong friendship amidst the harsh working conditions.
I thought this was an absolutely delightful read in the saga genre, a gentle story with an undercurrent of pure grit. The women face not only prejudice from the men who think a woman can't do their job, but also the dangerous, noisy and dirty factory environment. I can't possibly imagine how scary it must have been to enter the building and be faced with the heat and the racket but Rawlins certainly helped me to envisage it.
This first book in the trilogy concentrates on the very beginning of the war, as men are called up and women learn to cope without them. I really felt for Nancy, Betty and Patty as they learned a new way to live, showing tremendous courage and more than a touch of feistiness. I thought they were really lovely characters and felt that the author poured her heart and soul into bringing them to life. This is a story of friendship, camaraderie, and just getting on with it. I'm really looking forward to catching up with the girls in book two, Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls.
The Steel Girls is set in Sheffield and focuses on the women who, during World War II, went to work in the steelworks for which the city is so well known. We meet Nancy, Betty and Patty, the girls of the title. Nancy is the eldest of the three, not old enough to be Betty and Patty's mother, but she becomes the mother figure of the group when she joins the workforce at Vickers steelworks to keep her mind off what is happening to her husband after he is called up. Betty puts her ambitions to be a lawyer on hold and Patty is really just after a fella to call her own. The women forge a strong friendship amidst the harsh working conditions.
I thought this was an absolutely delightful read in the saga genre, a gentle story with an undercurrent of pure grit. The women face not only prejudice from the men who think a woman can't do their job, but also the dangerous, noisy and dirty factory environment. I can't possibly imagine how scary it must have been to enter the building and be faced with the heat and the racket but Rawlins certainly helped me to envisage it.
This first book in the trilogy concentrates on the very beginning of the war, as men are called up and women learn to cope without them. I really felt for Nancy, Betty and Patty as they learned a new way to live, showing tremendous courage and more than a touch of feistiness. I thought they were really lovely characters and felt that the author poured her heart and soul into bringing them to life. This is a story of friendship, camaraderie, and just getting on with it. I'm really looking forward to catching up with the girls in book two, Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls.
May 7, 2025
Rigtig god roman, om livet under 2. verdenskrig i England. Kvinderne bliver bedt om at yde en ekstra indsats på hjemmefronten, mens mændene er ude at kæmpe i krigen.
Vi følger 3 unge kvinder, der har valgt at gøre en ekstra indsats. De har taget arbejde på det lokale jernstøberi og bliver uddannet til kranfører. Et job de før krigen, ikke ville kunne komme i nærheden af.
De 3 kvinder er meget forskellige.
Nancy er gift og har 2 børn. Før krigen levede hun i et lykkeligt ægteskab, men hendes mand, var blandt de første der blev indkaldt. Hun er klar over, at økonomien vil blive stram, nu hvor hendes mand er ved militæret, så hun vælger at tage arbejde for at afhjælpe økonomien. Og samtidig gøre sin del af arbejdet.
Betty er ansat på et advokatkontor og har et job hun egentlig er glad for. Men da hendes kæreste bliver indkaldt, føler hun trang til at gøre sin egen indsats.
Og endelig er der Patty. Hun er ung og har livet foran sig. Hendes verden drejer sig om mode, lørdags aftens dansen og at finde den eneste ene. Da krigen bryder ud, ser hun en chance for at komme tættere på nogle af de flotte unge mænd, der arbejder på jernstøberiet. Og så er det en chance for at tjene lidt ekstra, så der måske også bliver råd til en ekstra læbestift. Patty er ung og tåbelig, men alligevel er hun et sødt og dejligt væsen, som alle holder af.
En rigtig god start på serien. Jeg vil glæde mig til næste bog.
Vi følger 3 unge kvinder, der har valgt at gøre en ekstra indsats. De har taget arbejde på det lokale jernstøberi og bliver uddannet til kranfører. Et job de før krigen, ikke ville kunne komme i nærheden af.
De 3 kvinder er meget forskellige.
Nancy er gift og har 2 børn. Før krigen levede hun i et lykkeligt ægteskab, men hendes mand, var blandt de første der blev indkaldt. Hun er klar over, at økonomien vil blive stram, nu hvor hendes mand er ved militæret, så hun vælger at tage arbejde for at afhjælpe økonomien. Og samtidig gøre sin del af arbejdet.
Betty er ansat på et advokatkontor og har et job hun egentlig er glad for. Men da hendes kæreste bliver indkaldt, føler hun trang til at gøre sin egen indsats.
Og endelig er der Patty. Hun er ung og har livet foran sig. Hendes verden drejer sig om mode, lørdags aftens dansen og at finde den eneste ene. Da krigen bryder ud, ser hun en chance for at komme tættere på nogle af de flotte unge mænd, der arbejder på jernstøberiet. Og så er det en chance for at tjene lidt ekstra, så der måske også bliver råd til en ekstra læbestift. Patty er ung og tåbelig, men alligevel er hun et sødt og dejligt væsen, som alle holder af.
En rigtig god start på serien. Jeg vil glæde mig til næste bog.
May 18, 2021
I followed Michelle's story through social media as she got her non-fiction book Women of Steel, published and promoted. Naturally, I bought a copy, and thoroughly enjoyed it. With so much meticulous research, naturally there was far too much to fit into one book, so she turned some of the stories and anecdotes into a work of fiction.... and this book (and it's promised sequels) are the result.
It centres around 3 Sheffield women, who, each for their own reason, end up working in a steel mill. Mother of two Nancy is missing her husband who has been called up. She's also missing his wages, so her reason is fanancial. Betty's boyfriend is also away at war, she wants to do her bit so gives up her ambition to train as a solicitor. And flighty Patty, she just wants to escape from working in Woolies and meet some men!
Nothing could have prepared them for life in the steel mills, the noise of the machinery, the heat of the furnaces, and the shock they get when they're told they will be trained as crane drivers. But crane drivers they become, in spite of some negative attitudes and lecherous co-workers. Banding together the women become a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see what happens to the three in the next book.
It centres around 3 Sheffield women, who, each for their own reason, end up working in a steel mill. Mother of two Nancy is missing her husband who has been called up. She's also missing his wages, so her reason is fanancial. Betty's boyfriend is also away at war, she wants to do her bit so gives up her ambition to train as a solicitor. And flighty Patty, she just wants to escape from working in Woolies and meet some men!
Nothing could have prepared them for life in the steel mills, the noise of the machinery, the heat of the furnaces, and the shock they get when they're told they will be trained as crane drivers. But crane drivers they become, in spite of some negative attitudes and lecherous co-workers. Banding together the women become a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see what happens to the three in the next book.
May 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this gentle and beguiling tale from Michelle Rawlings about three women who had much to risk and sacrifice, but never-the-less stepped up to play an unexpected and vital role in the war effort. This was at a time when their loved ones were away fighting, with little news of what was happening to them. The work in the steel factories was hard, dangerous, dirty and difficult and they came up against resistance and prejudice from some of the men. I loved the way the women supported each other, both emotionally, practically and financially with childcare and household tasks too. The author clearly knows her history, and the balance between historical fact and fiction, wound together, was perfect. Nancy, Betty and Patty were beautifully drawn and the reader can't help but love them all. Looking forward to the next one in the series!
October 7, 2025
The Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins. (Audiobook read on Everand app)
Life changed for many people at the start of World War 2, this is the story of three women who answered their nation’s Call to take over the jobs of men who had enlisted in the military to keep the factories going in a British Steel mill in Sheffield in 1939.
There is Nancy. She goes to work at the mill after her husband Bert is called to war while her neighbors watches her two children. Betty joins her after her beau joins the RAF, she wants to help make the parts that might help him. Finally, there is the youngest Patty, her dad works there and Patty goes to work there in hopes of finding the one. All of Them end up working together doing the same job. What starts out strangers quickly becomes a band of dedicated and lifelong friends who Will meet the upcoming challenges together.
Life changed for many people at the start of World War 2, this is the story of three women who answered their nation’s Call to take over the jobs of men who had enlisted in the military to keep the factories going in a British Steel mill in Sheffield in 1939.
There is Nancy. She goes to work at the mill after her husband Bert is called to war while her neighbors watches her two children. Betty joins her after her beau joins the RAF, she wants to help make the parts that might help him. Finally, there is the youngest Patty, her dad works there and Patty goes to work there in hopes of finding the one. All of Them end up working together doing the same job. What starts out strangers quickly becomes a band of dedicated and lifelong friends who Will meet the upcoming challenges together.
August 23, 2022
This was my first book by this author, but I’m looking forward to catching up with the Steel girls again in next book. Set at the start of the Second World War we meet Patty, Nancy and Betty three women at different stages in their lives who come together as friends in Vickers steel works. We learn of the effects of the War on both the men away fighting and the women left behind. It is nice to see the great team work and pulling together that everyone did to keep the Country running while the fighting continued. A great read.
December 28, 2021
I quite enjoyed this book but was appalled at the number of spelling errors and in my opinion some childish descriptive writing. What happened to the proof readers. Having done proof reading in the past I found it difficult to overlook these errors of which there were too many. I have the second book and hope it will deliver a better narrative. Do not be put off for giving it a go it is pleasant enough light reading. These are my reasons for giving it only 3 stars.
September 5, 2021
This book was very interesting reading about the woman who to help the war effort ended up working in the steel factories.
We see the woman going through a few issues in the book with chauvinistic men and also some of them thinking the woman were there for their pleasure.
The woman Nancy, Betty & Patty are strong characters and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
We see the woman going through a few issues in the book with chauvinistic men and also some of them thinking the woman were there for their pleasure.
The woman Nancy, Betty & Patty are strong characters and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 11, 2021
Loved this book. Totally believable characters, makes me think of my mum growing up in 1922 having her own father in WW1 and the start of WW2 and she used to work in the factories as well. Looking forward to more in this series. Don’t want to spoil the book for new readers but it’s certainly a lovely read. Well done to the author Michelle Rawlins you have done your research
September 30, 2021
Brilliant read
I loved this book a brilliant start to a new series loved following the lives of patty betty and Nancy in the steel factory doing their bit for ww2 looking forward to book 2
I loved this book a brilliant start to a new series loved following the lives of patty betty and Nancy in the steel factory doing their bit for ww2 looking forward to book 2
December 31, 2025
I enjoy the plot of this book and will continue on in the series. My only dislike is how the author restates things the reader has already been told multiple times, to the point that I wondered if there was a word count issue that required it. Even with that it is still a good read.
December 11, 2021
Warm story of friendship
Good read about life for women in industry in ww2. Good characters and descriptions. Cannot wait to read the next book.
Good read about life for women in industry in ww2. Good characters and descriptions. Cannot wait to read the next book.
April 7, 2022
Betty, Nancy and Patty serve as role models of our women’s world of work. Follow their love, heart ache and work ethic as women steel workers.
December 5, 2022
All the books Michelle writes are fantastic, the books that follow these are just as good. If you like war time books then your in for a treat
October 3, 2023
Heartwarming!
Another of my re-reads, and despite still loving it, there are aspects of it which did irritate the hell out of me weirdly they didn’t register to me when I first read it but now are blatantly obvious.
Isn’t that weird, that your perception of a book can change on a second read?
The Steel Girls follows three women as they embark on their new careers in the notoriously dangerous and male-dominated Vickers, Steel Works in Sheffield during WW2, all in aid to help the war effort and do their part!
Betty is easily my favourite of the three, she is unbelievably kind and supportive. A calming statue in a storm always wanting to help others all to keep her mind off worrying about her sweetheart William who has gone off to be an RAF pilot. She throws herself into everything she does without fuss or bother, I admired her determination and tenacity for when things got tough.
Nancy is very likable, motherly, and loyal though a little too nice for the environment she walks into, but she soon bucks up and starts standing up for herself. However I thought her a little too hard on herself, and her constant worry over everything was a little repetitive at times. She joins Vickers after her husband Bert gets called up, not only is money tight but it’s a way for her to focus her mind other than fretting the day away.
Patty is sweetly naive, I thought her to be a little too self-centred and childlike. Laughably the only reason she wanted to be a steel worker was to find dishy men who would fawn over her. I hate to say it, but I did find her very irritating at times and a little empty-headed she tended to walk around with blinkers on oblivious to the world around her, except if it concerned ‘Patty’.
Despite my personal feelings for one in particular, each woman brought warmth to the story, they are very different and yet instantly forged a strong bond, and I am looking forward to seeing their friendship blossom throughout the series.
As I mentioned earlier I did have an issue with a certain aspect and that was the infuriating constant use of the word ‘mom’. It’s getting to me now as I type this, that one word and the number of times it’s used raised the hackles of this born and bred South Yorkshire lass.
It may seem like such an unimportant thing to be irritated over, but Americanism really got to me and took away a little of my enjoyment of the story.
I am fifth generation S. Yorks and I have never (ever) called my mother ‘mom’. My grandmother and my mother never called their mothers ‘mom’, it has always been ‘mum’ or in my case ‘mi mam’.
OK, rant over!!
So apart from what I said above, I did enjoy it and it would have been a solid five-star if it wasn’t for that word. I liked the ease of reading, I often find sagas can at times be a little long-winded, and the chapters feel as though they’re never-ending but the pacing here and the chapter length are perfect and flowed easily.
Another of my re-reads, and despite still loving it, there are aspects of it which did irritate the hell out of me weirdly they didn’t register to me when I first read it but now are blatantly obvious.
Isn’t that weird, that your perception of a book can change on a second read?
The Steel Girls follows three women as they embark on their new careers in the notoriously dangerous and male-dominated Vickers, Steel Works in Sheffield during WW2, all in aid to help the war effort and do their part!
Betty is easily my favourite of the three, she is unbelievably kind and supportive. A calming statue in a storm always wanting to help others all to keep her mind off worrying about her sweetheart William who has gone off to be an RAF pilot. She throws herself into everything she does without fuss or bother, I admired her determination and tenacity for when things got tough.
Nancy is very likable, motherly, and loyal though a little too nice for the environment she walks into, but she soon bucks up and starts standing up for herself. However I thought her a little too hard on herself, and her constant worry over everything was a little repetitive at times. She joins Vickers after her husband Bert gets called up, not only is money tight but it’s a way for her to focus her mind other than fretting the day away.
Patty is sweetly naive, I thought her to be a little too self-centred and childlike. Laughably the only reason she wanted to be a steel worker was to find dishy men who would fawn over her. I hate to say it, but I did find her very irritating at times and a little empty-headed she tended to walk around with blinkers on oblivious to the world around her, except if it concerned ‘Patty’.
Despite my personal feelings for one in particular, each woman brought warmth to the story, they are very different and yet instantly forged a strong bond, and I am looking forward to seeing their friendship blossom throughout the series.
As I mentioned earlier I did have an issue with a certain aspect and that was the infuriating constant use of the word ‘mom’. It’s getting to me now as I type this, that one word and the number of times it’s used raised the hackles of this born and bred South Yorkshire lass.
It may seem like such an unimportant thing to be irritated over, but Americanism really got to me and took away a little of my enjoyment of the story.
I am fifth generation S. Yorks and I have never (ever) called my mother ‘mom’. My grandmother and my mother never called their mothers ‘mom’, it has always been ‘mum’ or in my case ‘mi mam’.
OK, rant over!!
So apart from what I said above, I did enjoy it and it would have been a solid five-star if it wasn’t for that word. I liked the ease of reading, I often find sagas can at times be a little long-winded, and the chapters feel as though they’re never-ending but the pacing here and the chapter length are perfect and flowed easily.
January 30, 2021
I was lucky enough to read this book via Netgalley with thanks to the author and publishers in return for honest thoughts and review.
I love a good wartime book and this definitely was a good wartime book! I loved it and it had all the feelings of community, strength and camaraderie that I’ve come to know and love from these types of books.
Getting to know the characters was great. I loved getting to know Betty and her William, the lovable Nancy and her family and larger than life Patty. They’re all such lovable characters that you easily warm to so it instantly made for great reading. It did take me a while to remember who was who and I kept getting them mixed up as their names all end in ‘ty’ but I got there in the end! It was great reading about how each of the girls rose up and learnt to stand on their own two feet, gaining independence in their lives and war work.
We start the book at the beginnings of the rumours and rumblings of war, where each one of our main characters are jarred out of their pre-war lives to enter a time of hardship and uncertainty. The three girls are thrust together in a common goal to do their bit for the war effort, and they made some great friendships along the way.
The girls go through a lot together, leaning on each other through tough times. The book was a great representation of the anxieties of war, and the uncertainties of the unknown, not knowing if the husbands, fathers and brothers would ever return.
It was also an insight into the workings of the steel factories during the war, which I have to admit, I didn’t know that much about! I’d definitely like to learn more!
Reading about the girls learning the ropes and working their respective machines, training and encountering many a pig headed sexist male counterpart at the factory (and showing them girls could world just as well as men, if not better - girls unite!) was brill. With speckles of romance, family and drama along the way!
All in all, a really entertaining, feel good and heartwarming read.
I love a good wartime book and this definitely was a good wartime book! I loved it and it had all the feelings of community, strength and camaraderie that I’ve come to know and love from these types of books.
Getting to know the characters was great. I loved getting to know Betty and her William, the lovable Nancy and her family and larger than life Patty. They’re all such lovable characters that you easily warm to so it instantly made for great reading. It did take me a while to remember who was who and I kept getting them mixed up as their names all end in ‘ty’ but I got there in the end! It was great reading about how each of the girls rose up and learnt to stand on their own two feet, gaining independence in their lives and war work.
We start the book at the beginnings of the rumours and rumblings of war, where each one of our main characters are jarred out of their pre-war lives to enter a time of hardship and uncertainty. The three girls are thrust together in a common goal to do their bit for the war effort, and they made some great friendships along the way.
The girls go through a lot together, leaning on each other through tough times. The book was a great representation of the anxieties of war, and the uncertainties of the unknown, not knowing if the husbands, fathers and brothers would ever return.
It was also an insight into the workings of the steel factories during the war, which I have to admit, I didn’t know that much about! I’d definitely like to learn more!
Reading about the girls learning the ropes and working their respective machines, training and encountering many a pig headed sexist male counterpart at the factory (and showing them girls could world just as well as men, if not better - girls unite!) was brill. With speckles of romance, family and drama along the way!
All in all, a really entertaining, feel good and heartwarming read.
May 4, 2021
I've been looking forward to reading The Steel Girls since I first heard that Michelle Rawlins was writing it. She's taken all the research, knowledge and first-hand accounts that she garnered whilst writing her non-fiction book, Women of Steel, and applied it to this, her first work of fiction.
The Steel Girls is set in Sheffield and focuses on the women who, during World War II, went to work in the steelworks for which the city is so well known. We meet Nancy, Betty and Patty, the girls of the title. Nancy is the eldest of the three, not old enough to be Betty and Patty's mother, but she becomes the mother figure of the group when she joins the workforce at Vickers steelworks to keep her mind off what is happening to her husband after he is called up. Betty puts her ambitions to be a lawyer on hold and Patty is really just after a fella to call her own. The women forge a strong friendship amidst the harsh working conditions.
I thought this was an absolutely delightful read in the saga genre, a gentle story with an undercurrent of pure grit. The women face not only prejudice from the men who think a woman can't do their job, but also the dangerous, noisy and dirty factory environment. I can't possibly imagine how scary it must have been to enter the building and be faced with the heat and the racket but Rawlins certainly helped me to envisage it.
This first book in the trilogy concentrates on the very beginning of the war, as men are called up and women learn to cope without them. I really felt for Nancy, Betty and Patty as they learned a new way to live, showing tremendous courage and more than a touch of feistiness. I thought they were really lovely characters and felt that the author poured her heart and soul into bringing them to life. This is a story of friendship, camaraderie, and just getting on with it. I'm really looking forward to catching up with the girls in book two, Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls.
The Steel Girls is set in Sheffield and focuses on the women who, during World War II, went to work in the steelworks for which the city is so well known. We meet Nancy, Betty and Patty, the girls of the title. Nancy is the eldest of the three, not old enough to be Betty and Patty's mother, but she becomes the mother figure of the group when she joins the workforce at Vickers steelworks to keep her mind off what is happening to her husband after he is called up. Betty puts her ambitions to be a lawyer on hold and Patty is really just after a fella to call her own. The women forge a strong friendship amidst the harsh working conditions.
I thought this was an absolutely delightful read in the saga genre, a gentle story with an undercurrent of pure grit. The women face not only prejudice from the men who think a woman can't do their job, but also the dangerous, noisy and dirty factory environment. I can't possibly imagine how scary it must have been to enter the building and be faced with the heat and the racket but Rawlins certainly helped me to envisage it.
This first book in the trilogy concentrates on the very beginning of the war, as men are called up and women learn to cope without them. I really felt for Nancy, Betty and Patty as they learned a new way to live, showing tremendous courage and more than a touch of feistiness. I thought they were really lovely characters and felt that the author poured her heart and soul into bringing them to life. This is a story of friendship, camaraderie, and just getting on with it. I'm really looking forward to catching up with the girls in book two, Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls.
May 2, 2021
This book was incredible, it did take me a while to get used to the characters and remember who they were but once I did I was hooked. The story was just so welcoming and I couldn’t put it down, the characters were all such friendly and amazing characters that you just felt like they were your friends. The storyline was amazing also and I was so invested with the love interest in this story and just couldn’t wait to see what happened. This is the first book in a series so will definitely carry on when the next one comes out but will also look at other books by this author now, I loved it!
February 22, 2021
Really enjoyed this lovely tale based in Sheffield 1939. it was easy reading from page one and gave me a great insight into the Sheffield Steelworks factory and how the women felt honoured to volunteer to help with the war effort. It follows the friendship of Nancy, Betty and Pattie. It was a heartwarming story and I loved the way their friendships and lifestyles were explored.
March 4, 2021
Another excellent story based on what women stepped up to do in ww2
Loved it
Loved it
April 28, 2021
A fantastic book about the steel girls at Vickers Sheffield. The lives of Nancy Betty and Patty change when they start work st the steel factory as the men join up to fight Hitler.
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