Courage for the Cornish Girls

The Cornish Girls #3

by Betty Walker

April 1942. Enemy gunfire on Penzance beach brings the Cornish Girls rushing to the rescue...

Yearning for adventure, Demelza dreams of one day joining the fire wardens. But before she can do so, gunfire during a trip to the beach provides her with an unexpected opportunity to get stuck in.

On hand to help the wounded beachgoers, Lily draws admiration with her nursing skills and is offered an exciting new position in the hospital in Penzance.

And swayed by her niece, Lily's Aunt Violet agrees to take in three evacuees rescued on the beach, though they turn out to be more of a handful than she bargained for.

But even as the war rages around them, the biggest challenge facing each woman turns out to be one of the heart. Can the Cornish Girls help one another to open themselves up to love...?

Readers are dazzled by Courage for the Cornish Girls: 'Romance...friendship...orphans...family...women helping in any way they can...Don't miss this book' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A lovely historical war story. Can't wait to read what happens next in this saga...' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'How nice it was to catch up with [the Cornish Girls]. I so hope [they] continue with their antics...' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Plenty of twists and turns, well written, likeable characters and easy to follow. I'm already looking forward to the next in the series...' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A great read - highly recommended' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A lovely five star read! I look forward to the next one!' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Much loved characters that will stay with you, due to their courage, determination and patriotic spirit - five stars from me' Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Historical Fiction, Audiobook

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2022

About the author

Born in Ilford, Essex, author Betty Walker lives in Cornwall with her family, where she enjoys gardening and coastal walks. She loves discovering curious historical facts, and devotes much time to investigating her family tree. Her Cornish Girls sagas, set in World War II Cornwall, are now a popular paperback series.

Betty also writes under other names! She writes atmospheric thrillers as Jane Holland, light-hearted romances as Beth Good, and Tudor historicals as Victoria Lamb.

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demelza Minear works for her father at Hill View Farm near Penzance in West Cornwall, he isn’t an easy man to live with, and in 1942 most women her age are in uniform. Demelza and her brother Tristan haven’t been called up, because food production is needed, and when she’s in town Demelza looks enviously at the women working as fire wardens.

Lily Fisher is enjoying a much needed break from nursing with her family at the beach at Penzance, when a German plane starts strafing and shooting civilians. Lily starts administering first aid, one man is badly wounded and his sister goes into labor. Stranded on the beach are three evacuees Janice, Eustace and Timothy, Lily’s Aunt Violet offers to help, and she takes them home with them on the bus to Porthcurno. The children turn out to be a real handful, with everyone all squeezed into a tiny cottage, Violet doesn’t know how she will cope, and farmer Joe Postbridge comes to her rescue.

Lily is transferred to work at the understaffed hospital at Penzance, she’s reacquainted with Demelza who’s now working for the Fire Guard Service, and ambulance officer Robert Day. Lily and Demelza are both facing challenges preforming their jobs, every night the Germans bomb Penzance, Lily is busy tending the never ending stream of wounded and Demelza is checking the safety of bomb damaged houses and putting out spot fires.

Lily finds herself distracted by her friend’s brother Tristan and Demelza has feelings for Robert Day. Both Lily and Demelza face criticism and prejudice, Lily’s deceased father is half German and Robert is a conscientious objector. At the time when they should be able to have some fun in their free time, dancing, dating and taking their minds off the terrible war!

I received a copy of Courage for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. The story highlights the struggles young women faced during WW II, wearing a uniform wasn’t as glamorous as the advertising posters made it appear, they worked long shifts with very little sleep, rescuing and repairing broken bodies, helping families whose lives have been torn apart by the war and with no idea when it will end.

I highly recommend reading all three books in The Cornish Girls series, starting with Wartime with the Cornish Girls, followed by Christmas with the Cornish Girls, and lastly Courage for the Cornish Girls. Included in the trilogy are familiar and much loved characters, they will stay with you, due to their courage, determination and patriotic spirit and five stars from me.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's nice to start a new book and fall straight in with the characters as if you've never left them. I enjoyed the previous two books so much that the characters have stayed with me. I have especially enjoyed seeing Lily grow in her role as a nurse, she is so passionate and shows such courage which you will see when she tends to a man on a beach in Penzance.
Tragedy strikes when Lily is on a family day out, but it also brings around new friendships and hope and stability for three evacuee children from London.
Lily is thrown in at the deep end, quite a change from her usual role in the Convalescent home at St. Ives.
Violet, Lily's Aunt, is a housekeeper at Eastern House in Porthcurno and I really felt for her and the devastating situation she found herself in. I wondered what I would do if I was placed in Violet's position? I felt that she didn't deserve it and I felt anger towards the character who led to her demise. Violet is a lovely, strong character who loves Lily and Alice as if they were her own children and throughout this series she has been a constant support and to see what happened, well, I didn't like it one little bit.
This author really brings her characters to life and when I'm reading I feel as though I'm a part of their lives, living their ups and downs with them, and it couldn't have played out in a more perfect setting. Obviously the only downside is the threat of invasion and whether loved ones would return home to them - it is totally believable and the author writes with such feeling towards her characters.
There is blossoming love and also a forbidden love, new friendships and then fresh anguish for Lily and Alice - it's an emotional read, compelling, and I didn't want to put it down.
I just love this series and without a doubt, this is my favourite read of the year so far.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book and a lovely addition to the series. I enjoyed meeting old friends and also meeting new ones. The Cornish scenery is a delight to read about and I'd love to visit some day.
Violet and Lily have the lions share of this story and also newcomer Demelza. It was great to see Lily grow in every way. She has become an excellent nurse and life is definitely on the up for her.
I felt sorry for Demelza but was so glad things changed for her during the story.
Lily and her sister Alice receive news which is a real bombshell to them.
I'm still aghast at how women were treated in these times. Husbands and Fathers treated their wives and daughters like second class citizens. Even as grown ups they had very little say. In this way the war opened up the world for them in a way that would probably have taken much longer normally.
The hardest part about reading a series like this is having to wait for the next book. Looking forward to it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an early copy of this book to read.

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, a little disappointed with the narrator

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one .

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become obsessed with World War 2 historical fiction. After reading a few books; I quickly learned that I need to broaden my locations. It was not completely the same everywhere.

Although all of the books I have read have similarities, geography is a major factor. Some areas were hit harder by the bombers. Some areas had more military installations, secret and regular. Some areas were able to survive better for many reasons. I did not know what to expect from a book taking place in Cornwall.

I soon discovered Cornwall wasn't just a holiday destination during the war. In Courage for the Cornish Girls, there is a secret facility bringing jobs and risk to the region. Eastern House employed many people, but not all were good. There always seems to be that one person that has to stir things up, and not in a good way.

This person actually helped the story by forcing Aunt Vi and family to find a place to live after being sacked. Where they end up lends a lot to the story. After all living on a farm and producing for the war effort was a very important endeavor.

Farming isn't the only thing needed in wartime. The Fire Guards were important to the safety of those living in the villages. As an all women team, they risked their lives on a daily basis. (I hadn't heard much about them before this book. I look forward to learning more.)

What I enjoyed most about this story is that it seemed real. The struggles and conflicts were believable. I could picture the dangers the Fire Guards put themselves in. I could see the never ending working the nurses did for hours on end. They were short equipments. The were low on beds. Yet they made it work.

If it wasn't for books such as Courage for the Cornish Girls; I would continue to be naive. We all need to read more books like this one. We need to realize that war is real and it is horribly devastating. We need to realize that we need to work together to survive in this world.

[Nancy L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third book I have read in a series by Betty Walker and as good as the other two. It begins in West Cornwall, England in April 1942 and tells the stories of previously-introduced and new characters. They are all well-drawn, strengths as well as flaws. Violet and her mother Sheila, as well as Violet’s late sister’s daughters, Lily and Alice, are back. New are Demelza Minear, her brother Tristan, and their dour and sometimes-cruel father.

Demelza longs to leave the drudgery of their farm and contribute to the war effort. She joins the Fire Guard, whose members go in teams of two after German strafings and bombings, to put out small fires, search for survivors, and probe remaining buildings to ensure they are safe. Their mission is a treacherous one of which I’d never learned. The author evokes this early-WWII atmosphere so that I felt I was actually there. The government warnings to anyone living on the coast to prepare for the possibility of a German invasion were especially striking, as were incidents of air raid sirens and people in the area scrambling for shelters.

I would highly recommend this and other books in the series for any reader interested in the average non-urban Briton’s way of life in the early stages of WWII. Life goes on, romance goes on, but the daily situation is fraught with fear.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this lovely book

its nice to be back in the cornish girls lives again to see where they are....

in this book we meet demelza and her brother, we also meet up with lily and her family and two brothers and a sister who are evacuated from their homes to someplace safe during the war

lily and demelza meet under very strained circumstances as they both rush to assist a man who has been shot by a german plane, as lily is training to be a nurse she takes control of the situation and its not long before a ambulance comes and takes the wounded man to hospital unfortunately for his sister who is in charge of the evacuees she is also heavily pregnant and goes into labour...leaving poor demelza to take charge of the children

lily finds her life is about to change after the hospital visit with the pregnant lady in more ways than one as she comes to the attention of one of the doctors there

demelza life is also going to change drastically when she sees a sign for a fire warden whilst trying to sort out where the evacuees are going to go...

i love this series, it was lovely to catch up with everyone and see how their lives are progressing and also to meet new characters who just fit in

cant wait for the next book in this wonderful series

[Lucy-Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Courage for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
This is book #3 in the series & I think that having read one or more of the previous books would really help you understand the characters & their back stories.
In this instalment of the story, we are still in wartime Cornwall & the bombs are still falling. Lily has trained as a nurse, doing her bit for the war effort working at a convalescent home, but is unexpectedly transferred to a different hospital. Demelza is a farmer’s daughter, being kept busy with the daily work on the farm but desperate to escape her overbearing father by joining the fire guard, whilst her brother Tristan is struggling with feeling that he should enlist yet knows that farming is a reserved occupation & he is needed on the farm.
We also have some evacuees needing a new home, a conscientious objector working as an ambulance driver, Violet losing her job and with it her home,

The story essentially follows Lily, Demelza & Violet as they each do their part for the war effort & find themselves, and possibly love/happiness along the way.

It’s a great next instalment to the series & has everything that a reader would expect from the genre. Warmly recommended for fans of historical fiction with a hint of romance.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Cornish Girls series and I hadn't read the previous two before picking up the book, but felt like I didn't have to. There was enough background provided of the characters, that it could easily be read as a stand alone book.

This was such a thought provoking read, that really has you imagining what life was like during the war. The story was emotional and heart warming and I enjoyed getting to know each of the girls. I liked how their lives entwined to form one story line, but they each had their own story to tell also which was really well written. Character development in the book was really good to see, especially in regards to Demelza's father, as I really hated his character throughout the book but we got a glimpse of another side towards the end.

I liked the ending of the book and seeing how each of the girls had blossomed through the story and you could sense there was another book to follow, as some things were left unanswered and I look forward to reading it.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve so enjoyed reading this series and I’m so glad there’s another to come! I wasn’t ready to leave this little pocket of Cornwall during wartime and I loved catching up with these characters that I’ve come to get to know over the three books!!

In this one, we not only rejoin Lily and her new position as a nurse, Violet and Alice but also get introduced to a new character, Demeleza! It was great getting to know her and follow her life as a fire guard and her tumultuous life on the farm, under the thumb of her strict father. We also meet Tristan (brother to demelza) and Robert, a brave conscientious objector who volunteers for the ambulance service. And there’s Janice the evacuee who seems to be a certain causer of trouble…!

There’s so much going on and so many exciting story lines, it was great! I never wanted to put it down and it was immersive. Full of romance, friendship, strength and strifes, I honestly can’t wait until the next one to see what will happen and what they’ve all got up to!

[Danielle Amor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three ordinary women going about their lives and then along comes WW2 and their lives change forever and these women become extraordinary!

'Courage for the Cornish Girls' is not just about these women and their families. It's about the hundreds of women throughout WW2, who stepped up and took on jobs that the men would normally be doing, had the men not been called up to serve & fight for their country.

This book is a fitting tribute to the many women who 'done their bit' and also served their country in one way or another. And we applaud them for their strength and courage!

I really hope there is a follow up to this book, as I have to know:
Do Demelza & Robert marry?
Will Lily & Tristan become a couple?
Who was the mystery man at Violet & Joe's wedding?
And lastly, will Mrs Hopkins & Arnold Newton set up home together?

You become so embroiled in these characters and their lives and we're left wondering! What a cliffhanger!!!

[Sarahlovesbooks76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous installment of the Cornish Girls series.

Demelza works on her father's farm, but is desperate to get away from his tyranny. When she finds herself caught up in a German attack on the beach, she decides to volunteer for the war effort.

Violet is struggling with her new position as housekeeper at a secret military base. Can she keep her head, and look after the three new evacuees that she finds herself responsible for?

Lily is also caught up in the German beach attack, and finds herself brought to the attention of a local doctor who is in need of nurses at the hospital. Will she transfer, and can she come to terms with the events of the past?

I loved how all the character stories intertwined, and how those from previous books appeared now and then. A heart warming book, that has left me keen to read the next part!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series so this was an anticipated release for me. I have to say this was such a lovely read and such a lovely addition to the series. I enjoyed meeting old and new characters throughout the story, The Cornish scenery for me is one of my favourite parts of the book. Violet and Lily are the main characters of the story but we are also introduced Demelza which I actually loved her as a character. I loved seeing Lily grow as a nurse in this book too! I felt for Demelza throughout the story but things started looking up for her towards the end of the book which I loved. Violet has always been a favourite for me in terms of her character and I loved how she got her happy ending in this book, I just loved my time reading this book - Can't wait for the next!

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this book was a slow starter - not in an action sort of way but character-wise. I found it difficult to accept Demelza into my circle of friends. She didn't seem to fit in with Vi, Eva, Hazel, Lily, Alice and Rose. Also tossed in were three young evacuees - Janice, Eustace and Timothy. Suddenly the story was getting crowded with all these new faces. I sincerely thought about tossing the book aside. I'm glad I didn't. I started to care about what was happening to these new people, too. The pace of my reading slowed as I wanted to savor time with my new friends.

What amazes me most is how each book has a different feel about WWII. For such a small country, every small area has its own unique story to tell about the bravery and courage of the citizens fighting the war on the home front. Yes, it's all the same but only different.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful book in the Cornish Girls series of books. Wonderful characters that you will love and quickly associate with in a rural wartime setting. Each girl/woman in the book has a unique background and their own issues to overcome. I love how supportive they are to each other and how each individual story entwines with the others.

You will feel their emotions and share in their heartbreak and joy. While it isn’t necessary to read all the other books it would make for a better experience. I feel like I know these ladies like a friend.

A poignant and all round heartwarming saga. You won’t regret reading this book.

[Barbara Deeprose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Series

Book three in the series and we are back in Cornwall during the 2nd World War. Lily is working in a nursing home but is persuaded to move to work in the hospital as a nurse. Demelza lives at home with her father and brother but dreams of getting away. While on the beach in Penzance, there is an enemy attack and having watched Lily run to help someone who had been hurt, Demelza makes the break and leaves home to train to be a fire warden, much to her father's disgust. He says he needs her at home to help on the family farm. A good read which I really enjoyed, and hope there will be more in the series.

[Lucy Dunphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5...but I'll round up to 5. Another absolutely fabulous read in the Cornish Girls series. I read it in two days, just couldn't put it down. It was great to catch up with characters from the previous books as well as being introduced to new ones. I absolutely loved Demelza. Her determination and compassion were admirable. I can't wait to read more about her in the future. I'm looking forward to the fourth installment already.

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this Advance Reader's Copy.

[em]

I really wanted to love this one, and I blame my dnf more on myself rather than Walker because I have loved previous books of hers. I like the characters a lot, I struggle with the pacing of the novel though. I found myself struggling to stay interested, which is a shame!

The ARC of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #CourageForTheCornishGirls #NetGalley.

[Linda S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I like the author's writing style but I felt lost trying to figure out who was whom and I think that because this is book 3 in a series (and I did not read the first 2 books). I feel like this is a series of books that should be read in order. I gave it a few chapters then gave up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen Tebbutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Betty’s books and this one is no exception, Betty certainly does not disappoint. I loved it.

It was lovely to catch up with the characters again.

Beautifully written, easy reading and totally draws you in from the beginning.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Highly recommend.

[Emma Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book and so well written author has done really good research.

The characters are so well portrayed in the book and are interesting.

Look forward to the next book.

Well done.

Would recommend this book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lively series and it was great to meet new characters and new situations. Friendships, romance and family conflicts all combine to keep you engrossed.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, like catching up with old friends.

[Jennifer Cadge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riviting

I loved this book, it made me feel as if I was there with them all. A definite can't put down one

[Mrs Wendy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book it really drew me in to the story

[Fergal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Read as per previous 2 books. So much so I order the 4th book which is not out till next year.

[Jo Ericksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cornish Girls continue to deal with the ongoing war in their different lives which continue to be interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but didn’t realise it was book 3 in a series!

[J Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read with predictable storyline. However, if you have read the previous cornish girls books, this follows on nicely.