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We Happy Few
As part of the city’s war effort, Polly Tremblay decides to train and work as a welder at the Halifax Shipyards. Affirmed by her work, Polly’s journey toward personal and professional independence begins. Soon, Victory in Europe is declared and Halifax erupts into riotous chaos - along with Polly’s future. Navigating the V.-E. Day mobs, Polly searches for her mother, the courage to forge her own path, and the soul of the city she adores.
Inspired by the real-life Halifax Five (a group of wartime female welders from across Nova Scotia), Aren A. Morris shares the provocative story of an exceptional young woman torn between being true to herself or the expectations of others. At its heart, We Happy Few is about women's work and pleasure, and who gets to decide what that is.
Inspired by the real-life Halifax Five (a group of wartime female welders from across Nova Scotia), Aren A. Morris shares the provocative story of an exceptional young woman torn between being true to herself or the expectations of others. At its heart, We Happy Few is about women's work and pleasure, and who gets to decide what that is.
- GenresFiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2022
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 22, 2022
Well Aren Morris you have done it. You have given this reader a "done in one sitting"read and I could not have enjoyed it more! Present day ceased to exist and I was in war time Halifax with Polly - your story's main character. Polly, whose father told her every day that she was every bit as good as any man. Yet her reality was exactly the opposite. I ached with her passion and her guilt. I embraced her spirit and her ability to go forward with conviction, no matter the cost to herself. I admired her tenacity and skills. With each word you wrote you gave me more reason to respect her decisions during a time in history when women were not encouraged to do all the things she wanted to do.
I marked pages and passages with Post-it notes and returned to them now for my review. I love re-reading each one I carefully marked. Tension building and parallel storylines kept this reader enthralled. Vivid descriptions of wartime Halifax and in particular the explanations for the rioting that took place there during the time victory was announced, are captivating. It is obvious that much research and thought went into the crafting of this story.
I was keenly aware of the period of time when this story took place. The disparity between the views of acceptable behaviour for men vs. women were clearly drawn through how the actions of female characters were viewed so differently from the actions of their male counterparts.
Polly wonders - "Why do I have to prove myself every day while the men I work with feel perfectly safe?"
Passages like "...I'm muddling through this war like everyone else, trying to figure out who I am when death and sacrifice are everywhere. Maybe not my death, but..." struck every reader chord and every reader nerve I have.
"Here were the results of a city underprepared for wartime growth, a city caught napping, while it quickly became one of the most crucial ports in North America as the allies fought the Germans."
I appreciate all the unknown facts I discovered while reading this fictional account. In particular the story of the real-life Halifax Five (a group of wartime female welders from across Nova Scotia). Fact is seamlessly woven with fiction and details are rich, but never bog down the story told expertly in only 192 pages.
Aren Morris I will eternally be on the fence between loving you and hating you for what you did with the ending! Brilliant.
I marked pages and passages with Post-it notes and returned to them now for my review. I love re-reading each one I carefully marked. Tension building and parallel storylines kept this reader enthralled. Vivid descriptions of wartime Halifax and in particular the explanations for the rioting that took place there during the time victory was announced, are captivating. It is obvious that much research and thought went into the crafting of this story.
I was keenly aware of the period of time when this story took place. The disparity between the views of acceptable behaviour for men vs. women were clearly drawn through how the actions of female characters were viewed so differently from the actions of their male counterparts.
Polly wonders - "Why do I have to prove myself every day while the men I work with feel perfectly safe?"
Passages like "...I'm muddling through this war like everyone else, trying to figure out who I am when death and sacrifice are everywhere. Maybe not my death, but..." struck every reader chord and every reader nerve I have.
"Here were the results of a city underprepared for wartime growth, a city caught napping, while it quickly became one of the most crucial ports in North America as the allies fought the Germans."
I appreciate all the unknown facts I discovered while reading this fictional account. In particular the story of the real-life Halifax Five (a group of wartime female welders from across Nova Scotia). Fact is seamlessly woven with fiction and details are rich, but never bog down the story told expertly in only 192 pages.
Aren Morris I will eternally be on the fence between loving you and hating you for what you did with the ending! Brilliant.
July 17, 2022
Quick read that sucked me right in. Didn’t love the ending but it was the ending it needed I think. Love reading about the history of my city! And my husband knows the author so it’s extra neat.
October 7, 2022
This story has left me breathless. Local Nova Scotia history, a woman's insight into struggling, and thriving, through wartime, this story offered a wealth of different perspectives and helped me embrace a different view of war. The story stung, it broke my heart, it filled me in on moments of local Halifax possibilities during wartime and peace time.
Polly, the main character outside of the setting and time, is the embodiment of indecision mixed with confidence. Learning who she is through a tragic time of soldiers lost, families gained and labyrinths navigated, Polly is a firecracker in a world that remains in the dark as to its full potential.
The spicy scenes are definitely filled with unbridled passion, questions and answers while the heartbreaking ones are sweet, thought-provoking and all together make for a wild historic filled ride with big emotions so relevant in the present day.
The amount of questions this story has sparked with in me is astronomical, both with respect to the story itself and my own internal chaos.
I am so glad this author found the right home for her brilliant story.
Polly, the main character outside of the setting and time, is the embodiment of indecision mixed with confidence. Learning who she is through a tragic time of soldiers lost, families gained and labyrinths navigated, Polly is a firecracker in a world that remains in the dark as to its full potential.
The spicy scenes are definitely filled with unbridled passion, questions and answers while the heartbreaking ones are sweet, thought-provoking and all together make for a wild historic filled ride with big emotions so relevant in the present day.
The amount of questions this story has sparked with in me is astronomical, both with respect to the story itself and my own internal chaos.
I am so glad this author found the right home for her brilliant story.
October 25, 2022
I enjoyed the Halifax geography in this book, and found the VE Day history brought the celebrations to life better than newspaper accounts I've read. There was less history of the women who worked at the Shipyards than I'd have liked, and less explanation of the actual welding work done on damaged ships, but the book exemplified the wartime need for women to do jobs that were previously considered men's work. Like many working women at the time, Polly had a reluctance to return to a traditional woman's role as wife, homemaker, and mother, and the reader wonders if her love for a merchant sailor will be strong enough to change her mind.
A regular chronology would have helped me better follow Polly's adventures with the men she entertained, yet it was exciting to read the victory celebrations in every second chapter. I liked her welding skills becoming part of a life-or-death situation, but I didn't quite like Polly. Seb was a sympathetic character, whose story did not end the way I'd have liked, and the book was much too sexually explicit for my taste. But the story around the graphic bits was sufficiently interesting to keep me reading to what I might call the bitter end.
A regular chronology would have helped me better follow Polly's adventures with the men she entertained, yet it was exciting to read the victory celebrations in every second chapter. I liked her welding skills becoming part of a life-or-death situation, but I didn't quite like Polly. Seb was a sympathetic character, whose story did not end the way I'd have liked, and the book was much too sexually explicit for my taste. But the story around the graphic bits was sufficiently interesting to keep me reading to what I might call the bitter end.
April 4, 2023
I devoured this book in a single sitting. Beautifully written character driven story set in Halifax Nova Scotia on the day of the VE riots. It explores what happens with Polly Tremblay, a white woman in Halifax, whose destiny seems set in stone at the outset of the war -- to marry and have children -- is thrown up in the air when she has the chance to work as a welder in the shipyards. Morris portrays her characters as real, complex beings, and brings that era of Halifax vividly to life. I'd follow Polly through another book, not gonna lie.
July 11, 2022
What a lovely debut!
Morris does an excellent job of turning back the clock and reminding us that all throughout history, women have struggled with the roles and expectations thrust upon them. Told with love, a respect and deep understanding for the importance of setting, and a little bit of spice, I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Most importantly, I can't wait for whatever comes next.
Morris does an excellent job of turning back the clock and reminding us that all throughout history, women have struggled with the roles and expectations thrust upon them. Told with love, a respect and deep understanding for the importance of setting, and a little bit of spice, I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Most importantly, I can't wait for whatever comes next.
August 1, 2023
Got a signed copy of this book from a local book shop and am happy to support local writers. It has way more sexy time content than I was expecting and much less on the main character actually working during the war (all well and good, I just thought women welders would be cool to read about). I was a bit disappointed in the ending because Polly was back and forth on what she wanted in life but always fell back on not being a housewife and mother (heck yes!). She then agrees to marry her boyfriend anyway (knowing marriage and children are important to him), then just up and leaves him. Not cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 21, 2022Very well done my friend. You kept me reading till the end. I haven't read a book cover to cover in 24hr ish in a very long time. I was not expecting that ending. Very well done and researched. Looking forward to a sequel.
July 3, 2022
A wonderful perspective on breaking from tradition, this liberating story of self awareness, love, hard work and coming of age highlights female empowerment in an era of gender biases.
October 10, 2023
Disappointing and confusing - each chapter jumps around in time. I was hoping for more history
July 7, 2022
We Happy Few shares wartime Halifax through the lens of a young, independent woman, who struggled with the changes, challenges and experiences many women faced during WWII, as traditional female roles in society shifted and empowered women to see another path in their future. Polly’s story was relatable and kept you intrigued throughout the novel (and for me, even after… I keep thinking about what happened to Polly after the book). Plus, reading a story about the city I call home made it even better!
It only took me a week to finish, and it would have been sooner if life hadn’t gotten in the way! Congratulations to Aren A. Morris on such a fantastic debut novel. I can only imagine the work that went into creating the story, along with the research and historical fact checking. I can’t wait to read more from the author!
It only took me a week to finish, and it would have been sooner if life hadn’t gotten in the way! Congratulations to Aren A. Morris on such a fantastic debut novel. I can only imagine the work that went into creating the story, along with the research and historical fact checking. I can’t wait to read more from the author!
July 11, 2022
Excellent book. Very well written and extremely engaging. Loved the strong female character. Ending did not disappoint. Wonderful first novel by Aren Morris!
May 23, 2022
Really great read! I loved how the main character was so real, showing the good and bad. Very refreshing! I think that any woman can really relate with Polly's inner struggles.
October 26, 2025
Aren A. Morris’ debut Historical Fiction novel, ‘We Happy Few’, was an interesting short story set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the Second World War. I really enjoyed reading and learning about the V.E Day (Victory in Europe) riots in Halifax. The hours of May 7th and 8th (1945) were so well described that you could see in your mind’s eye what the city was going through at the time.
“Here were the results of a city underprepared for wartime growth, a city caught napping, while it quickly became one of the most crucial ports in North America as the Allies fought the Germans.” Pg 152
I adored the cover of the book, with our town clock pictured, fitting as it was mentioned several times throughout the story.
“Here were the results of a city underprepared for wartime growth, a city caught napping, while it quickly became one of the most crucial ports in North America as the Allies fought the Germans.” Pg 152
I adored the cover of the book, with our town clock pictured, fitting as it was mentioned several times throughout the story.
September 27, 2022
I recently read the book We Happy Few by Aren Morris. What an amazing job she did on your first publication. It is exquisitely written. The character development is so well done. The love scenes are superbly and maturely written. The author perfectly captured the emotions of the characters in those intimate moments. I grew to be quite fond of “Polly” and her independent and tenacious nature....pushing back on the dictates of society. I so admired that. However, I really hope she and Seb end up together. I'm hoping they can find a compromise. The author crafted many phrases and thoughts that were conspicuously unique. They captured my attention. I loved the story, and can't wait for your next book.
August 12, 2022
We Happy Few was an immersive and captivating read. Morris was able to breathe new life into an old but important story of wartime in a maritime city. I found myself seeing Halifax in a new light as I learned some incredible history that I was not aware of, all through Polly's juvenescent eyes.
I felt a kinship with Polly as I watched her grow from the girl she was to the woman she becomes throughout the course of the book. The book explores themes of independence, sexuality, freedom and exploring ones own compass. I would highly recommend it!
I felt a kinship with Polly as I watched her grow from the girl she was to the woman she becomes throughout the course of the book. The book explores themes of independence, sexuality, freedom and exploring ones own compass. I would highly recommend it!
September 28, 2022
What a wonderful walk through wartime Halifax.
Aren does a splendid job of bringing the city to life during WWll. The main character, Polly Tremblay, is fully developed and not what I expected. She is a modern woman in a man’s world - not afraid or ashamed to explore her sexuality and strive for an authentic life even if it means breaking hearts.
The ending jarred me but it does stay true to Polly’s
journey for something more.
I look forward to Aren’s next novel and hope that this is not the last we hear of Polly.
Aren does a splendid job of bringing the city to life during WWll. The main character, Polly Tremblay, is fully developed and not what I expected. She is a modern woman in a man’s world - not afraid or ashamed to explore her sexuality and strive for an authentic life even if it means breaking hearts.
The ending jarred me but it does stay true to Polly’s
journey for something more.
I look forward to Aren’s next novel and hope that this is not the last we hear of Polly.
October 26, 2023
This book blew my mind, reading it felt like I was a part of the story itself. Aren A. Morris has such a talent, I cannot wait to see what else she comes out with. A teacher of mine lent me this book to read and it helped me through a tough time in my life. The way she brought the characters to life is absolutely amazing. My dream is to be a welder, as a young woman this book inspired me even more to become what I aspire to be. I admire how well this book is written, the descriptions are tremendous.
September 14, 2024
I’d been meaning to read this book for some time and I finally took the opportunity when I recently spent a week in Halifax. I thought it would be the perfect place to read it so I could experience the various locations detailed in the book. It was fun, it added to the experience and it was a great way to see the city! I wasn’t able to find the willow tree in the public gardens though!
I thought it was a great story well told in an interesting setting and a reminder that women have always been able to do anything!
I thought it was a great story well told in an interesting setting and a reminder that women have always been able to do anything!
July 5, 2022
Loved this ww11 setting in Halifax. Learned a bit about what it felt like to be living in Halifax during this time. There was humour, spicy sex scenes and the story of a woman who didn’t fit the mold for the times and was finding herself as an independent woman. A great read and I look forward to the next novel.
July 6, 2022
Such a beautifully written historical fiction. Polly is so relatable and vulnerable. Every woman who has ever been torn between two worlds will understand her. Reading about a town I live in and how it felt, looked, smelled and sounded like was a surreal experience. I can’t wait to read more from Aren.
August 13, 2022
This was a great read! I loved the drive and passion of the main character Polly. It was also really interesting how the time lines jumped forward and back, it really kept things interesting. I live in Halifax, so I loved the fact that I could picture where the characters were throughout the story. I want to know what’s next for Polly!
January 31, 2023
Polly’s character provides the female reader with an opportunity to take pause and reflect on her own choices and desires. Filled with beautiful imagery and insight into a little known period of Maritime history, We Happy Few, proves itself to be an excellent work of historical fiction that will leave you thinking about the protagonist and her choices long after you finished reading.
October 27, 2025
I finished reading it within days and thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline is great, and even as it is very sensual, the way it was tied into sharing the historical side of Halifax was brilliant!
I liked the ending very much as it was not ‘traditional’ and I look forward to one day reading another of your books about ‘Polly’s life after 1945
I liked the ending very much as it was not ‘traditional’ and I look forward to one day reading another of your books about ‘Polly’s life after 1945
January 21, 2023
I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down. An empowering story told from a woman’s perspective about her decision to follow a non-traditional path. Engaging read. I got completely lost in the story and was left wanting more from Polly. Highly recommend 🙂.
February 1, 2023
Well done Aren Morris! I really enjoyed reading your book. It was so neat because I was born in the city of Halifax and know the area well. I also am lucky to know the author! I was surprised by the ending, but am hoping that it will mean a sequel will follow!
April 14, 2025
Morris has done her research and the setting in Halifax during WW2 is realistic. All in all, an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews