The Girl Now Leaving

Lu Wilmott Sagas #1

by Betty Burton

'Betty Burton constructs the world from the female point of view... carefully considered, subtle, and observant.' - SUNDAY TIMES. Lu Wilmott grows up in the Portsmouth slums of the 1920s. Stricken by diphtheria, she is sent to the Hampshire countryside, where she discovers a robust fighting spirit, new friends, and the first stirrings of sexual attraction. Faced with little choice, Lu begins to work in the infamous staymaking trade, where conditions are so appalling that she comes to realise that things must change. Her journey to maturity, from shy girl to independent woman, encompasses love, deep friendship, and a growing political awareness. Above all, Lu is a survivor - and one to be reckoned with.

Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can’t bear to carry on. Some is written in the first person, some in the third. There appears to be so much that wasn’t necessary to the plot, like a random girl from the factory who didn’t seem to have been mentioned before they were all putting in for a wedding gift and getting changed for a party... almost like the publisher asked for x number of words so the author complied. Couldn’t carry on when the N word was used completely unnecessarily, to explain the name of a dog. Utterly uncalled for.

Also saw a 3 line review that asked a question about the end and realised I really didn’t care.

[Maria Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attention Holding

The first 1/3rd of the Story started off quite slow, the second 1/3rd then progressed to a "Nature Lesson", which l found boring, but the final 1/3rd got really interesting, many times l was thinking of "Giving Up", but found l couldn't, l was pleased that l persevered. The End was confusing, was Louise a Doctor or an Ambulance Driver. If there is a Sequel, I'll find out.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this for a light read

[GenX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great foundation from the trilogy

[Jasmine Piggott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, the sadness I felt at the throughout the book for her but she grew up to be so empowering and inspirational. The ending was a little confusing.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book with lots of attention of detail. Following the life of Lu Wilmott and her journey into adulthood.I enjoyed this book and read it within a couple of days however i felt it ended a bit abruptly and i would have liked to know more.

[Sue Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the type of novel my Mum likes to read regularly. I enjoyed it but it's not one which I would return to or particularly seem the same in the future.