At first I didn't enjoy this book and stopped reading within the first 30% of the book. But recently I came back to it and I'm glad I did! I'll seek out more from this author.

This book was unexpectedly good! I loved the rhythm and pace of the story and the female perspective on war,
I liked seeing war through the eyes of a woman, with its hardships and uncertainty balanced by strong female support systems and exciting opportunities. I really liked the ending twist; it was unexpected and very satisfying!

This novel follows Rose Boniface as she and her friends adapt to life in south-east London during WW1. Fraught with heartbreak and loss, resilience and hope, this sweeping saga provides a window into a time gone by. Rose Boniface's parents died when she was young, and so she and older brother Bertie, had to play parents to their younger siblings Collum, Netta and Mabel. Then in 1914, World War One commences and boys were signing up to do their part for God, King and Country. Everyone assumed the war would be over by Christmas of that year. With Bertie serving, Rose, Netta and Collum take on other jobs for financial support, with Mabel doing domestic tasks around the house. However, tragedy strikes when Bertie is KIA, leaving the family and his sweetheart, Muriel, bereaved. Collum then enlists to avenge his brother, but history repeats itself. Rose then has a brief courtship with Bertie's good friend, Jack Jeary, but then never hears from him again. The women are left to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives as best they could, but luckily they have good sisterhood and strength. They become part of the surplus women after World War One, where there was an excess of unmarried women.Life was very tough for the lower class. Even before the war, many children were compelled by financial necessity to leave school at 14 to enter the workforce and earn their keep. Regardless of their marital status, females were able to find employment, especially during World War One due to the absence of males in the workforce. The war also compounded the gender imbalance. So many men died and the number of single women seeking economic means increased. But then demobilisation and economic decline after the war caused high unemployment. Many women found work in factories especially munitions, those workers were called "Canary Girls" or "Munitionettes" but their work in producing TNT shells was highly dangerous as the chemical is toxic and turns their skin orange-yellow, like that of a Canary bird. Discrimination was rampant in concerns that women were becoming too involved in their work life and thus neglecting household duties.

One of my favourite types of historical fiction are focused on the Great Wars of Europe. A Stitch in Time is set in 1914 London and focuses on Rose Boniface and her orphaned siblings. When her brother enlists to fight in the war, their family will never be the same.

The story of Rose is very inspiring. The way she manages to keep herself and her family afloat in times of war is so inspiring to read about. There are many different facets that come up in this book and one is even more captivating than the next.

I would definitely recommend this book for lovers of historical war fiction.

A family of orphans surviving together and then The Great War begins. One brother goes to war, Rose needs to find a way to earn a living to keep her sisters and brother together. Then there is the Monk family that is part of London’s rich society. I thought the author Beryl Kingston let us feel how difficult life was, the suffering endured, yet showed how this family stood strong and survived the difficulties of war. Quick read.

A Stitch In Time: a very nice story, very well written. I cried for the characters, I laughed with the characters. I loved sharing in their triumph. Personal things... not really up for writing this.

Really good story of a parent-less family trying to survive in London during the first world war. The older brother goes off to war, thinking he'll make enough to help his siblings, only to find out that he'll only get a singles pay. The oldest daughter is a good seamtress, but works as a maid for an old rich demanding lady. The daughter, with the help of her sisters and best friend, start a business making clothes within their apartment. You must read it to find out more.

Any book about World War II piques my interest. This was a wonderful novel describing how life was during the war. People made due with what they had, helped their neighbors and worked at jobs to make money. I always learn something new reading these books. It was excellent!

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and as such Beryl Kingston has given me, the reader, an excellent novel. A coming of age story set in Great Britain during WWI....love it!

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like historical fiction. I got totally caught up in this story from the start. It is a good story with strong characters. I felt for the characters going through the ups and downs of life.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

On 4 August 1914, England declared war on Germany, and the War to End All Wars commenced. Patriotism pervaded the country, prompted by fife and drum corps marching through the city streets. Between 4 August and 12 September, the military held massive voluntary recruitment efforts. A total of 478,893 men joined the army during those two months. It is during one of these patriotic parades that the novel, A Stitch in Time, by Beryl Kingston, begins.

On the wall of a simple home in southeast London hangs a sampler stitched by a dearly departed mother, advising her five orphaned children to "live with dignity." And that is what Rose Boniface and her siblings try to do.

When the recruitment parade marches by, Rose's elder brother heeds the call to arms. With their brother off to war, Rose and her siblings must do what they can to support the war effort and make ends meet, including undertaking high-risk work in a munitions factory and back-breaking domestic labor.

Unfortunately, the war does not go well for England. More and more soldiers die in battle, and new recruits are needed. On 27 January 1916, Britain began conscripting young men into service. Rose's younger brother is called up, leaving the three sisters to struggle alone.

But this latest blow does not break Rose Boniface. Taking up her needle, she stitches her way to riches, and together, she and her sisters rise above the ravages of war and pull themselves out of poverty.

A Stitch in Time is a tale of fortitude, ingenuity, and perseverance. Although I enjoyed reading this book, I did find elements of it implausible, especially that a woman with an Eliza Doolittle accent would be welcomed into the ranks of England's upper crust. Also, the discord and derision displayed between the members of the local "big house"—the Monk family—was overdone with their stereotypical, entitled, "let them eat cake" personas.

***
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Agora Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

An extremely well written book! It's a little bit longer, but worth the extra time. Especially if you love a story and wish it didn't have to end, this is that kind of book. Characters who I loved, characters who were deliciously wicked! A very enjoyable book! Lots of characters, but they were very easy to follow and keep up with. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction in the WWI era, and afterward. I will be reading more from this author!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.Thank you so much, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

This book was a quick read and was the epitome of all good parts of a book that I enjoyed. Rose is the second eldest of her family and along with her eldest brother, Bertie, she makes up the Matriarchal side. Their mother and father had passed away and now that the WWI is upon them, Bertie decides to enlist in the army to obtain funds for his sisters and brothers which leaves Rose as the sole head of house to take care of her two sisters and one brother. As the story progresses, Rose finds herself as a servant at the Monk house where she keeps a side hobby of mending and creating new clothes for her family and for Augusta Monk, her employer. She quickly gets caught up in the war as her brother continues his journey, rationing, and other horrors of the war take hold of her and her family.

This book was definitely unique from others in its genre, in that the author wasn't afraid to explain in descriptive terms the horrors that occur during wartime. She lays all of it bare to explain how awful it truly was across England and Europe during the time. I really enjoyed reading the book and was glad to have the opportunity. I look forward to looking for more titles by Beryl Kingston.

A Stitch In Time by Beryl Kingston, my latest NetGalley title, was both excellent and easy to read!

This historical novel was filled with descriptive prose and emotion. Set during WW1 and the Roaring Twenties, the tale follows one family determined to make their way despite the hardships of life in lower-class London and the intertwining of their lives with an upper-class family full of dysfunction despite their wealth.

Once I could read through the cant (mostly the first few chapters) I was enmeshed in Rose's narrative. In turns heartbreaking, surprising, comical, and filled with grit, it was a remarkable book.

Women were extraordinary through the Great War and the lives they built afterwards were inspiring, as reflected in this work. The determination to keep on - pull up the bootstraps and rely on each other, the resilience of families (as built by blood and by choice), and the hardships faced were unimaginable, but Kingston did well in painting this picture as a complete and colourful portrait of triumph in a rapidly changing landscape.

Note: this title was first published in 1995 as Alive and Kicking.

Published by Agora Books; current publication date: November 22, 2018

I received a complimentary copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and/or the publisher in exchange for my honest reviews. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

A tale of survival and growing up with the backdrop of WWII. I enjoyed the setting of London. I liked the characters because they were relatable. It's a good story.

Rose Boniface and her two sisters and two brothers are orphans. At seventeen she has been helping to raise her siblings. Her brothers join the army to fight Germany. Rose is left with her two sister's to raise and no job opportunities. She finds work in the Monk House working for Ms. Monk. Ms. Monk is a hypochondriac who loves the attention from her two brothers and their families. To get this attention, she is constantly changing her will to either inherit or disinherit them. Rose works for her until she quits and starts her own company. Her sisters and some remarkable friends help her see, deliver and make the high quality clothes to sell.
During World War II, women were left on their own. Many of them supported families. These courageous, brave, strong women, did what they had to to survive. Many, like Rose, put their skills and talents to work for them.
This is a remarkable story of a women's struggle to make it at a time when women had no say so. Sometimes they were though to be weak. This is just another story that proves how false that was.
Strongly recommend this story being read.

Rose, her two sisters Nettie and Mabel, two brothers Bertie and Col all live in London, hand to mouth in two rented rooms at the advent of World War I. Life isn’t easy, but they all muddle on and just make ends meet: quietly taking one step at a time. Knowing that things are tight, Rose starts working at the ‘great house’ for Augusta Monk – a difficult if very rich woman: the money is welcome and her quiet nature (if much comes from biting her tongue) means she lasts longer than most, a necessity when her brother Bertie joins up and she and her younger brother Col are the only ones bringing in money. A keen eye and a talent for reworking old garments, Rose’s skill with a needle keeps her little family well-dressed, and her skill with a needle will bring her a way out of poverty. Eventually.

This was a sweetly drawn story full of the struggles of wartime Britain and the associated losses, highs and lows. Through it all, Rose and her little family now consists only of she and her sisters, and a friend welcomed in after her time as a ‘companion’ to the cousin of Rose’s employer. A small cottage-industry is started with dresses made more stylish but affordable to the women in her neighborhood, the story follows their lives through loves, deaths, losses and gains, as the little group slowly works their way through the war and after, making a mark on the world through Rose’s fashion and business sense.

While I appreciated the author’s characterizations and the emotional ties that bound the women together in their own little ‘band’ of sisters – the entire story has a rather rose-colored tint when in comes to the upward mobility of Rose. England was in fact going through a ton of changes, socially, but the sharp rise from poor and hardscrabble to ‘respected businesswoman’ for Rose was entirely fabricated and far too optimistic. Sure, in her own neighborhood she’s a rarity and thing of wonder, but outside that small and ‘samey sounding’ group – her “ain’ts’ long vowels and ‘finks’ are dead cert giveaways to her background – add female to that and there isn’t a way that she would have found such ‘acceptance’ from either the powers that be or the Manchester Mill owner. It just doesn’t work. But, if you can ignore that and forgive the overly simplistic ending with a seriously rose-colored bow, the story is engaging and smile-inducing, a bit of candyfloss for an afternoon.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aeC/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

The writing is sooo vivid and the this is like nothing you have ever read before in your life. Its about the hard times during the war to build your life. The strengthen during adversity. It was amazing.

A Stitch in Time by Beryl Kingston
 
Blurb~
“Rose’s life is about to be torn apart by war, but can she and her sisters piece together a new life in a rapidly changing world?

London, 1914: Rose Boniface and her orphaned siblings live a small but happy life in South-East London. But when war breaks out across Europe and her older brother enlists, nothing will ever be the same again.

As men leave for the war in droves, the girls must take on whatever work they can find to make ends meet. High-risk work in munitions factories and back-breaking domestic labour seem to be all that’s available to them, but Rose has other ideas…

A tale of love and heartbreak, triumph and resilience, this sweeping saga by best-selling author Beryl Kingston takes the reader inside the extraordinary lives of ordinary women in Wartime London.”
 
The author seems to write effortlessly. Her narrative is evocative, and so descriptive and vivid. It is as if the characters stood before your eyes. The pacing was perfect for the plotline, with each passage, in turn, relevant to the arc of the story. The characters were likeable and dynamic. You became emotionally invested in them and their tragedies and triumphs.
This is a wonderfully written book about a remarkable family enduring through the hard cruelties of life during war. It shows the bonds of family, and illustrates how different members of a family unit can grow and come into their own. Their family ties strengthen during adversity.
While reading, there were moments of heartbreak, and, at times, laughter while cheering on our heroine Rose. The story was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable. The story flowed so well, and that made it an easy and wonderful read. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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