I read a lot of historical fiction and had never heard of the Red Cross Clubmobile. The Beantown Girls is a heartbreaking yet inspiring glimpse into World War Two and those who served. Jane Healey's beautiful and descriptive writing made me feel as if I was there with the girls. Be prepared when you read though...a box of tissues close by and a book hangover when finished! I highly recommend The Beantown Girls!

Three young women from Boston, Massachusetts volunteer to serve their country in World War 2 and find themselves changed by the experiences they have. Set in London, France, and Germany during WWII, this book is a creative look at the women who served our country during the war. I had no idea that the Red Cross Clubmobile existed before I read this book. I've read a lot of historical fiction books set during WWII, and this was perhaps one of the more entertaining, as well as educational, ones I've read.

Jane Healey does an incredible job of making the characters - and the story - come alive with her words. I could FEEL the emotions they felt, I could SEE the things they saw, it's almost as if I was watching a movie play right before my eyes. I love when an author can paint pictures in such vivid detail that it's almost as if you're looking at a painting rather than reading words, and Healey does just that in The Beantown Girls.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Jane Healey's meticulous research impressed me and I feel as though in addition to reading a good story, I learned a lot.

The Beantown Girls has a combination of friendship, love, humor and the realities of war is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching.

Fiona Denning and her two best friends, Dottie and Viv, volunteer for the Red Cross to become Clubmobile girls and help in the war effort during WWII. Fiona’s reason for willingly entering a war zone to serve donuts, coffee to help lighten the hearts of the soldiers is different than the other Clubmobile volunteers. Nearly a year before volunteering Fiona’s fiancée, Danny, disappeared when he was shot down in battle. There is no indication whether he is alive or dead and living in a state of limbo is tearing Fiona apart. She hopes that being closer to the action she’ll be able to discover his fate and move forward one way or another. While she holds onto the hope that he’ll return to her there are times when she is overcome with the reality that he may already be gone. Dottie and Viv understand why Fiona chose to volunteer and decided to accompany her in support of their friend, but they each have their own reasons for joining the frontlines as well. Viv isn’t appreciated at work and wants to do something that matters to her while Dottie wants to push herself past the shyness that at times paralyzes her and holds her back.

The girls arrive in London for training and learn that being a Clubmobile girl is more complicated than just serving coffee and donuts. They have to learn to make donuts using a potentially dangerous machine if not used properly, drive a massive Clubmobile vehicle which is more than difficult for city girls who have never driven in their lives, and find ways to lighten the soldiers moods when they are being faced with the shocking realities of war themselves. The trio find themselves overwhelmed and struggling to impress the field director who will determine whether they can move to the frontlines and allow Fiona to a reach her ultimate goal of finding Danny.

This book was intriguing from the start. I hadn’t heard of the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls before reading the description for this story and was fascinated by the idea of women volunteering to go to a war zone to serve coffee and donuts to soldiers so they could provide hope during the devastation of war. It was amazing to read about how these woman put themselves in danger to help in even the smallest of ways which ultimately had a large impact.

Jane Healey created characters who were real, relatable and made me want to know them more. I felt for Fiona and her struggles. I love how she grew throughout the story. She had an inner strength and determination that is commendable. Viv and Dottie were different in how they handled the emotions of war and it was interesting to read how they each dealt with the stress. It was also wonderful to read a story that was so focused on the friendships of these women. The interactions felt believable and these are girls I would love to spend some time with.

I honestly tend to avoid historical fiction that takes place during WWII because many of the stories I’ve read in the past tend to be difficult for me to read given the heavy subject matter. However, while this story dealt with the terror of war in a way that felt realistic and respectful it also had a lightness to it and was filled with enough humor that I really enjoyed this story. I am rarely moved to tears by a book but this story had me choked up on multiple occasions as well as laughing out loud more than a few times.

If you’re looking for a story that takes you on an emotional roller-coaster, is filled with love and friendship, and shares a unique look of women in history then I’d highly recommend The Beantown Girls.

This is a really good book. The author says it is a work of fiction based on true stories of the Red Cross Clubmobile girls. These young ladies served in the European Theater of Operations in WWII. in this story Fiona, Vivian and Dottie were three friends from Boston that signed up together to be Clubmobile girls. The story is about how hard it was at that time being a female overseas and yet how much the soldiers came to depend on them. I laughed and cried with these women. Parts of the book were difficult to read but it was a good story. I will recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review of this book.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Beantown Girls” by Jane Healey, Lake Union Publishing, February 5, 2019

Jane Healey, Author of “The Beantown Girls” has written an intriguing, intense, heart-breaking, emotional, enthralling and captivating novel. The Genres are a marriage between Fiction and History of World War Two, and the role of the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls. Kudos to Jane Healey for the hours of research, interviews, and authentication of the time period and the Red Cross ClubMobile Girls. The author vividly captures through her amazing writing skills and descriptions the destruction of the War and morale of the soldiers, and the hard task and danger of the women from the Red Cross bringing some comfort, donuts, coffee and conversation.

When Fionna Denning learns that are fiancee is missing when his plane is shot down in Germany, she is determined to find out what happened. Fiona and her two friends Viviana, and Dottie leave Boston and volunteer with the RedCross ClubMobile Girls, in Europe to bring comfort to the soldiers at the frontline of the war. The girls would make donuts, coffee, and have candy for the men. I don’t think I will ever think of a donut in the same way after reading this book. It was dangerous and difficult work.

I appreciate that Jane Healey discusses the importance of sisterhood and friendship. I learned how courageous and brave these women were. Music, dancing, singing, and entertainment were important to cheer everyone up at this devastating time. Be warned, keep your Kleenex close at hand. This is also a story of love and hope. I would highly recommend this amazing novel to those readers who look forward to reading about World War Two. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Five Amazing Stars! Jane Healey is a very talented and gifted author. Her writing puts you right into the Clubmobiles and have you riding along with Dottie, Viv, and Fi! You feel the experience and see the amazing things these Red Cross volunteers did for the soldiers. You will live the history and at times find it hard to read through the tears, but read you must!

Fiona, Dotty and Viviana, three best friends from Boston have all volunteered to be Red Cross Clubmobile Girls. It is 1944 and as the allies come closer to winning the war these three, smart and brave women want to do more than send care packages - they want to make a difference in the lives of the men who had no choice but to fight. College educated and bubbling with enthusiasm the girls are shipped to London for training. From there they will take their van to designated areas and army bases to serve the men donuts, coffee and more importantly shower them with hope and a little bit of home. In addition to the task at hand, Fiona is determined to find out more about her fiancé who has been missing in action for the last year. She cannot move on or even fully grieve until she knows what happened to him when his plane went down. These vivacious women become a shining star traveling the British coast, finding new friends and even some romance. It is not until they prove themselves that they dare to cross over to France where they are much closer to the frontlines and face danger, tough decisions and their own futures. This very easy to read novel filled with friendship, loyalty and history was an absolute pleasure. I had never heard of the wonderful Clubmobile Girls! Their story that began with distributing donuts tells us so much more about these very young troops, their patriotism and the unsung heroines who helped them. Highly recommend this latest novel by author Jane Healey, who I must thank for writing a beautiful story and posting incredible old photos of actual events.

I’m a sucker for a well written WWII novel, and The Beantown Girls is certainly that. While it plays on the familiar theme of a lost young woman pining for her soldier love, it quickly grows into much more. It’s a story of sisterhood, of shocking hardship in the face of war, and also of the feeling of needing good times to be had when everything else is dark and tumultuous. I’ve often wondered how people could fall in love so fast or forget about a sweetheart at home so quickly in exchange for another’s arms. This book answers those questions without being scandalous or seedy. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I really enjoyed reading this book, staying up way too late to finish. I had never heard of the Red Cross Clubmobile, and this was a great introduction. I did take a break from the book to go down the internet rabbit hole and I'd definitely recommend you doing the same. This is a fascinating piece of history. I particularly enjoyed Healey's notes at the end explaining some of the historical events and changes she made (and why). Thank you for introducing me to this piece of history.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, nor am I a book crier. The Beantown Girls changed that. I asked for an ARC from Netgalley because this just looked like a fun read. Boy, was I wrong!

The Beantown Girls had me at the first page and when the end came around, I just wanted more. I wanted to know what happened after the war. I cried in a couple of places ~ in public no less ~ and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Red Cross Clubmobile girls. I had never even heard of this program, but I got on board quickly.

I love books where the author's research is evident and it definitely was here. There were all kinds of facts that while blending seamlessly with the story, still managed to teach me some things. These characters and situations spoke to me and made me wish I could go volunteer to be a Clubmobile girl.

Read this book. That is all I will say. Read this book. You will love it and want to tell everyone to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for approving my request for an ARC. My thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

2/5 stars, with 1 star added for the idea and research.

I wanted so badly to love this book. The description was fantastic, all the ideas were there, but the execution was lacking. The writing seemed stilted and forced from the beginning, and although the characters DID grow throughout the war, they all (particularly Fiona) were shallow and repeated themselves endlessly throughout the book. The exceptions to this were Jimmy and Mrs. Tibbetts who had real backstories and motivations. Several of the plot points, too, seemed forced, as though the author had several ideas she wanted to string together before wrapping up the novel almost too neatly. Overall, I loved the idea and I did learn about the "Doughnut Dollies" and the involvement of the American Red Cross in WWII, but the book itself was unsatisfying.

I found this to an enjoyable, well-plotted historical fiction novel. I’m a sucker for a female-centric WW2 novels, and this was a fairly good one, especially focusing on a group of women that aren’t as frequently featured as heroines being, the Red Cross doughnut ladies. I found the quality of writing to be quite good, at times feeling very cinematic. Overall, I feel this a worthy read in the female-centered WW2 genre.

What a unique perspective about WWII that I hadn’t heard of before! Of all of the books I have read on WWII, this was the first time hearing about the Clubmobile. I love the concept of it and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Beantown Girls, especially since I am from, and still live in, the Boston area myself. Their personalities were spot on, as were the references to the area. Those girls were feisty, charismatic and strong-minded and strong-willed! Though it did touch upon the depressing and tragic times, and there were certainly sad and heart-breaking scenes, the overall tone was more upbeat as the author focused on the liveliness of the characters and their role during the war. The soldiers loved these girls and it is easy to see why, they are simply delightful and lovable. This is one of my most favorite books ever, I devoured every page and wish it didn’t end. I would love to read more about these girls and see what happens next in their lives. Love, love, love Beantown Girls!

The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey, which will be available in stores on February 5, 2019, tells the journey of three women from Boston in 1944 who joined the Red Cross Clubmobile girls in order to try to track down one of their fiancés, who has been lost at war for months.

Synopsis
Even though there's a war going on, Fiona Denning thinks she has her life all figured out: A good job at the mayor's office, great friends, and a fiancé with whom she can't wait to settle down and start a family with as soon as he comes back from the front. But when she receives information that her fiancé is MIA and cannot be found, Fiona doesn't want to have to wait for news from the continent: She's going to take matters into her own hands.

Fiona decides she's going to volunteer with the Red Cross and become a Clubmobile girl—and she convinces her best friends Viviana and Dottie to join her. The women will soon realize that there's so much more to the job than serving coffee and doughnuts to exhausted soldiers...

My musings:
I like that the story drops us right at the beginning of the girls' Red Cross journey, on a boat on their way to London. This whole book takes place in the span of a year, but the way Healey has written it makes it feel like both an eternity (which I'm sure is how it felt to anyone having anything to do with the war efforts) and like it's just a snapshot in the rich, full lives of these brave women. We get filled in on the Beantown girls' backstories with snippets of conversations they have with their new friends, and the author chooses to move the action quickly by filling in any gaps with Fiona's letters to home, which is a brilliant plot device in this case.

Much like many accounts from soldiers in the war, this novel demonstrates how confusing emotions can be when you're thrown into a war. There are love stories at every page turn, and they're not necessarily all romantic. It reveals how people you meet for five minutes can change you for the better—and how fast (and hard) you can fall in love...even when you weren't looking for it.

In some ways, this book reminded me of a novelized version of <em>Band of Brothers</em>. It gave me yet another point of view of the war (this time from an American perspective), and yet it felt fresh and informative. If you're going to read only one piece of fiction surrounding WWII this year, this would be my pick.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

This review will be posted on my blog on January 21 at 9 am.

I am always fascinated by stories surrounding WWII. This story sucked me in immediately. Before reading this book, I had never heard of the Red Cross Club Mobile. While the story is fiction it was thoughtfully and thoroughly researched to make the the details more historically accurate. The characters grab your attention immediately and you find yourself feeling each and every one of their emotions. I read the entire book in less than a day. I just couldn’t put it down.

BEAN TOWN GIRLS BY JANE HEALEY 5 STARS
JANUARY 18, 2019 | AMY MAYS | EDIT
91lxhcum91lDottie,Viv and Fiona stand together on the deck of the queen Elizabeth with other red cross workers and hundreds of soldiers.they said goodbye to their families in Boston six weeks ago. Fiona had plans to work in city hall and marry her fiance until he is shot down in germany and reported missing.Fiona joins the red cross to volunteer overseas and learn the fate of her fiance. Viv and Dottie quit their jobs to join her.Fiona thinks she spots her fiance second lieutenant Danny Baker on the ship . Danny is in airforce and has been missing more than eight months ago.Fiona wonders if it’s a mistake to take off just as ship is about to leave.Fiona remembers the time before Danny left and how she tryed to push off the feeling of nervousness about him leaving .The girls encounter a bombing not long after going to London for training.The girls enjoy going to red cross clubs both on ship over there and in london.The girls have to sit on roof tops and look out for bombs “buzz bombs”. The training for the red cross is tough.The training includes gas chamber training,driving trucks and doughnut making.There are some mishaps like stalled trucks and exploding doughnut dough.The girls move to country side and still enjoy occasional dance before they start to travel more. I enjoyed all the budding romances. I likes the bean town girls friends Frankie,Martha and Blanche and felt for them when bad news hits the group. I was glad when word of Danny was recieved.Never a dull moment with the bean town girls!

Wow. I don't even know where to start with this review because this book was so amazing. First of all, I had no idea that the Red Cross sent out girls to the war, just to help boost morale. It's something you don't learn about in school and something I've never even heard talked about, yet they seemed to have played such an important role. I don't understand why we always hear about women taking over the jobs during times of war but not about the brave women who actually left their families and went straight into the path of war, just to help the soldiers stay fed and ease their peace of mind, if only for a moment.
It's reasons like this that I love historical fiction because it teaches you the little known details that you would have known about a period of time. But, it also brings that time to life and puts you right there in the character's mind. Healy did such an amazing job with Fiona, Viv, and Dottie. I felt for each of them and cheered on their relationships throughout the story. They were so well rounded that they honestly felt like my own best friends.
I actually took 2 weeks to read this book because I wanted to live in the Cheyenne with them just a little bit longer each day. This book consumed my mind and I found myself thinking about all day, every day. It's even got me looking into my great grandfather's past as WWII soldier!
Thank you so much for letting me read this wonderful book. It's one that I'm sure will stick with me forever and one that I will be telling everyone about!

Before there was "Dunkin Donuts" there were coffee and doughnuts food trucks in WWII. They were run by volunteers who went overseas and were part of a group called the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls. This story focuses on 3 of those girls...Fiona, Viviana and Dottie, 3 friends from Boston. They were not only serving coffee and doughnuts, but bringing comfort to those soldiers who were fighting the battle. While each one of them had a reason for volunteering, they served with both strength and with heart.

The story was told with emotion, pathos and at times, a bit of humor. I have long been a fan of historical fiction, this is one of the best WWII novels I've read in a long time. Reading this book made me feel as if I personally knew these women, as if I too was there. I had to step back every now and then, just to settle my feelings. There are some novels, some authors that know instinctively how to reach out and grab at your heart strings, this is one of those times, one of those authors. Yet I do have one question, I do wonder though, if any of the real Clubmobile Girls could ever eat a doughnut after WWII?

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

Loved this wonderful story! 3 best friends who became Red Cross Clubmobile GIrls during WWII. A very unique prospective that seemed to be very well researched. Brave women who were trained (sometimes very humorously) to be able to go to Europe during the war to help the morale of the soldiers by providing donuts, coffee, cigarettes and American women to talk to. Romance, friendship, new relationships-all very captiving, Settings in England, France and Germany that were so well written that I could picture them as I read. I couldn't put the book down! Thank you to the author, Jane Healey, the publisher, Lake Union, and Net Galley for the wonderful opportunity to read an advance copy. I highly recommend!