The struggles of both these sisters is heart breaking. I was routing for both of them during their most toughest of times. This story focuses on the importance of family, love, strength, and perseverance during someone’s darkest times.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion

Following the Truscott family through hardships when young Dot decides she can’t justify going to college when hare family sorely need snow age coming into the house. Miriam de Clare, Dot’s friend suggests she work-in for Mrs Humboldt so Dot goes to work at the big house where women of any standing are looked down by men who see them as their property. How will a young naive girl cope?
There is a wealth of characters, beautifully described. Dot’s struggles will keep you glued. Great family bonds.
I do hope there is to be a third!

A change from my usual murder/detective/thriller choice but enjoyable enough. 1922, the country recovering from the first World War and entering the Depression. The life essentially of one family - older parents with sick but stubborn mother, father a smith, son killed in the war, oldest daughter, Kate, back home after a short life in service. She now is married to a local and worthy man who welcomes her child as his own and she's pregnant. Living with her parents she also helps greatly looking after her younger siblings. Younger daughter, Dot, away at teacher training college and determined to make her own way in life. In order to help family finances she becomes a short fixed term companion to a local lady of the manor and is introduced to a high status society life. Being as naïve as she is there are plenty of pitfalls for her. The story shifts between the lives of the two daughters and expresses the real hardships of ordinary families especially when Kate's husband is seriously injured in an accident. No National Health System in those days. It's a heart warming story of family bonds and choices that have to be made. Definitely emotional. Well written and highly evocative of the times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy

I am writing this review for Net Galley.

This is the second book in the series. In this story we follow Kate's sister Dot. In the first book we follow Kate. Kate went from being a potato picker to applying for a job for a wealthy family as a nursemaid at age 11. During this time she meets Philip. Philip ends up going to war, leaving Kate behind to deal with her problems that lead her to have no choice but to go to what was called a workhouse. Later, she found herself living with her parents. Kate learns to adjust to her new life without Philip and being, pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome man named Albert.

In the second book, we follow Kate's younger sister Dot. Dot has always wanted to be a teacher. However, there is a crucial amount of money and training involved to do so. The time that Dot wants to go to school to be a teacher is the time of the depression when life is rough on everyone. Kate is married with 4 children living at her parents' home. They lose their brother Fred to war, leaving the family feeling strapped. Can the family find the means to get through the depression and also support Dot in her dream of being a teacher?

I really enjoyed this series. I rated both books a 4 because there were a few unrealistic parts to the stories but the writing style was so good that I was able to finish both books very quickly. If you like historical fiction based during the depression you will enjoy this story. I liked that the author didn't make the stories of what folks were going through this time too difficult to read. I've read some stories during the depression that was incredibly hard to read. This was just about right. Highly recommend.

A very good read with wonderful characters and storyline. This is the second book in this series. A series that I'm coming to enjoy very much.
Dot and Kate certainly had very interesting lives.
My favorite parts were Kate's memories of them being younger and getting into some kinds of shenanigans. Some made me snicker and others just made me shake my head at it all.
The dance scene was my 2nd favorite.
Left me feeling breathless and laughing along with Dot and Kate.
This new to me author described the scenes and scenery so well that I felt like I was actually there. I enjoyed being swept away for an entire evening.
I loved what William said to Dot about life in general
"Sometimes spur of the moment things make things in life exciting otherwise life would be just plain dull and unadventerous if everything stayed the same."
Absolutely 100 percent agreed with this quote. William is a smart man.
I've often said this myself.
Often times some of the good things happen unexpectedly. Those are the times that I love to savor.
I didn't want the story to end because I simply hate saying goodbye.
I feel like Dot and Kate became the sisters I never had.
This book is simply sad in some places but at the same time it offers hope.
I'm enjoying it very much and hope to see another one soon.
5 stars for a job well done. I highly recommend!
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

Picking up several years after the end of the first book, this story begins in 1922 and centres around Kate's younger sister Dot. While it is part of a series, it suffices easily as a standalone. But if you enjoy one, chances are you will enjoy another...so why stop at one?

Life is slowly returning to normal after the Great War though with the shadow of all it left in its wake. After her time in service then the workhouse before returning home to Micklewell with a three month child in tow, Kate married Albert and is happily content as a farmer's wife. Now young Dot continues to focus on her dreams of becoming a teacher. Her studies have taken her to Chichester where she lodges in a boarding house, returning home in the holidays to see her family.

Her studies are seemingly cut short however when a tragic accident befalls the family leaving them in desperate need of help to make ends meet. With only one wage coming into the house, the family face some difficult choices particularly when Dot announces she is leaving her studies to take up employment to help out. The family won't hear of it but Dot will not be swayed. She finds work as a paid companion with a local wealthy woman, Mrs Humboldt, through her friendship with Mrs H's niece Miriam, to accompany her to Eastbourne.

Dot's troubles are far from over when her family continue to need her placing her in a quandary, seeking advice from her mentor Miss Clarence. To continue her studies? Or to return home and find work? Added to that is her fledgling romance with William Martin. How can it possibly go anywhere when he works in Scotland and she will be returning to Micklewell? Not only that, teachers cannot be married...so therefore what would be the point? She calls on her friend Miriam for her advice but is met with the same resistance she herself feels.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE COUNTRY SISTERS though I must admit to being somewhat confused about the ages and the timeline which didn't seem to tally. The first book began in 1912 when Kate was 15 and Dot was referred to being 11, but then there was a reference to her being 7 at the time of Kate going into service. Fast forward to this book which begins in 1922, ten years later. There was a mention of when Kate gave birth to Ronnie around the same time their mother had their youngest sister Tilly and there was a reference to Kate's age being 24 while her mother was 46 at the time. But Kate was barely out of her teens when she had Ronnie, with the war still raging and then the Spanish flu. 1922 would see Kate as 25 now but the reference made it sound like she was 24 when she gave birth. It was all very confusing and not entirely clear.

Some things that took place in the story I wondered what their point was as nothing really came of some of them so I didn't understand their need to be there. It almost gave an air of unfinished business of loose ends because those incidents had no resolution. They just happened and then...nothing. Two that come to mind took place on their sojourn to Eastbourne in Dot's capacity as a travelling companion to Mrs H. I didn't understand the point of their inclusion when nothing came of their incorporation.

These would be my only gripe with this story as it entirely enjoyable otherwise.

The story illustrates the strength of sisterly bonds, resilience, courage, friendship and self discovery. It also embodies the social divide between classes in the friendship between Dot and Miriam. Admittedly I was frustrated with Miriam on more than one occasion as she really had no grasp on the realities or struggles other people actually face, having grown up with a life of privilege.

A thoroughly compelling and enjoyable read which I devoured (again) in one sitting.

I would like to thank #SallyTarpey, #Netgalley and #JoffeBooks for an ARC of #TheCountrySisters in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This is a story about a family in the aftermath of WWI. It kept my interest until the last page. This is the 2nd book of the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a great historical fiction story. Dot wants nothing more to be a teacher but life keeps trying to interfere, and she has to postpone and work through the obstacles of life in post war England.
This is a story of life, some romance, hardship, sacrifice and perseverance. I got very invested in this story and was very upset by two words, The End. I was not ready for the end. I need more. I’m hoping there’s a book 3 so I can follow up with these characters I’ve come to love.
I did receive this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Truscott Family #2

1922: After the horrors of the Great War, the close-knit Truscott family returns to pick up where they left of their lives on their busy Hampshire farm. But the two Truscott sisters are on very different paths. Kate is happily married to Albert, content to be a mother and a farmer's wife. Her younger sister Dot sets her heart on becoming a teacher. But an unseen tragedy means Dot must give up her place at college. Instead, she resigns herself to becoming a lady's companion to wealthy Mrs Humboldt, who is a difficult woman to please. Accompanying Mrs H to Eastbourne, dot enters an intoxicating new world of cocktails, circuses, and dance halls., a life far removed from her quiet Hampshire village.

What a beautifully written family saga. Dot has to give up her dream of becoming a teacher after an unseen family tragedy, but she is hell-bent on pursuing her independence. I was rooting for both Kate and Dot, rejoicing in the good times, heartbreaking in the sad. We learn of the struggles everyone had after the war had ended. The characters are well portrayed. This book could be read as a standalone.

I would lik to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #SallyTarpey for my ARC of #TheCountrySisters in exchange for an honest review.

Dot is a young lady in 1920’s England who is approaching independence in a time of great social change. This story finds her torn between wanting to start her life, career, seek adventure and romance, but she is tethered to the hardships faced by her family.

I loved Dot, who reminded me a little of Meg from Little Women. Kind, a bit naive, looking for excitement, but with a strong sense of family responsibility. I loved the way that the story explored the social themes of the time, families recovering from war and the Spanish flu, the experiences of gender roles and relationships told through Kate, Albert and Miriam. Dot’s commentary on the lack of autonomy and choice for the have-nots, compared to the experiences of William, Miriam and Mrs H was compelling.

I’m really glad to have picked this up, and didn’t realise it was second in a series. It read well as a standalone, but I’m equally looking forward to going back to explore Kate’s experience in the first book.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

New author for me and realised it was book two of a series, obtained the first book and loved the story of Kate. The follow up which is this book The Country Sisters was equally as good with Dots story. The story was well written with lovely characters and great storyline. Would recommend this series.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to the publisher Joffe books for the early read

Oh Kate and Dot..my heart was with both of them throughout this whole book. They both struggled independently and together. I constantly found myself rooting for them during their hardest times and my heart breaking right alongside theirs. The importance set on family and family values really made me relate to Dot, especially since she felt so responsible for her family and their success.

The Truscotts are set in the 1920s after the end of World War 1. We get a glimpse in the struggles of regular families and the wreckage that the war left behind on many families and communities. It’s a story of love, strength, and perseverance during the darkest of times with a glimpse of hope sprinkled throughout.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves history or historical fiction.

"The Country Sisters" by Sally Tarpey is a heartfelt and moving portrayal of resilience, sisterhood, and the pursuit of dreams amidst the shadows of post-World War I England. Within the setting of a changing society, Tarpey twists the diverging paths of two sisters, Kate and Dot, within a countryside recovering from the horrors of war.

Kate embodies the traditional role of a contented wife and mother -- finding solace and fulfillment in her family and farm life. In contrast, Dot's aspirations of becoming a teacher are dashed by an unexpected turn of events, propelling her into the unfamiliar realm of serving as a lady's companion. Tarpey navigates Dot's story with sensitivity, as she grapples with unforeseen challenges and the allure of a world that is exciting and daunting.

Tarpey captures Dot's growth and transformation with depth and authenticity. She paints a picture of Dot's journey from a rural village to the bustling scenes of Eastbourne, where she encounters a world filled with glamour, temptation, and unforeseen romances.

Through Tarpey's eloquent language, I feel like I witnessed Dot's struggles, triumphs, and the sacrifices she had to make in her pursuit of independence and self-discovery. The book beautifully encapsulates the era's social shifts, juxtaposing Dot's determination to forge her own path against the societal expectations that seek to confine her.

Tarpey adeptly illustrates the essence of sisterly bonds, the enduring resilience of the human spirit, and the quest for personal fulfillment in a world undergoing change.

"Enchanting portrayal of post-war England."

"Heartfelt exploration of sisterhood and resilience."

"Gripping narrative of hope amidst adversity."

"Vivid depiction of rural life and societal shifts."

"Emotionally vibrant tale of dreams and sacrifice."

This is the second book in the Truscott family series.This story is centred round Dot who is away in Chichester training too be a teacher when things happen that makes poor Dot have to leave Chichester and go back home to Micklewell and help her family out.She becomes friends Miriam an artist who is staying with her aunt who Dot becomes companion to on a trip to Eastbourne.This is a great book and found I could not put it down.Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe books

I enjoyed this saga set around 1922. It was interesting and it read as a stand alone book even though its the 2nd one of the series. I thought this was a really good story and I loved all the characters. I hope there is another one to come. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.