A good story for those seeking a heartwarming and thought-provoking read about the power of friendship and resilience during times of conflict and social change, great likeable characters, look forward to more in the series.

Thank you netgalley for this book, The Clark’s factory girls at war. 3 young girls, Jeannie, Kate and Louisa have been working at the Clark’s shoe factory since leaving school, all 3 have very different lives. Kate’s father is drunken brute who controls her life, Louisa is the only child of very protective parents and jeannie is having to hold her family together since her fathers death and her mother is struggling with nerves. They all care deeply about each other and help each other through their struggles. A great story with some interesting facts about the Clark’s family and all they did for their community. I really enjoyed this book.

Life-long friends Louisa Clements, Jeannie Musgrove and Kate Davis have been working in the Machine Room at the Clarks shoe factory for the past two years. Their current position, a daily paid rate, involves them working on industrial machines and stitching shoe linings. Happy enough to have work and a steady wage, the girls still dream of a promotion to being paid by piecework. They also dream of independence and the ability to make their own decisions as adults. For now, their lives are heavily influenced by their parents and their employer.

When the girls allow Douglas, Matthew Searle, and Ted Jackson into their lives it has the potential to upset the delicate balance at home and at work. One of them has chosen ‘forbidden fruit’ and is keeping the relationship a secret. It’s when Britain declares war on Germany, that the Somerset village of Street is really shaken to its core. Tension escalates when locals denounce the Quaker Peace Testimony, calling it unpatriotic and begin to act hostile towards the prominent employer of the town. How does this affect the three girls at such a pivotal moment in their lives?

As a child raised in Britain, Clark’s shoes were a BIG part of my attire. I’d never stopped to consider the factory or the people behind the brand. I enjoyed learning about the different positions within the factory and how it relied on everyone pulling their weight. When young men left the factory to serve their country, I was reminded of the problems this caused for the employer. There were staffing issues and holes in the production line. I’d never considered how the war affected the factory sourcing sole leather nor how the government requisitioning rubber and leather supplies for army equipment would affect the Clark’s factory.

This fabulous historical fiction set in 1914 examines the crossroads of politics, employment, village life, and religion. You’ll also learn about the Peace Testimony, the Temperance Movement, Suffragettes, trusting in God’s plan and the dangers of marrying outside the Church.

Most of all, I was astounded at the far-reaching influence of the Clark factory and its role in the economy. I enjoyed seeing this play out through the eyes of the workers at the factory.

The only challenge I had was reminding myself that these girls were older than they appeared in the story.

I’m hoping this will be a series as I’m not ready to say goodbye to Somerset just yet.

An amazing and sweet story of three girls trying to deal with their families at the beginning of WWI and learning to grow up. I liked the parts with Kate more than the other girls, but I hope there will be more Clark’s Girls stories, and I get to read them!

This book was a most welcome surprise! It gave more than I was expecting, it had me looking up the history of the Clark’s before I’d finished chapter one. It’s just so interesting on so many ways.

The main story follows the lives of Kate, Louisa and Jeannie who have known one another since they first went to school and now they have joined the workforce at Clark’s shoe factory which is based in their home village of Street. In fact their families either work there or have done.
When war is declared it causes a divide in the village in more ways than one. With half of them including the Clark family being Quakers who follow their testimony whereby they are pacifists and the rest who either sign up to the forces or answer the call when it comes leaving their families behind. What will become of the young quakers will they allow their conscience to dictate !
This also causes issues for Louisa who want to start waking out with Mattie Searle but her parents forbid it because Mattie is a Quaker, what will happen to them?
Kate lives at home with her parents , her mother is poorly and her father is more interested in his cider, and having his food in front of him.
This puts Kate off the thought of being tied to one man, then Ted Jackson asks her out she’s not sure what to do.
Jeannie is the quiet one, lacking confidence and convinced she isn’t pretty.

I found the story just flowed effortlessly. Then when I reached the end I was delighted to find there is to be more, bring it on.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

I was so happy to receive this book what a brilliant family saga based in wartime

Love knowing more about the Clark family. Such a sad time women had as it was definitely a man’s world

Can wait to read more

On paper this book is about three friends working at the Clarks factory in Somerset, and their different experiences of romance as Britain goes to war.
However there's more to it than this simple proposition. We pull back the curtains to a world where women and girls are entirely subservient to men. Kate's father, a drunk, takes all of her wages and can do so until she's 21. He turns his back entirely on his wife when she falls ill, saying she's just being lazy. Men and boys earn a lot more than women but housework and child rearing is entirely women's work. A few female role models exist - two women in the Clarks factory and one in the Clarks family, who's a Suffragette, but women had to be unmarried to get on.
Religion seems to dominate in Street. Although the Quaker Clark family, who run the factory, are highly respected, it's a different story for Louisa when she wants to court Mattie, a Quaker.
Meanwhile Douglas's motives for dating Quaker Jeannie are questioned. Is he hoping to change religion to avoid being conscripted?
Kate has been stepping out with Ted, after a shaky start. But he has suddenly turned cold and mysterious as he unexpectedly goes to war, ending things with her first.
The book ends with uncertainty as Britain goes to war. Plenty of loose endings to pick up in the next book, if there is one. I haven't read any books in this genre before. It's a light, undemanding read that has surprising complexity and learnings. More period details would have satisfied my inner historian.

The Clarks Factory Girls at War by May Ellis

Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory.

But when Britain declares war on Germany, the Somerset village of Street is shaken to its core. The Clarks factory is at the heart of life in the village, but the Clark family are Quakers and pacifists. Before long, there are fierce debates amongst the workers and tensions between those who oppose the war and those who believe the village men should go to fight.
A great read for this genre , even better that it was set around the Clark shoe factory , so the added historical fact around the plot was very interesting.
Great characters in Louisa Jeannie & Kate and how they and those around them coped at the outbreak of war.

It was good to know more about the Clarke family and what they did for the town, and the struggles they faced during the war.

I usually love these kinds of saga reads, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, the main characters were so young that it often felt like 'playtime at school' between them. I found them very difficult to like or relate to. This would maybe suit a much younger reader than myself.

I really enjoyed this story. It was amazing to find out about the Clark family and some of their history.
I felt so sorry for Kate and her family.
This story made me sad and happy.
It's so good to read about normal working people during the great war.
I hope there will be happy days to come for the 3 girls