Girls in Tin Hats

It's 1940 and Small Heath, in the heart of Birmingham, is facing the darkest days of the war.

Violet Simms lives with her controlling, widowed mother who runs the local pawn shop. At just 20 years old, Violet longs for friendship, love and escape. It seems her dreams might come true until tragedy strikes on one of the very worst nights of the Birmingham Blitz.

Grace Templeton is the eldest in her family of ten children. Spirited Grace is determined never to become burdened by childbearing and drudgery like her mother. Adored by childhood sweetheart, Jimmy Oval, Grace believes she can do better. Volunteering as an ARP warden feels like a chance for adventure – until she sees the horror and reality of war firsthand. In this blacked out city, where not everyone is quite what they seem, she comes to realise she is less in control of events than she had thought.

The war will have long-lasting effects on every family … Long buried secrets come to light and stories are woven together amid the intense bombing of Birmingham. The girls’ lives will be changed forever by friendship and love, by tragedy and joy.

Ideal for readers interested in general fiction.