I haven't given much thought to how war affects Quakers as I know they don't believe in participating. This book gave me a unique look into the feelings of those living in Quaker communities during times of conflict.

In this whimsical historical fiction novel, readers travel to a factory town in the early days of World War I. The town is divided by religion, but Louisa, Jennie, and Kate are friends despite this. Louisa in particular pushes back against this divide, falling in love with Mattie (Jennie’s brother’s best friend), while the other girls try to find their own places in the world and push back in their own ways. As war breaks out, however, things become more difficult for the girls and the Clarks Shoe Factory as more men enlist and others feel the pressure to do the same. Wartime is never easy, however, and the girls all experience some individual challenges and struggles as the world changes around them. Ellis’s characters are the star of the novel, and the many friendships and relationships are the driving force behind the characters’ actions. Louisa, Jennie, and Kate’s friendship is really wonderful and genuine, and their differences add to their depth as characters and the complexity of their friendship. Ellis’s worldbuilding and the religious divide in the town is another great element that adds conflict and change to the characters’ stories as an unique facet of this charming historical fiction novel.

This had everything that I was looking for from a historical fiction novel, it had everything that I was looking for. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and time-period. I was engaged with the story and how the characters worked with the story. I enjoyed the way May Ellis wrote this.

I loved reading this book and learing more about the era and the show factory. I look forward to the next one.

i had such a great time reading this book!! it was so fun. the characters were amazing and sweet and wonderful. it was just such a pure joy and i'm so very thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!!

Interesting WWI book

I enjoyed reading The Clark Factory Girls at War. The many details about the lives of these friends working at the Clark shoe factory revealed rich details about their mostly unfair situation, less pay than boys and men, having to do the house work and make meals when fathers and brothers didn't, etc. I found the start a bit slow and was getting a bit confused about the characters, so hence 4 not 5 stars. However, the last half of the book went a lot quicker. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

This is the first in a new series set in the Clarks factory in Somerset around the early parts of the First World War which focuses on three friends; Louisa, Jeanie and Kate. The factory is at the heart of the story as each character works there but there are clear divides on religious grounds. Clearly, this causes tensions and arguments especially as the Clark family are quakers and espouse their pacifist viewpoint which is at odds with some of the workers who must decide whether to support the war effort. For these young women this has heart wrenching consequences as they form relationships with local lads who must decide whether to volunteer fight. Tragedy also strikes in other ways and each of the three girls has emotional turmoil to face but their friendship remains true.

As a fan of historical fiction, I found this new series interesting and was intrigued about the workings of the Clarks factory. I hadn't realised that this national brand has its origins in Somerset so was fascinated by the description of the working conditions and the benevolence of the Clark family. Not only did they provide work, they also supported the workers with housing and cultural activities. That being said, there were aspects that felt like they didn't belong in this era, although the treatment of women is weaved successfully throughout the narrative. The writing is clear with some repetitious phrases but it wasn't always obvious as to where we were timewise in the progress of the war. My only other criticism is that the book seemed to "fizzle out" as the author was leaving more of the story for future books in the series. I would probably read the next instalment but I hope future instalments have a stronger cliff hanger. With thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is the first of a new series and a new author to me. It is set at the Clarks shoe factory in Street. It follows the same format as many saga series set during WWII which is about 3 friends. I enjoyed the book, but not sure I will read the next as I have a few various series books I am reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Life-long friends Louisa, Jeannie and Kate are following in the footsteps of their families, working at the Clarks shoe factory in the Somerset village of Street. When war is declared in 1914 the village is shocked. It is a close nit community and the war against Germany is causing a divide. The Clark family who own the factory are Quakers and pacifists and do not believe in war. Whilst a lot of the villages men go of to fight for King and Country, it’s left to the women to keep the factory going, alongside some of those men who because of religious or politic views won’t be signing up.

I really liked this book, it brought back so many memories from when I was a child and my Nan who lived through both the first and second world wars would tell me of going to work in the munitions factories whilst the men when away to fight. The men might have been fighting for their lives abroad but so were the women, who were fighting to keep a home going and put food on the table for those left behind all the while worrying if their husbands, sons, lovers would even return.

I grew up in a small Britain city, where a Clarks factory dominated the skyline until the late 80's. It employed a large number of the town and was how lots of local people made their bread and butter. So I was really interested to read this book.

What a wonderful book telling the story about Clarks and the families that work for Clarks. Also what a great start to a series.

Jeannie, Louisa & Kate have been friends since they started at school together. They work all together in the Clark’s factory. Over the course of the book we see what happens to them. The Quaker community do not believe in the War and of course the sons will expect a hard time from others who feel they should be fighting in the War. We see the girls getting boyfriends which might not suit who their parents think they should be with.

The characters were very engaging and it was interesting to read about a community that all worked for Clark’s. The book flowed and it all worked well together.

Would recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book.

I read The Clarks Factory Girls at War because I thought it would be interesting to learn about the Clarks shoe factory. I did learn that the Clarks did a lot for that community, including on site school time for the younger factory workers, who had dropped out of school, low rent housing and other benefits for workers.

The novel told the stories of three young friends and their families and their boyfriends. The writing style seemed to be more simplistic and aimed toward teens, but I would not recommend it to teens. It was loaded with foul language, lying and "kissy,kissy," as Kate would say and roving hands. The grammar was very bad. I realize that these were working class characters, but I grew up in a working-class neighborhood, and my neighbors knew how to use verbs and pronouns. Sometimes it was difficult to know who was talking because "she" was used too often without an antecedent.

The most disappointing part of this book was that there really wasn't an ending. The reader is expected to read the next book to find out what happens to these girls, their boyfriends and families. I enjoy series and sagas, but only if each story is complete in one book.

I am sorry to give such a negative review, as I was given a free book by NetGalley and the publisher.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:

I was so excited to start a new wartime series and this did not disappoint, I need the next in the series already!!

We really get to know the girls, their difference in faith, character and home life bring them together and their friendship was so sweet and endearing.

Of course we can’t forget the other big character ‘Clarks’ a staple in most homes, I enjoyed reading about its early years.

The author has brought a solid start to the series and I’m looking forward to what happens next.

The Clark’s Factory Girls at War - May Ellis 👞

“Can love blossom in times of trouble”

I did find this book a little slow going to start with but once I got into it I enjoyed it.

This story follows three young ladies, and their families working at Clark’s factory during WWI. The characters were all really interesting and I loved the strong bond between the friends, even if they did have different religious beliefs.
This was an easy read and felt very natural, following along with the girls lives, and romantic relationships with the historical facts about the Clark’s family and the Quakers.

The book seemed to end without much resolution but I think this story will continue.

Thanks @netgalley and @theboldbookclub for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

May Ellis has done a fabulous job with the writing of this novel. She is a new author to me but I enjoyed the setting being 1914 in Somerset. It is a heartbreaking story so be prepared to shed some tears.

I really enjoyed this, it was interesting to see the war from a different point of view and the struggles people with certain beliefs had, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series

Fantastic new series, following 3 girls who work at the factory, they become good friends but are from different family backgrounds.
Definately worth a read if you enjoy learning about social history and the plight of women

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
Ugh I was enjoying this book when I first read it. But wow. I don't know what it is but these type of story plot books that I usually like but lately I have been gifted a lot that have thrown in homosexual story plots and I don't want to read about that. They should list on there that it has it in there instead of sneaking it in there. Very dishonest. But it just feels out of place in these types of books. These books in the past are usually clean and a great historical fiction read. But this one just made me upset and I did not finish.

As a fan of a good historical saga, especially set around war times, I was intrigued by this especially as I haven’t read anything from this author before.
I have to admit, even with as much reading as I do, and being a history fan, I had limited knowledge of the Quakers (Friends) and their ideas around war (life). I love reading a story that gives me something to learn as well as entertaining.

Clarks is such a well known name, this was also something that had grabbed my attention initially. Reading about the community it created within the workplace, and the wider area was also interesting even though the characters are fictional.

At first, I struggled with the book, I found it a little slow going but it did pick up pace as it progressed. The characters are nice and likeable. Louisa, Jeannie, and Kate become firm friends through their work despite coming from different backgrounds.

There are many strands to the storyline, and as this is the first in a series, I presume we will see how each develop over the coming books.

A historical glimpse into factory and community life at this time, it references believes and ideas at the time which may surprise readers to learn, highlighting the issues with inequalities in gender, age, religious beliefs etc.

An interesting start to this series!

This was another historical romance set in the First World War, about three young girls who work in the Clarks boots factory. Louisa, Kate and Jeannie have known each other all their lives but they each come from different backgrounds. Louisa, an Anglican, is attracted to Mattie, a handsome Quaker, but her parents are not exactly pleased. Poor Kate has to look after her sick mother while her abusive father complains and gets drunk. He also becomes violent at times. Jeannie, another Friend, is envious of Louisa, and adores Mattie.

Religious conflict is strong in this town with the factory run by the Clarks, who are Quakers, at its centre. Alice Clark, a member of this enlightened family and a historian and Suffragette, is one of the directors of the factory, giving hope to the girls that women can achieve more. I enjoyed reading about the history of the factory, which is intertwined with the story.

War creates difficulty for the Quakers, who must decide between sticking to their pacifist beliefs or joining the armed forces. It is a heartwrenching decision for some.

I didn’t realise that religious differences between Quakers and Anglicans were so strong even in the early 20th century. I may have some Quakers in my background so that part of the book was really interesting.

I enjoyed this and I am looking forward to the sequel.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Anybody who knows me well knows that not only am I a book geek who loves discovering new authors but I am also a historical fiction nerd with a particular interest in stories set during the early 20th Century. So imagine my excitement when I read the synopsis of 'The Clarks Factory Girls At War' by May Ellis. The synopsis intrigued me and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what proved to be a superb few hours of reading. I absolutely adored reading 'The Clarks Factory Girls At War' but more about that in a bit.

It took me no time at all to get into 'The Clarks Factory Girls At War'. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I realised three things - firstly that I was reading something special, secondly that I was going to become addicted to the story and thirdly that I wouldn't be able to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was spot on with all three predictions. I picked the book up and didn't put it down again for a couple of hours. I was blown away by the story and by the range of characters. This was one of those books that really got under my skin to the extent that if I wasn't reading the book then I was thinking about it. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I was so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I lost all track of time and just how fast I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Clarks Factory Gitrls at War'. I found 'The Clarks Factory Girls At War' to be a gripping and superb piece of historical fiction.

'The Clarks Factory Girls At War' is superbly written and then some. May certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. May clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. In fact the main three girls - Jeannie, Kate and Louisa- ended up feeling more like friends than characters in a book. May has clearly done an awful lot of research into the time period during which the story takes place and this helps the story seem that bit more authentic. I even learnt something from this story as I hadn't realised that the Clarks company was founded by a Quaker family and I enjoyed learning about the Quakers religion. My home town is a Quaker town too. Some tough subjects are discussed in the book but May does this with care, compassion and sensitivity. I love the way in which May makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Clarks Factory Girls At War' and I wholeheartedly recommend the book to other readers. I will be reading much more of May's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.