This was a great book -- I enjoyed learning more about Belfast and how Ireland was impacted by the war. The stories of the family were brilliant. Some have compared to Sally Rooney but it was a bit more Claire Keegan-esque. Overall a very interesting book.

These Days is a poignant and beautifully crafted novel set during the Belfast Blitz of 1941, capturing the lives of two sisters, Emma and Audrey, as their world is torn apart by war. Amid the destruction, each sister must confront societal expectations and their own desires—one facing an impending marriage, the other a secret love. With vivid storytelling and deep emotional resonance, Lucy Caldwell’s novel offers a timeless reflection on survival, identity, and the choices that define us in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Emma and Audrey are two young adult sisters in Belfast, discovering themselves during the WWII air raids. Emma’s romantic involvement with Sylvia intensifies. Emboldened, she openly embraces her sexuality and moves from volunteering with first aid to training to be a nurse. Audrey can’t picture spending her life with Richard, her fiancé. She wishes to work, dreads living with her in-laws, and doesn’t want to be a mother. In the midst of the Belfast Blitz, both women sort through a maelstrom of questions about their role in society, the boundaries in their romantic relationships, and their desire to find gainful employment.

These Days was not for me because, in general, I struggle with historical fiction. I keep trying to find books in this genre, though, because I want to (1) train this aversion out of me and (2) read widely so that I grow as a person. The story solidly falls into the type of historical fic. that is difficult for me to stay intrigued. I found myself flipping through the pages quickly to move on. Furthermore, the story was too romantic, hitting what I felt like were less-than-interesting tropes. Perhaps the clearest one is Audrey’s engagement to Rich. Caldwell evidently sets up the dynamic for readers such that, quite early on, we plead for Audrey to end the engagement. They finally end the romantic relationship at the end of the book, whereby Rich contends Audrey suffers from a nervous breakdown and undermines her agency. Audrey stands up for herself, saying, “It’s not you.” I finished These Days because I received an ARC from Zando/SJP Lit via NetGalley—thank you.

I also shared this review on GoodReads on April 29, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7528194394).

Shamefully, before reading Lucy Caldwell’s These Days, I had never heard of the Belfast Blitz. I was stunned to learn of the extent of the horrific devastation and lives lost. Caldwell’s graphic portrayals of the destruction are unflinching and immerse the reader in the raw horror without feeling gratuitous. History is in the forefront rather than the characters

The novel moves with a slower, more contemplative rhythm while considering the day-to-day life during WWII. I appreciated how Caldwell focused closely on the women, especially Emma and Audrey. She highlights the sharp contrast between the strikingly intimate circumstances of home life and the catastrophic destruction outside, with the young women's overwhelming emotions and directions for the future.

These Days displays the endurance of ordinary people in extraordinary times. I would highly recommend it to readers who appreciate literary historical fiction with a strong sense of place and atmosphere, particularly those interested in Ireland during WWII.
#NetGalley

I missed the pub date for this, but happy pub date to These Days! It's tough to say that I had "fun" reading this, but I was immensely engrossed in this book. I couldn't put it down! I love a good sister-sister dynamic especially against the background of a raging war.

These Days takes place in Ireland during the WW2 Belfast Blitz, The story focuses on Fiona and Phillip and their three adult children; Paul, Audrey and Emma. The sections that focused on the three major attacks seemed well researched and shed light on a part of the war many, including myself knew little about. My problem was with the rest of the book. The stories about the family didn't hold my interest. The message seemed to be that despite devastating attacks, life goes on. Much of the book focused on the love relationships of Audrey and Emma, that felt flat and unimportant as the bombs fell, destroying the city and it's people. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC of These Days in exchange for my honest review.

This centers around a family living in Belfast, trying to survive Germany's Blitz on their small city.
It was pretty boring. I came close to abandoning it.
Thanks to #netgalley and #zando #sjplit for this #arc of #thesedays in exchange for an honest review.

Quick and Dirty
-WWII-era historical fiction
-reads like stream-of-consciousness literary fiction
-sister story
-set in Belfast

Wow. I was not expecting this quiet stunner! When I read WWII fiction, I usually read books that feature resistance fighting, Holocaust stories, or home front war efforts. So when I started this WWII family drama, I wasn’t sure what to think. Sure, it focuses on the everyday hardships faced by the people of Belfast, which was bombed relentlessly. It also features home front war efforts, like the first response. But it’s SO much more than that. This book tells the story of an upper-middle-class Belfast family trying to navigate life amidst falling bombs and life-changing events inspired by the war. Told from the perspective of most of the family (and a few side characters), it’s a rich tapestry of humanity with devastatingly real emotions. Imagine coming of age amidst nightly bombing, sorting out what you’re going to do for the rest of your life, or falling for your first love. It’s so human that it takes your breath away at times. I will say it’s slow compared to other action-oriented WWII stories, so don’t go in expecting fast-paced drama. This one is told in the little moments; it’s introspective and emotive. It’s another example of why Irish fiction may be the best fiction.

These Girls was an absolute delight of a book to read-mystery, romance, war, family - it had it all! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

This was powerful in its mundane-ness. Just “normal” family drama despite (or because) of the Belfast Blitz.

I actually didn’t know, or didn’t realise Belfast was hit this hard during WWII. Some of the characters’ stories are absolutely heartbreaking. It was powerful.

However, it wasn’t totally my cup of tea. I had hoped for a little more character exposition: I’d have loved to spent more time with Emma, for example. Also, I wasn’t into the writing. My gripe with mostly this came from a lack of punctuation.

1941. Emma and Audrey are sisters who live in Belfast. This story tells of their lives during the Belfast Blitz, when the city was targeted by the Germans.
I really enjoyed this book. I was born in Belfast, but had never heard of the Belfast Blitz. The writing was crisp and the characters well defined. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Our Days tells the story of the Belfast Blitz in April of 1941, through the eyes of one upper class family. The book starts off very slow (so much so that I considered not finishing it) but once the bombing starts the book really takes off and I read the second half of this book in one sitting. Caldwell describes the horrific bombing of the city, through the eyes of Florence and her two newly adult daughters, Emma and Audrey, in such visceral detail that you can almost hear, feel and smell it yourself. The scope of this book is small which makes this violent event so much more personal and powerful. This book was originally published in the UK in 2022 and now has been rereleased in the US.
Thank you to SJP Lit/Zando and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I can appreciate the extent to which the author discussed the War, since it is so important to remember these things so they do not happen again. However, I wished the book had been a little more character driven.

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book.

These Days follows two sisters during the Belfast Blitz: Audrey and Emma. Audrey is engaged to Richard, a successful doctor, while Emma is in a secret relationship with Sylvia - a woman 11 years her senior.

It is poignant, and the attention to detail is startling. I was struck while reading that the small details vividly depicted reminded me of the nuances within the books I used to read growing up in their specificity. This book is all-consuming.

One thing I would say is that I would have loved to have spent more time with Emma throughout the book, and some characters seemed slightly underdeveloped. However, it was still an incredibly great book!

I’m not a huge reader reader of historical fiction but I wanted to give this one a try! I knew it was a story about 2 sisters and their time during ww2, more specifically the Belfast Blitz. However, I didn’t expect it to be so focused on the war itself. I know that sounds stupid but I just thought or at least hoped it would be more character driven, with the war in background l, so that we could really live inside the characters heads.

I felt like I never really got to a point where I connected with the sisters or anyone for that matter. There were so many side characters and I feel like by trying to tell their stories , everything was just spread out too thin. But By all means this wasn’t a bad book at all , I mean Lucy Caldwell really did do a great job at a painting a vivid picture of what happened and how people suffered during the war, I just wanted to less of that and more of the sister and even their mother.

I think if you’re an avid reader of historical fiction you will enjoy this one! but for someone like me who isn’t I think I should have started with something a little different.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

These Days is set over a several month span in Belfast 1941. It focuses on 1 family with 2 young adult daughters and a teenaged son. I like how it focused on an aspect of World War 2 that I previously did not know much about, specifically the Belfast Blitz. This book is beautifully written and I was invested in this family, particularly the daughters. Though set against the drama of the Blitz, it is a quieter, more character-focused novel. Reaffirms my love for Irish literature! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy. 4.25 stars

This book was so good. I loved the writing style and the characters. I think there are so many layers to ever aspects of the story which kept me engaged from start to ending

Thank you to Netgalley and Zando Projects for the ARC of this novel.
So I began These Days actually thinking this would be about the troubles, not the 1940’s, and was prepared to dislike it due to my mistake.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It is a tender, loving view of Belfast of the 1940’s, with insight into a lesser known spot of contention (at least for me) between the Germans and Brits. I enjoyed how it was much different than many World War II books in that it didn’t center a love story, but instead a city and its normal inhabitants. I enjoyed reading about Emma and Audrey, but for me, mother Florence really struck true. I liked her parts the best, maybe because I have kids and mothers generally understand other mothers, but really her views and internal monologues were the most poignant to me. The girls were young, and were very well written with the instability of all youth but also amidst the backdrop of multiple air raids and not knowing if they were going to live from one day to the next. This novel wasn’t plot driven, but character development soared, and the prose was hauntingly beautiful. If you like historical fiction, I’d check this one out! 3.5 stars.

Occasionally a book simply touches your heart in a way that you know it will stay with you for a very long time; that's exactly what These Days by Lucy Caldwell has done. The storyline highlights the Bell family living in Belfast during World War II. Dr. Phillip and Florence Bell are the parents to 3 children: Audrey, Emma and young son Paul. As Audrey celebrates her 21st, war has not yet touched Belfast directly, however residents are aware of the potential devastation and taking basic precautions to prepare. Audrey loves life, her family and Belfast- she is not as certain about her feelings for her beau Richard, soon to be Dr. Graham. Emma at 20, despite her Mother's objections, is volunteering for night shifts on the First Aid Patrol. Paul at 14, still childlike in many ways, is fascinated by the .War and cannot wait to be a pilot. Life for the Bell family and all of Belfast changes overnight on April 8, 1941 when the Bliz of Belfast begins.. The personal stories of Audrey, Emma and their mother drive the novel, however it is Caldwell's description of the bombings, the destruction and devastation, the horrific injuries and deaths, the resilience and courage of the residents that will never leave me. I was moved to tears many times, yet it was never maudlin or morbid. Theses Days is a beautiful novel giving insights into a part of WW Two I was only vaguely aware of it. It is a wonderful read. Thank you to NetGalley, Zando, SJP Lit and Lucy Caldwell for the opportunity to read an ARC of These Days; my review reflects my honest opinion. 4 stars.

Belfast 1941
A family of five.. father, mother, two daughters and young son, and life during the bombings by the Germans during the Belfast Blitz.. a series of bombings
In April-May of that year.. it wiped out docksides, whole streets, bomb shelters, etc.. so much devastating loss.
During this time the women in the family harboring personal issues that enrich the story.
I have read many WWll based novels… but none on what Belfast endured… love learning new things from historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley, Zando/SJP for the free e-copy for an honest review!