The Woolworths Saturday Girls
Paperback Published By Panmacmillan 17th March 2022
1950. The Second World War is over and life has moved on for the Woolworth girls, Sarah, Maisie and Freda. In a new world the Woolworth women have high expectations of their daughters, wanting them to seize opportunities they didn’t have themselves. Ready to take on Saturday jobs at Woolworths, budding friends Bessie, Claudette, Clementine and Dorothy are faced with unforeseeable challenges as the real world comes into focus. Their bond can only be strengthened as they overcome the darkest times. Perhaps their lives are not as clear-cut as their mothers wished them to be . . .
When Bessie finds love in the wrong crowd and falls pregnant, the image of her future and ambitions become skewed and she relies on the Saturday girls to help her see her problems through – but how can they find a home for the baby when it arrives? With wild imaginations, it is up to the Woolworth girls, new and old, to save the day and their futures.
Can the Woolworth girls achieve their dreams in time for their futures to begin?
MY REVIEW
I have been addicted to Elaine Everest Woolworths Girls since I read A Gift from Woolworths that I read in 2018.
I love how Elaine Everest creates lively characters that seem so real life, and live in real places, like Margate, that’s not far from where I live in Kent.
I particularly like how the author Elaine Everest bases her novels in north west Kent, where she was brought up and sets these beautiful novels within landmarks like Margate and Erith that I know of well, and her readers may well know these areas too. For me personally this is one the reason I connect well to every novel by Elaine as I can picture the areas of the Kent based scenes.
The Woolworths Saturday Girls is set in 1950.
An excerpt
Electricity House, Erith February 1950
‘The woman could talk the hind legs off a donkey,’ Alan Gilbert said as he helped his wife, Sarah, into her coat. ‘ I’m not sure I can be doing with getting involved in politics. And I don’t need to sit and listen to a load of boring speeches just to decide who I vote for.’
Sarah gave his arm a squeeze. ‘Good grief, Alan, you are becoming such an old fuddy duddy. Dad says everyone thinks highly of Margaret Roberts. Look,here comes Dad now. Why don’t we see if he wants a quick drink in the Prince of Wales before we head home?’
‘That sounds more like it,’ Alan said, loosening his tie. ‘ You know I’m not one for dressing up and going to meetings like this. The only time I’ve ever been in this building is for a wedding reception and parties. They have been the best sprung dance floor in town.
Sarah smiled to herself. Electricity House was certainly Erith’s best venue for parties and official occasions, but she much preferred the informal hall behind the Prince of Wales pub. She only ever visited the building in Pier Road to go into its ground floor showroom, when not at work and look at all the shiny new appliances, daydreaming of what she could buy for her lovely new home when their ship came in. It might take time, but she had faith in her husband and his business. She hugged his arm. ‘There was a time, Alan Gilbert, when you enjoyed dressing up. And you looked so smart in your RAF uniform.’ she said, gazing up into his sparkling blue eyes.
‘Those days are long gone, and thank goodness they are,’ he said as he took her hand and held it tight. ‘I feel in my bones that our family will prosper. We have a bright future ahead of us, my love, and our children will want for nothing.’ ‘I’m happy with our lot. I don’t need big dreams. I just want you and the children safe, is that too much to ask?’
‘What about the cottage with the roses around the door you’ve hankered after since we married.’
Sarah chuckled. ‘Youthful dreams,my love. I’m no longer that innocent bride who celebrated her twenty first birthday on the day war broke out. Although I’d say no to a cottage if it was going begging.’
‘You don’t look a day older than when you walked down the aisle towards me,’ he said, giving her an appreciative look.
I would like to thank panmacmillan and edpr for sending me a printed copy ahead of publication, to read and review.
About author Elaine Everest
When she isn’t writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school at The Howard Venue in Hextable, Kent and has a long list of published students.
Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent and is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Crime Writers Association, The Society of Women Writers & Journalists and The Society of Authors as well as Slimming World where she can be seen sitting in the naughty corner.
Follow Elaine on
Facebook: Elaine Everest Author page
Twitter: @elaineeverest
My writing school: http://www.thewriteplace.org.uk
Bookread2day 
My mother used to take us to Woolworths regularly. I’ve we’d been good, we’d get a soda at the counter. Such wonderful memories!
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That’s one thing I put in my first review I remember good old Woolworths. I remember getting pick and mix sweet and then buying a Barbie for my daughter. Also you could buy CD albums, even a newspaper in there. I miss Woolworths 🥲
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