Pages

Friday 8 April 2022

Book Review: New Recruits at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller

New Recruits at Goodwill House by Fenella J. Miller book cover

AD* | May 1940

There are new residents at Goodwill House – WAAF drivers Camilla ‘Millie’ Cunningham and Diane Forsyth, both eager to do their bit for the war effort and excited to be helping the brave boys who fly.

And when Millie meets dashing and heroic Spitfire pilot Ted Thorrington, they strike up an instant connection. But with Hitler gaining more ground in Europe, there is danger brewing across the Channel in Dunkirk and Ted is required to fly more and more dangerous sorties, risking his life every time.

With their hearts and lives on the line, the courage of the girls in blue will be tested like never before...

New Recruits at Goodwill House is an action-packed historical saga novel.

This is actually the second book in the series, although I wasn't aware of that when I initially started reading. Although it would have been nice to understand a little more of the background, New Recruits at Goodwill House can easily be read as a standalone novel. 

The story centres around young WAAF driver Millie during World War Two. On her first posting as a WAAF, Millie finds herself posted to Manston airfield in Kent and billeted at the imposing Goodwill House. Despite her inexperience, Millie soon finds herself in the thick of the action and is forced to put all her skills to the test. From the excitement on the base to the family drama back at Goodwill House, there's certainly never a dull moment for Millie!

The setting of the airfield and wartime Kent is beautifully written. It's evocative and descriptive, helping you picture everything from the boats in the channel to the spartan living quarters on the base. It's all too easy to think of this as a work of fiction, but the reality is that so many brave men and women lived just like this. In particular, the attitude and outlook of Ted and the other airmen is poignant. They live each day as if it were their last, yet the tragic truth is that young men just like Ted and his friends would have lost their lives every day during the war years. 

Engaging and well-written, New Recruits at Goodwill House is an enjoyable read.

Rating: 3 stars

New Recruits at Goodwill House is available to buy now.

If you like the sound of this book, you might also enjoy...


* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Will you be reading the book? Let me know in the comments below! 

No comments:

Post a Comment