There’s so much to learn from: The Woman’s Pages by Victoria Purman

I recently listened to this audio book and recommend it highly. It is historical fiction set in the aftermath of WWII and tells the story of those affected by the war and the return to civilian life. It is a different war but those who enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s novel, The Women, may well enjoy this one too.

Tilly Galloway grew up poor in Sydney. Her father was a dedicated longshoreman and union man who did backbreaking work and also suffered the effects of a dock strike. Tilly married her Archie who went off to war not more than six months after they wed. Tilly also has a sister who is married as the story begins and has three rambunctious sons.

During the war, Tilly worked at a newspaper. She lived with another woman, Mary, whose husband had also gone to war. One other significant character (and there are many deserving of the reader/listener’s time) is Cooper, a war correspondent.

What happened to all of these folks? Readers will want to know.

The inhumane acts of war are a background to the story. How people coped with varying degrees of resilience is also continuously portrayed.

This book was one in which I found myself highly engaged. The narrator created different voices and told the story well.

Highly recommended to those who love historical fiction.