Welcome to my stop on Rachel’s Random Resources Book Tour for A Christmas Gift for the East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride  – a festive wartime saga, perfect for the holidays. 

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Publication Date August 25, 2024

Publisher Boldwood Books

About the Book:

As the war continues, the library girls face their greatest challenge yet…

With the echoes of war reverberating around London, Cordelia, Mavis, and Jane are delighted to be blessed with some good news: the King and his Queen will be making a visit to the East End.

As excitement builds, so does their apprehension. With each passing day, the threat of destruction from air raids increasingly plagues their worried minds.

But with Christmas on the horizon, their morale is at an all-time high, and the girls are determined to display to their esteemed guests all they have done with the library – and with so little.

For Mavis especially, she is more focused on the library than ever – her beloved Joe is still fighting overseas and she is waiting for news on whether she might adopt young Joyce.

But perhaps the royal visit will not be the only Christmas gift she’ll be surprised with this year…?

A captivating tale of resilience and determination, perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Elaine Roberts and Lesley Eames.

My Review:

I absolutely adored this heartwarming work of historical fiction. If you loved The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan or The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Bradley, this is a work of historical fiction you must pick up. This was my first entry into the series and I had no issues following along. I read this in one sitting and it was fun to escape to Christmas in London while it was a billion degrees in my real life. 

The story features such strong characters even in the face of the hardships of war–you can’t help but admire them. And while they face those hardships, they also make the best of what they have. They are creative and thoughtful and there for each other in the face of the ups and downs of life. It’s a gentle, character driven story that I could not put down and I was sorry when it ended. I actually hugged my kindle when I finished. I will be investigating the previous entries to the series and eagerly hoping for more to come.  

About the Author:

Patricia McBride is the author of several fiction and non-fiction books as well as numerous articles. She loves undertaking the research for her books, helped by stories told to her by her Cockney mother and grandparents who lived in the East End. Patricia lives in Cambridge with her husband.

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.mcbride.106

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tricia.mcbride.writer/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PatriciaMcbridenews

Bookbub profile: Patricia McBride Books – BookBub

Purchase Link:  ~ Amazon ~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS: 

Stop by the rest of the tour!