I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley.com and the publisher HQ Digital. Thanks to both for the opportunity to read and review.

This book had an excellent premise, though while well researched, the story lacked something for me. Set in dual timelines of modern day and WWII. It's a story of secrets and what we hide and what we tell.

It wasn't a difficult read, but I didn't enjoy the abortion storyline. It wasn't necessary, there are other historical fiction tropes that could have been employed.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Hidden Women’ was perfect reading for me. I absolutely love anything to do with researching family history and I also love the way skeletons come tumbling out of the closet every once in a while when you uncover a shocking event or even better a scandal! I have many such skeletons in my own family tree but I won’t bore you with them. Back to ‘The Hidden Women’ I do go. Anyway you can appreciate why the synopsis of ‘The Hidden Women’ appealed to me so much. I couldn’t wait to begin reading and oh my goodness, I absolutely loved reading ‘The Hidden Women’ but more about that in a bit.
The two main female leads in this book are Lillian Miles and her great niece Helena Miles. We meet Lillian both in the past, during her service in the Second World War and also in the present day when she is residing in a nursing home for retired performers. I really took to Lillian. During the war, she works in the traditionally male dominated world of flying. Lillian is feisty, stubborn, determined, compassionate, gentle and she is very hardworking. I had a hunch when I first met Lillian that there was something in her past that had deeply scarred her mentally and emotionally and to a degree I was right. To give exact details would be giving too much away. The only thing I had a bit of an issue with was the fact that she did something which she knew to be illegal at that time and she could have got into serious trouble over what she did. Even then though, I could understand why she was doing what she was doing. I apologise for the cryptic nature of the last few sentences but I am anxious not to give away too much information because I would hate to spoil the book. Present day Lillian still has all those qualities that I describe but she is very reluctant to discuss her wartime service with Helena for reasons which do become clear in the end. Helena has her own problems going on. She is the single mother to a lovely little girl and she has to be both parents because the girl’s birth father doesn’t want to know. Helena shares a lot of the qualities that her great aunt Lillian has and I think that that is perhaps why they get on so well. Helena works on a genealogy television show (my ideal job!!) and helps celebrities to research their family trees. I was so envious of her in that respect. Helena hasn’t been in a relationship since her child’s father left the scene and it’s fair to say that sparks fly between her and one of her clients. Helena and her client are linked both in the present and in the past.
I have to say that I was hooked on this book from the moment I twigged that a large part of the story focussed on family history. As I alluded to above, I have researched my own family tree and I find it to be an extremely addictive hobby. I couldn’t wait to get stuck into the book to see if the families in the book had as many skeletons in their closet as I have in mine. Reading this book became extremely addictive too. I just couldn’t stop reading this book because I needed to know what scandalous things Lillian had been up to during the war and to see how Helena’s story panned out. The pages turned with increasing speed and before I knew what was happening, I had cleared over half of the book. I was so focussed on the different strands to the story and the different characters that I didn’t realise just how quickly the time was passing. For me, ‘The Hidden Women’ is a simply unputdownable book. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I begrudged having to put the book to one side and if I did have to stop reading for any reason, then I immediately counted down the time until I could pick the book up again. This book had me reading into the night and I decided that sleep is for wimps.
‘The Hidden Women’ is beautifully, sensitively and fantastically written. There are some pretty distressing information contained within the book and the author treats them realistically but with great compassion and sensitivity at the same time. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and keep it all the way through the book. There are two main timelines in this book with different chapters focussing on the events as they happened to or regarding Lillian during the Second World War and the events as they happened to or regarding Helena in the present day. The chapters interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly as a result.
To conclude, I absolutely ADORED reading ‘The Hidden Women’ and I will definitely be recommending it to other readers. I will definitely be seeking out Kerry’s other books and reading them just as soon as I can. I just know that I will enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed reading this one. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The Hidden Women by Kerry Barrett is Split Timeline World War II Historical and Modern Fiction. The timelines in the story are well blended and everyone’s story is complete. I liked that the author wrote each character with age appropriate behavior. This is an interesting story of how the actions of others and our reactions can affect our entire life. Very informative book about the women who served their country in World War II.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

When Helena a researcher for a hit show comes across her own Aunt Lil in her research she is intrigued and continues to look into her history. Lil was in the ATA in the war and led a full life so how is she going to feel about her niece delving into her past and what secrets will she reveal?

A great book, I love books about women in the ATA and their stories of ferrying planes around the country for the RAF. It worked well with the two voices, although I definitely preferred Lil's story.

One of the best books I have read in a while. This dual written tale is gripping and emotional. It brought historical facts that are not well known, such as women flying planes to be delivered, to my knowledge. I would highly recommend this to anyone to read.

A great book. Fabulous weaving of two timelines. I raced to the end of this. I’m a new fan of this author and am off to find her other works.

Some secrets are better left out in the open.

While I admit I had completely different expectations for this book than what the story delivered and it took me quite a while to get into the story, once I finally did, I enjoyed it.

Helena, an uptight, Type-A with an interesting job, a wonderful daughter, a chaotic family and a new love interest, was surprisingly relatable. But it was her Great Aunt Lil that captivated me. Lil's story was inspiring, tragic and powerful. I think I could have read an entire book just on Lil.

The one aspect of this book that I wish had been revealed in the synopsis was the potential triggers it contained. This book does cover topics of rape, unplanned pregnancies, abortion, abandonment and postpartum depression.

I loved this book and learning more about the war years and the brave women who lived through it. I loved the characters and plot.
Excellent read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Loved this book because it was interesting and full of war time facts.I liked the two stories, they kept me reading to see what would happen next. Book was written compassionately and honestly. I read it in one evening.

I loved the book!!! I loved how it alternated between Helena and her family in the present and Lillian during the 1940s. Lillian's story was my favorite, especially her time as an ATA pilot. Lilian and her friends were so brave, not only because they were pilots but also for all the woman they tried to help. Lillian should have been proud for all she accomplished. I hated how she treated Helena for finding out about her past that she kept hidden for so long.

Helena is a researcher for the show, Where Did You Come From?. A show where celebrities find out the history of their family. While researching information for the handsome Jack Jones, Helena comes across her aunt's name. With the urging of her father and Jack, Helena digs a little deeper. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the secrets that are finally revealed after being hidden for so long.

I loved the characters, story and writing style. Thank goodness for Aunt Lil when Helena and her siblings were growing up. She pretty much saved the day. Helena's parents needed all the help they could get. Lillian seemed like a wonderful woman. I didn't know about the ATA (Airport Transport Auxiliary). It was great reading about the role women played in transporting the airplanes. Honestly, I wanted to smack Rose. She was so jealous of Lillian and caused so many problems.

Definitely recommend the book and I can't wait to read more by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HQ Digital through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and HQ Digital team for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this book by the cover artwork and by the title. I am a big fan of books that are set in the second World War and find it fascinating to read about the different roles that women were able to participate in meaningfully assisting with what was going on in the war either at home or elsewhere.. In reading this book I learned a lot about the role of women as Air Transport Pilots in the ATA (or Air Transport Auxiliary) I had heard about this before but wasn't very informed about it so imagine my surprise this past week when I went to a play that featured a character who had been an ATA pilot! It was nice to have background information on this!

The book however, is more than just a description of what the job of the female pilots did in the air. It also deals with an important social issue of the time when many women found themselves unexpectedly pregnant with nowhere to turn. This is a very timely topic as it s still of concern today and people tend to have strong feelings on the subject and may not be thrilled with the choices that these women made. The story has descriptions of a young teen being groomed into a sexual relationship without initially realizing that she was being taken advantage of.

The author chose to tell this story using a technique that I am noticing in many of the books that I read these days. It is one that seems to work well where the story is told through a look back through time driven by a connection to a family member.. Helena, the main character from modern times, works in a tv field where she researches the family history of celebrities. When she meets one unusual celebrity she discovers while researching his story that their appears to be a possible connection. to her much loved Aunt Lil. who had been a member of the ATA . A family mystery seems to be involved as Lil has never shared her wartime experiences and Helena's father really wants to know more even if it proves to be upsetting to Lil. Helena ends up on a quest, much like a detective to find out about her aunt's past. There is also a romantic element as she learns to care for the celebrity that she is researching.

Lil's story is told throughout the book in her own voice and it was fascinating and painful. The whole story really grabbed me and kept me reading to find out what would happen next. The book shed a light on why some people don't want to talk about their wartime experiences but perhaps talking is just what is needed.

Kerry Barrett did an excellent job in crafting this story which was inspired at least in part by Mary Ellis, the last surviving pilot from the Air Transport Auxiliary who died at 101 while the author was in the process of writing the book. Lots of her experiences were apparently reflected in the novel. This is a book which should make a reader think and reflect on the times and the issues these women faced. They were not always well-received by their male co-workers and were held to very high standards. Although the book may have some triggers for sexual assault survivors and deals with the topic of abortion, I would highly recommend it to those interested in this time period and can see it would make a great book for a book club to discuss

Thank you net galley for the advance read copy of this novel. This was a WWII historical fiction about women helping other women with abortions and adoptions during the war. This book takes place in two different timelines that intersect. A good read with well done research pulling those facts into the story.

Other reviewers have discussed the two main characters and general story of the book, so I won't spend time repeating that. I love learning something about history when I read a story, so this one hooked me right away. I had not previously heard about the ATA and its use of women to ferry aircraft during World War II. I would have given the book 5 stars if the author had woven more information about this amazing organization into the story. After finishing the book I researched the ATA and found out that overall during WW II there were 166 women pilots, one in eight of all ATA pilots, and they volunteered from not only Britain, but nine other countries. Fifteen lost their lives during their service. Only one time in the book did I get a sense of the danger of ferrying aircraft - - Lil mentions she flew a plane that had no instrumentation and it took all her concentration to do it. More detail on this harrowing trip would have added more interest to the story.

One of the many notable achievements of the ATA women is that they received the same pay as men of equal rank, starting in 1943. This was the first time that the British government gave equal pay for equal work within an organization under its control. While the author highlighted that frequently Lil got asked "where is the pilot" when she landed an aircraft, the author never mentioned this important milestone, which had to give the women a great deal of pride.

It did not surprise me to find out there was an underground organization to help women with abortions, but I had no knowledge that they also helped with adoptions. All illegal, I felt sympathy for the women involved.

The story line of Helena (present day) was used by the author to reveal Lil's story in bits and pieces This added a bit of tension to the story. Jack, Helena's love interest, added comic relief mixed with romance.

The story is one of brave women who do not consider themselves so. From their viewpoint,they are doing something necessary. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and plan to recommend it to others.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a complimentary e-book of this novel, The gift in no way impacted my review.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. Uplifting and compelling, the Hidden Women tells the story of two women separated by generations and joined by blood.
Helena leads a very ordered life and loves her job as a family history researcher for a popular TV show. While researching for a celebrity she comes across the name of her great aunt, Lillian Miles, and her work in the ATA. When she mentions it to her father he pleads with her to investigate further. Every other chapter tells us the story of Lillian in her own words. Both characters are strong, likeable women and the storyline is credible and fascinating. It certainly makes you think about the different lives women led in the 1940s compared to now.

This was my Kerry Barrett book and I am looking forward to reading her others.
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This book I thought was going to be predictable once I started reading. It’s not. The ending is spectacular and made me tear up. I rarely do that. So come along to 1940s Britain and enjoy this book. #netgalley #hiddenwomen

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the brave women who worked behind the scenes of the second world war and the law. I have not heard of the Attagirls, so it made fascinating reading. Their secret and illegal sideline of organising abortions and adoptions was a shock. It challenged my personal views and aroused disturbing conflicting feelings. I'm apt to believe that my views are set in concrete, but they are only slightly chipped and not fractured. The novel handled sensitive and contentious material superbly. The format is 1944 with Lillian Miles and the present with Helena. What struck me most in the present era was how much I envied Helena's job as a genealogy researcher. I would love to have done that job with or without the unpretentious and clumsy Jack (cf Michael Crawford) so, I hung onto every detail. There are some interesting characters although I thought none of the men were worth their salt, but I recognise that was intentional. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital.

4.5 stars

The Hidden Women is a fabulous dual timeline mystery telling the story of some truly courageous women which I thoroughly enjoyed!

The two timelines are both very interesting and well developed which is quite unusual for me as I normally find I favour one or the other. They both feature strong, independent women which I always enjoy and I found that I warmed to both Lilian and Helen as their story develops. I was perhaps slightly more drawn to Lilian as I felt that the time period her story was set in meant she had to go against society more. I also loved the secret service she carries out whilst working with the ATA as she helps women in need which society otherwise judged and forced them into horrendous situations.

The story is told in alternate chapters between Helen and Lilian with each character’s name clearly labelled on each chapter so the reader can’t get confused over whose story they are following. I felt it was quite an easy, absorbing read that drew me in from the first pages. The mystery surrounding what happens to Lilian is hinted at early on and was very intriguing so ensured that I kept reading as I needed to find out!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. If you like dual timeline stories set in WW2 with an intriguing mystery about an emotional subject then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Izzy from HQ Stories for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

Another dual narrative (2018/1939-1944) that I was unable to put down and a bit of a risk as it was my 2nd WWII era read today. Both Helena and her great aunt Lil were absolutely intriguing characters. Of the latter, I was captivated by Lil's time in the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary).

Like Helena, I was amazed as more of Lil's story comes out but just like Helena's sister Miranda says( paraphrase) - We think it is that way through modern eyes but we forget the hardships those women faced. As I read, I wondered if a group of women really did what Lil, Flora, and Annie set out to do, but even if it didn't happen, this book was still a very compelling story (even if the romance between two characters was a bit forced) that I wholeheartedly enjoyed from beginning to end.

A really good read! Initially I thought the storyline might be a little far-fetched, but then thought why not?
Fascinating insight into the women of the ATA during WW2, and then also the hidden world of illegal adoption and backstreet abortion. Really highlighted the dreadful position of women at this time if they’re were to find themselves accidentally pregnant. When you bear in the mind the relative lack of reliable contraception and the shame of pregnancy before marriage, this book really highlights the inequity of the female situation. Both fascinating and insightful, pick this book up!

I think the title is apt, because women do take on roles that are hidden and forgotten in history. Not many of us are able to name famous female figures in science, war, medicine and all other elements of advancement. Why not? Because the names of men tend to take a higher ranking in history. The truth is that there are plenty of unnamed invisible women who have advanced our society and contributed to sustaining the human race in many different ways.

This story is told by two women, Lillian is a fearless female pilot during WW2 who was determined to give herself and the women around her more than one choice in life. Then decades later her great-niece Helena, who is a genealogy researcher, stumbles upon the some of the secrets Lillian has been keeping hidden from her family.

The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up during World War 2. They employed both male and female pilots, due to the lack of available men, and also received equal pay. The women of the ATA tend to be modest and underplay their role in the Second World War, as do the majority of women who took their places in so-called men’s jobs and the women who were in active service. Adding the sub-plot of an organised ring where women help other women to re-home or adopt babies, to help women get help in desperate situations was an interesting idea.

The opposite side to Lillian’s story, which is also the avenue to her finally being able to reveal her secrets, is Helena digging in places she shouldn’t be digging in. Helena sees the similarities between herself and her aunt, and then how differently their lives have evolved across the decade, despite those similarities.

It’s a story of women empowering other women, and how some secrets seem more hurtful or sinister when they are kept buried. Barrett manages to balance a tale of empowerment and a cry to arms with the emotional vibe of a family saga. The result is an informative, brave and heart-warming read.