This story is set in east London during WW1.
The Cooper family are struggling with life as are others but the story's focus is around them.
The writer is very good at explaining the life around that time making you feel a part of it from the first page. From the munitions factory to the tobacconist. I fell in love with the eldest daughter 16-year-old Clover Cooper, who endured many trials and tribulations.
Kay knows how to keep her readers enthralled and interested with emotions, and the love and care of friends and neighbors.
I really recommend this read.

I enjoyed this book as I do all this author's books. Was a little monotonous at times but most of the descriptive passages can be skipped without losing any of the story. Poor girl had such a lot to put up with both from family and male friends!! Story line was really good but could do without lots of padding!
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book

Loved this story about Clover Cooper who's mother dies after losing her baby.Her father comes home from the war but is violent with the family.It was a great read .Thank you to Netgalley and lIttle Brown Books UK.

It's October 1916 in Silvertown in the East End of London in the middle of WW1 and Clover Cooper is called back home by her younger brother, something is wrong with their mum, lots of possibilities go through her mind, could she be drunk? But when she returns home she finds out that her mum has either had a miscarriage or had a stillborn birth. Clover doesn't feel that she can cope on her own and turns to her grandmother who tells her to take the baby and one of her younger sisters in the pram and do something with the newborn baby! Only when away from the house she realises that there is a slight glimmer of life and has no option but to leave the baby on the steps of the nunnery. When she finds out that her father is back on leave from the war she is thankful that he did not see what had happened earlier that day. It is obviously not her fathers baby as he has been away for a year, but he is a drunken and violent man and no way is she going to mention anything to him.
It's a hard life being the eldest daughter as Clover soon realises, with many heartbreaking times ahead, as the family must pull together to keep a roof over their heads. But when a devastating fire and explosion happens at the nearby Brunner Mond plant will they survive this? There are the uppermost thought always in Clovers mind about her half brother, but can he be found and is he still alive?

An emotional read by this very talented writer, you are drawn in to the storyline from the very first pages and I am never disappointed with a book by Kay Brelland, they are always full of treasured moments as well as heartbreaking ones as in this book. As this book drew to a close I was really hoping that another book will carry on with this story and was really pleased to read that another book is due in the future.

What a wonderful story where you have romance and tragedy.

Clover is the daughter Iris & Sydney Cooper. Clover has a strong character as her Dad is not a very nice person who drinks a lot and is handy with his fists to his family. We see how Clover copes with things and the tragedies that happen. Will Clover find happiness.

This book ebbed and flowed and was wonderful to read.

The author weaves a brilliant story and I certainly could not put the book down.

Would recommend this book.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book, which was set during World War One.

Life isn’t easy for the Cooper family, who are facing heartbreak and difficult times. But as a family they feel stronger, that they’re going through the hardships together.

Clover, their daughter does whatever she can in order ti help them survive.

I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book.

I highly recommend this book.

When Clover Cooper is called through to her mother Iris’s bedroom she could little imagine the scene that awaited her, bloodied towels which hold a secret that young Clover is sworn to keep from her father Sidney and anyone prying. This is to include her grandmother Elsie who can be quite forceful.
This is only the start of Clovers problems, when she gets sacked from Randall’s store for disappearing home early she then has to start looking for a new job. Then Sidney Cooper suddenly appears home from the front, causes upheaval in the home by being his usual loud and bossy self, rather than be concerned for his family he makes off to the local to enjoy himself. Will Clover be able to keep it all together when disaster strikes the family!

Clover is a young girl with an old head. Sidney was a loathsome character, couldn’t say I took to Bruce Randall either.
I’d be interested to read more of the Silvertown books.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

This was set in Silvertown east London in the early years of WW1. Work was either at the Docks, in shops or the Munitions factories. These of course were wrought with dangers for the workers and the surrounding areas.
Kay Brelland had obviously well researched this book and managed to bring real events together with her story and characters.
The story revolves around the Cooper family and their ups and downs, relationships and friendships and the effect War has on communities.

I found it a bit slow at times, but persevered and now look forward to the second in the trilogy, especially having read the 'sneak peek' at the end of this book. It is obvious which characters appear in the next instalment.

This book transports you to 1916 East London, where a young girl must navigate family secrets, war, and heartbreak. With its themes of family, loyalty, and resilience, this novel is a fantastic read.

Another great read from Kay. The Cooper family have a lot of hard times and heartbreak in their lives but the are fighters and stay strong and together as a family. Set during World War One in Silvertown we follow the family mainly through the eldest daughter Clovers eyes. For a young woman she has a lot to cope with but for her family she will do everything she can for them to survive. If this is the genre that you like you will definitely enjoy this book. A five star read that tugs at your heart strings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Kay Brellend and her style of writing. This book was a real page turner for me following the life of sixteen-year-old Clover Cooper. I loved how strong she was and how she coped with servers tragedies. A real gritty storyline which does not disappoint thank you granting Net Galley

What a brilliant read that gives you a range of emotions when reading, lovely storyline and characters were fab, can’t wait to read more from the author

There is something about family sagas that I love and this was no exception! Looking forward to the next two! Highly recommend

A brilliant start to what I hope is a good series.
I love the book.
Would recommend this to anyone who enjoys family sagas

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

What another start to another brilliant series. Can’t wait to read more

Family saga at its best

New trilogy from this wonderful author.
1916 Silvertown East London.
Clover Cooper, Sixteen years old, she is her family's only hope.
WW1 Her father Sidney a rifle man is away in France, mum Iris who's always poorly with the drink, her brother Johnny and twin baby sisters Rosie and Annie, Clover is always getting called out of her work at Randalls Drapery, and this time it is serious she has to send for her nan Elsie Hall, her mother has delivered another child, the child though to have not survived is sneaked out of the home but Clover see's the boy is still breathing and leaves him on the doorstep, only her and her nan would ever know for many years to come.
Leaving the Randalls Clover goes to work for the tobacconist Mr Bailey, then her father turns up a bully a drunk they were better off without him, he must never know what her mother has done.
A daughters heartbreak is a sorry tale, and Clover strong willed goes through many hard times,
the author brings in a lot of strong characters that I just loved reading.
We read about the charity ladies football team, and also the devastating at the Brunner Mond munitions factory, the Silverstone explosion.

This book has amazing chapters and I so look forward to another book in this series very soon.
All shiny stars bright from me.