The Post Office Girls

Omg what a brilliant book. If you love family saga, set in world war this is for you. Felt like I worked with the girls what a lovely book can't wait to see what happens next

What a debut! I've read alot of 'girls' books but this was very different. A really great story of self discovery, friendship, and relationships. I'm really excited for the next installment..

Book one Set in Hertfordshire and London, WW1
Three women, Beth Healey from Woodhampstead Hertfordshire, Milly woods from Bow in London, and Nora Benham from Regent Park London, all join The Royal Engineers Postal Service, doing their bit for king and country sorting broken parcels, rations, duty, going on leave ,it really was like been in the army, all three girls all different back grounds become The Post Office Girls, I really did savour every page of this book, that focus on getting to know Beth, or Liza as she is known to her work colleagues. and she starts to get very friendly with James Blackford, would they ever get to share a first kiss? Britain might be at war with Germany but just for now this is only the beginning for Beth and James as they share so much together. As a reader I found this book such an engaging read, with the added bonus at the end of some stunning old photos inside the home depot, Beth, Nora and Milly will grow on readers, and I know there is more to come from this author that I will certainly look forward to reading.

It was Educational to read of the post office dept set up in Regents Park during ww1.Milly,Beth and Nora are three girls from different backgrounds who want to do their bit for the war effort.The girls become good friends and so the Post Office Girls begins.I have enjoyed reading this book and will be looking forward to more from this author 5*

The role of the postal workers in WWI was crucial...not only for practical purposes but for the morale of the soldiers. Receiving parcels from home must have literally kept many focused and alive. The author draws from historical facts such as the Home Depot and employee duties (had not realized there were so many divisions!). It really gave me a better understanding of intricacies such as re-wrapping parcels to make them sturdier for travel, the positioning of stamps, green envelopes, deciphering handwriting and the "new" way of addressing letters and parcels.

Beth is not content working at her family store in a small village during WWI so she travels to London to work at the new Home Depot. Her interview story is fascinating! She is efficient, disciplined, smart and fast. The work isn't easy but she enjoys it very much and she and her friends create fun out of it. She becomes fast friends with Milly and Nora as well as James. The book is about their jobs and contribution to the war effort, the suffragette movement, relationships and priorities. There is heartache and sadness, grief and sorrow but also love, hope and determination.

This wholesome and lovely book would appeal to Historical Fiction and Women's Fiction readers in particular but any reader of General Fiction ought to enjoy it. The photographs were such a wonderful surprise! I really liked the description of the workers' duties which to me as a former HR person were very interesting. The historical touches helped me to envision the story.

My sincere thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley! Much appreciated.

this was an excellent read - the author takes you completely back to the second world war and immerses you in the world of air raids, suffragettes and women taking on the roles that had belonged to the men. The little details are superb from the cigarettes smokes, the train journeys and timetables to the codes hidden in how stamps are stuck on letters to those serving.
The story is one of friendship and self-discovery as a small-town girl stands against her family to take on a job at a parcel sorting office for packages being sent to soldiers serving in France and Belgium. You root for Beth as she discovers what matters to her, who she can count on as friends and importantly who her heart belongs to.

The Post Office Girls by Poppy Cooper is an excellent WWI era historical fiction/saga novel that is the start, of what I expect, to be an excellent new series. This book has it all: history, wonderful cast of characters, an engaging story, a bit of mystery and intrigue, strong friendships, and a dash of romance.

I really enjoyed this story of a group of young women from different backgrounds and upbringings becoming friends, strengthening their positions and outlooks in life with forged relationships, and helping out in their own respective ways for the war effort during WWI in England. I really liked Beth, Milly, and Nora. Their own unique personalities and strengths really complimented one another throughout the story. I also liked to see each character grow and change as they are faced with adversities and obstacles. Despite the trials, the war, the loss, the hurt, and events that are beyond their control, we are able to see rays of hope, love, strength, friendship, and a chance to overcome challenges take hold. I really enjoyed their stories and can't wait to see how this series continues.

I also really loved the unique aspect of featuring the Post Office and the vital role the postal workers played during this time. I do not think I have read anything as of yet that highlighted this very important position during WWI specifically. I also really enjoyed the true events and factual details that were placed within the story. It all really made the novel very enjoyable and memorable.

I recommend this book for anyone that loves a great WWI era historical fiction, or historical fiction in general.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Hodder &Stoughton for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post within my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is an excellent WW1 book about Beth who leaves suburban life in Hertfordshire to work at the broken parcel department at the Royal Engineers postal service in London.
There she meets Nora and Mills, as well as James. Along the way she has to grow up a little as she encounters suffragettes, tough decisions and heartbreak.
I didn't know anything about the postal service in WW1, so it was fascinating to learn about censorship, packages being rewrapped and the honour system. The book is well researched with a linkable heroine.
I love books about women and the roles they played in wartime and thos doesn't disappoint. Really hope there is more soon.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for gifting me a copy in return for an honest review.

I have read many historical fictions but never one about the postal service, the book gave a wonderful in sight into the postal.service life during the war
The characters Beth, Nora and Molly came together beautifully with James added into the mix, a good story line that I hope will continue
I can't wait for the next book, to follow the lives of the three gir!s and james, hoping that Ned and Sam come home.in one piece and looking forward to reading more about the postal.service
Well.done Poppy a book I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish

Beth, Milly and Nora are all from different backgrounds but join The Royal Engineers Postal Service to do their duty during the war and soon become firm friends. The characters are adorable and I enjoyed getting to know them and watch them develop into strong women no matter what is going on around them. I loved the romance that blossoms between Beth and James.

I absolutely loved this book and I am already eagerly awaiting book two in the series. I love historical fiction set around the wars. I find the way everyone just pulls together so uplifting. I found the history around the postal service very fascinating and it was well researched. Highly recommended.

Loved this wonderful English saga.The women the time in history Ww2 women showing their strength and resilience.Men off to war women replacing them in the work place.These three women their special friendship drew me out of my world into their lives.A new author to follow.# netgalley #hodderstoughton

This book was an excellent read. It was entertaining, enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved all of the characters with their very different upbringings, homes and status - all brought together due to their work at the Post Office during World War I. I learned a lot about the work involved in sorting, forwarding, censoring and re-packing letters and parcels to the young soldiers on the front line. This isn't something I've ever come across before and I found it really interesting and sometimes very sad but ultimately this was a story of female friendship, of being taken out of one's usual situation and placed into a totally different environment in order to help in the war effort. I loved how the three girls came together despite their very different backgrounds and even though they had their differences at times their shared experiences brought them very close. There were sad parts - how could there not be when a book is written about a world war - but the story was also uplifting as it focussed on the strengths and camaraderie of the ladies 'doing their bit' in difficult times. A lot of research must have gone into the writing of this debut novel and I look forward to the next book in the series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre-release copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The Post Office Girls is superb debut novel by Poppy Cooper.
The story begins with Beth Healey, a country girl from Woodhampstead Hertfordshire who wants to do her bit for the war instead of working in her family run shop. When she hears of an opportunity to work for the Royal Engineers Postal service, she secretly goes for the interview behind her parents back and she gets the job. But her parents are heartbroken and worried as the job is in London twenty miles away.
One her first day of the job she meets London born Milly from Bow in the East end and Nora who is a debutante and James. They all become firm friends working in the Broken Parcel department. All from different backgrounds they all experience new things but also heartache and loss. The story is also about the Suffragette movement where they meet Mrs Parkhurst.
This is a heart-warming coming of age and self-discovery story. Dealing with relationships heartache, and loss that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed learning about the Post Office and what they did to the parcels and letters that came in for the soldiers at the front. I was not aware this went on. I also loved the photos at the send of this books to show you what taken place. 5 star

What a lovely book, dealing with a little-known job for the women during World War II. It makes a refreshing change to read about something different, though of course there are the usual relationship hiccups! I really enjoyed this and look forward to more from the same author.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise. I requested this as a new author to me and was not disappointed.
The main characters Milly, Nora and Beth become friends when starting work for the post office. They are allocated to the broken parcel department, repackaging parcels for the troops from loved ones. We mainly follow Beth’s life from trying to find her identity, will it be Liza orBeth to finding her sweetheart Sam or James. Recommended read. Look forward to the next one.
I found all the facts about the sorting office and mail system fascinating.

I was really looking forward to reading this book, it received a lot of publicity on Twitter and I was intrigued. I’m delighted to say that the book totally lived up to its virtual hype and I was engrossed.
Beth is an ideal lead character, she is loving and loyal with a strong drive to do the right thing. Her relationship with her brother and friendship with local postman, Sam, are key elements to her decision to seek out the role in London.
Poppy excelled with her descriptions of London during the Great War; I could almost hear the Zeppelins, floating above the chimney pots. Imagining the wooden structure of the Home Depot and the mess from all the sack dust was an easy leap with descriptions that made me feel the itchiness.
A real eye opener was learning which items were considered contraband, for a parcel to the front, and which were acceptable; a bottle of whiskey was a no-go, but Cocaine and Heroin were fine. Apparently, if you bought these items in Harrod’s, they came with included syringes. How times change!
The more interesting part was learning more about the Votes for Women movements. There were several parties with widely differing views on the war effort.
Beth’s friends also fell on opposing sides of the support for the war effort, and it was interesting to see how their views differed. Mostly though, it was a pleasure to follow Beth’s growing friendship with James, a handsome young man who was opposed to war but happy to support the boys at the front.
I would urge you to read this book and I hope you enjoy it, as much as I did.

Loved this book and looking forward to the next one in the series.

It’s 1915. And Beth Healey's eighteenth birthday, all she wants to do is forget war and celebrate her birthday..But no her twin brother Ned announces that he has signed up to fight.

Beth has been working in her parents' village shop while others are doing their bit, Beth applies to join the Army Post Office's new Home Depot on the Regent's Park, and is astounded to be accepted. She will be responsible for making sure that letters and parcels get through to the troops on the front line.

Beth loves her new job and makes friends with fellow post girls Milly and Nora, and meets a handsome man called James. But just as she begins to feel that her life has finally begun, everything starts falling apart, with devastating consequences for Beth and perhaps even the outcome of the war itself. Can Beth and her new friends keep it all together and find happiness at last?

Read this book in a day and couldn’t put it down. Big thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an early read 👍

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

An Excellent WW1 Book

Beth lives in Hertfordshire, but she goes to work in London at the Royal Engineers postal service - broken parcel department.

Working there, she meets Nora and Mills, and James. As she’s now seeing things outside of her suburban life she has to grow up a bit, especially as she encounters suffragettes, make tough decisions and overcome heartbreak.

Reading about the postal service during WW1 was very interesting, to read about censorship, packages to be rewrapped and the honour system. I found the story well thought and researched.

I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading the next book.

Poppy Cooper’s debut, The Post Office Girls, bears all the hallmarks of a quality saga. The classic cover featuring the three protagonists, a war going on to throw them out of their comfort zones, and some very assured writing.

The writing is, in fact, a delight. The main character, Beth, is just eighteen years old and the author has slipped easily into the head of one so young, making her an utterly believable and compelling character. It was done with such skill that I even forgave the exclamation marks. Because they were right!

The Post Office Girls, once it gets going, is a good pacey story too. In classic saga style three girls from vastly different backgrounds decide to do their bit in World War One by working at the sorting office erected in Regents Park for the duration. Beth is a shopkeeper’s daughter from the Home Counties whose parents are horrified she would dare do such a thing. Milly is from the East End and is a bit of a loose cannon, and gangly Nora comes from a very wealthy background indeed. They all have different views on life – and on how they should each support the suffrage movement, which plays an increasing role in the book.

It was a brave move to pick a man with moral objections to the war as Beth’s potential love interest and I am really looking forward to seeing how this plays out in subsequent books. The Post Office Girls is set in 1915, pre conscription, so it was less of an issue then, although as a reader you shudder to know what James will face.

This book strikes just the right balance between the internal conflicts of the characters and the action that surrounds them. There is peril and drama, without ever going over the top. There is plenty of laughter and quite a few tears, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.

I'm going to say 4.5 stars but I'm to going to round up. This is a brilliant read, it just took me a while to get into it. I felt that it was a bit slow to begin with but once the story started to get going I couldn't put it down. To my knowledge, this is the first book I've read set around d the First World War and I'll be definitely reading more in the future. For someone so young, Beth was an amazingly strong, capable young woman. I can't wait to see.what the future holds for her Nora, Millie,James, Sally and Ned. I eagerly await the second instalment.

What a really lovely read this is.
Historical Fiction isn’t a genre I turn to very often, but knowing who wrote this book, (under a pen name), I knew I had to read it.
From the minute I picked it up I felt completely in the zone and clearly imagined the scene as the story went on.
The characters are brilliant. I just loved Beth as soon as I was introduced to her and felt a real connection to her. She is such a determined, caring girl and I can’t wait to see where her story leads her in the next part of the saga.
The book has good pace and so many interesting historical facts in it that that just added to the authenticity of what was going on. This was also reinforced by some fabulous photos in the back of the book showing what it was like in the Home Depot. It was just how I imagined as I was reading this book.
This is a brilliantly written book which I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading the next book.

This is a fantastic read set in WW1 and the good news is, it’s the first in a series.

It tells the story of Beth who works in her parents village store but yearns to do ‘her bit’ for the war. Going against her parents wishes she signs up for a job working in London at the Post Office to help sort the mail for the soldiers on the front line.
The girls she meets, Nora and Milly become firm friends who share the ups and downs of day to day life during the war.
The Post Office Girls is an easy read full of laughter and sorrow in equal measure which draws you in from the first page. I couldn’t put this book down and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.