War Comes to the Dales

An uplifting, heart-warming and emotional World War Two rural saga

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Pub Date 19 Oct 2023 | Archive Date 2 Oct 2023

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Description

Can she help the village survive the war?

April 1941. When Bobby Bancroft arrived in Silverdale to take a job as a reporter on The Tyke magazine, the sleepy Yorkshire Dales village felt like a little pocket of a past long gone.

While much of the country was suffering nightly bombing raids as the Blitz raged, life in isolated Silverdale carried on just as it had for a hundred years or more. But as the summer of 1941 approaches, war finally seems to have come to Silverdale. The villagers face new hardships when shortages and rationing begin to bite, young men become scarce as more and more are called up, and Bobby finds herself juggling her job on the magazine with a new role as an ARP warden. Even her surly editor Reg and his wife are doing their bit, taking two young evacuees from London into their home.

Meanwhile, Bobby has been growing closer to village vet Charlie, who is preparing to leave Silverdale to begin training with the RAF. The villagers are whispering that wedding bells will soon be chiming, but then Bobby is confronted with an impossible choice. Can she bring herself to give up the job she adores to be with the man she loves?

Don't miss this heart-warming, captivating WWII saga series set in the Yorkshire Dales. If you like James Herriot, Gervase Phinn, Pam Howes or Maggie Mason, you'll love this.

Praise for Betty Firth's Made in Yorkshire saga series:

‘One of the best books I have read in a very, very long time.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘A gorgeous setting, appealing characters and brimming with warmth and humour. It’s a long time since a book has so thoroughly captured my heart. Don’t miss it!’ Kate Field

‘This was such a good story from start to the end… Thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the village characters were so true to life.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

What a brilliant book…Family saga at its best.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘LOVED IT!!!...My heart ached when reading this… A lovely story, full of heart and home. I didn't want it to end…’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Read in 24 hours! Exceptional!...The storyline was strong and the characters were all likeable and relatable... There were lots of twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I absolutely loved this book! The life and times of a wartime Yorkshire village and its people shine through, authentic, realistic and charming, and Bobby is a highly likeable heroine with ambition and heart.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

'I am beyond impressed with this book. I hope this truly is the start of a long series’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Can she help the village survive the war?

April 1941. When Bobby Bancroft arrived in Silverdale to take a job as a reporter on The Tyke magazine, the sleepy Yorkshire Dales village felt like a...


Available Editions

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ISBN 9781804361917
PRICE £1.99 (GBP)

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Average rating from 24 members


Featured Reviews

War come to the Dales by Betty Firth

Yorkshire Dales village felt like a little pocket of a past long gone.

While much of the country was suffering nightly bombing raids as the Blitz raged, life in isolated Silverdale carried on just as it had for a hundred years or more. But as the summer of 1941 approaches, war finally seems to have come to Silverdale. The villagers face new hardships when shortages and rationing begin to bite, young men become scarce as more and more are called up, and Bobby finds herself juggling her job on the magazine with a new role as an ARP warden.

This is such a wonderful book and the characters within it , well you can really imagine them being true life people , in fact , the author writes so well , I can also feel as if I was there going through their tribulations with them.
Excellent.

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Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Wow what a brilliant book family saga at its best can’t wait to read more by this author

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When does book three come out?!

I love this series, perhaps being a Yorkshire lass helps me to resonate so easily with the characters and storyline. I can hear the words that get spoken in the book being said by people I know locally!

Once again Betty has a strong storyline with important parts of the war intwined into it. The characters are all so likeable and you want to get to know them more. It combines a nice mixture of the countryside in wartime and then takes the characters back into the city where things were often quite different in wartime.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone and cannot wait for book three! Thank you to NetGalley, Betty and her publishers for allowing me to read this title before it's publication.

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I’ve been looking forward to reading this since finishing the first Silverdale book and it was definitely worth the wait! I loved meeting Bobby and the residents of Silverdale again. This is a brilliant story and so cleverly written; Bobby has all the attributes we want to see in a modern heroine, but the story is firmly rooted in the past. The historical details are woven into the story with a light touch, thoroughly convincing but never overbearing. I genuinely had no idea how the romantic aspect was going to end! I hope this series runs and runs!

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I have read many books about World War II and they concentrated on what happened in the midst of fighting or on the Holocaust. War Comes to the Dales is different. It focuses on the lives of people in rural England as they experience changes imposed on them by the war. Young men die, homes are commandeered for hospitals or billets for soldiers or evacuees. Then, came a fateful night when the horror of war arrived near their village. Yet, people tried to live normally in spite of what was happening.
I liked the main characters, Bobby (Roberta), a young journalist who escapes life in a city to the countryside with her father, and Carl, a young veterinarian, with whom she falls in love. His family welcomes them into their home and teach them about country life.
I wish the book had been longer. In fact, I would love to read another book that examines the lives of the characters later . I would love to know what happens to them as the war is continuing as well as at the end. I also would love to see it in movie form. It was a very good book.

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What a joy to be back in the Dales with Bobby and all the folk of Silverdale. But this book is far more serious than the first in the series as war and tragedy take their toll. Bobby has her moment as a local hero when she leads the villagers on a rescue mission but what she sees and experiences that night has a profound effect and leads to a huge decision that changes her life. It is all here... evacuees, the black market, men going off to war, injuries and death. But among all that is Bobby's devotion to her family, her growing love for Charlie, and her determination to pursue her career as a reporter, no matter what. There are real echoes of All Creatures Great and Small in this story... the vet with a much older brother, who doesn't always tell him how proud of him he is, the scenery and farming life of the Dales, the gentle romance, and all the warmth and strength of a small community pulling together. I loved it.

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War Comes to the Dales by Betty Firth is a great WWII historical fiction saga that is the second book in The Made in Yorkshire series.

I really like this series. Not only are the characters realistic, likable, and heartwarming, but the landscapes and descriptions of the countryside and the culture really make the book.

I really enjoyed finding out what Bobby, Charlie, Reg, and Mary were up to, and loved reading again about Silverdale.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Hera Books for this wonderful 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 it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/19/23.

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My first by this author and it was such an enjoyable read.
1941 WW2 Silverdale Yorkshire Dales, Bobby Bancroft a reporter for the tyke magazine also working as a ARP, Silverdale felt so far away from the war with been out in the countryside, no bombs were going to fall here.
They all had families away doing their bit for the war. Poor men out at god knows where fighting for their country.
Charlie Atherton still has the glad eye for Bobby but seen as he is going off to the RAF soon the relationship is doomed before it even gets started but he keeps on trying to win over Bobby's heart.
For all I didn't read book one, I had no problem enjoying this book it was so easy to get into the stories and the characters. I loved it.

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A great book from Betty set in Yorkshire. Bobby and Charlie have been friends for years but one night as an airplane crashers i to the hills things change. As Bobby is On duty she organises the locals to form a rescue party. Although based around WW2 the book is fairly lighthearted as the different characters intermingle. Thanks to Betty and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

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Lovely book, this is the 2nd in the series, it follows Bobby and Charlie have been friends for a long time, Bobby works for the local magazine and Charlie is a vet.

If you enjoy a easy read this is for you

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Lovely soft, gentle saga. 2nd book in series follows Bobby as she settles into life in Silverdale, where she enjoys her job at The Tyke. Bobby works for Reg the owner of the magazine who comes across as grumpy and hard to please. Then his wife Mary decides to take on some evacuees, to do her bit for the war effort. Is there any chance that Florence and Jessie have the power to soften that heart of Reg’s, it certainly works on his brother Charlie who also happens to be the local. Vet. Bobby is finding herself more attracted to to him

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Great historical saga set in the Yorkshire dales, this is the 2nd in the series and a very enjoyable read, looking forward to more from this author.

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

While most of the country was having bombs hit them during the night, it was life as normal in Silverdale.

But by 1941 Summer, things changed, the effects of the war were seen in Silverdale. The residents, had to deal with food shortages and everything being rationed. There wasn’t many young men, as they’d been called up to do their bit.

So now Bobby was not only doing her job on the magazine, but also had an another important duty, that as an ARP warden.

The story was well-written and the characters were relatable, it felt as if you was in the story, being a part of that village.

I recommend this book.

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Another great story from The Dales.Bobby continues working on The Tyke magazine try to get Reg to let her do more stories for it.Two evacuees come to live at Moorside Farm with Reg and Mary and are entertained by Reg's brother Charlie who is the local vet.Charlie is in love with Bobby but she will not say yes to his marriage proposal.Will Bobby finally give in to Charlie.Thank you to Hera Books and Netgalley.

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