Beauty & Lace Book Club Book Review: The Land Girls by Victoria Purman 

I've heard a lot of good things about Victoria Purman but have only managed to read one of her novels so far, so when I was given the opportunity to read Victoria's latest novel, The Land Girls, I was more than happy to get on board.

The story is set in Australia, in the 1940's during the war, with Australians fighting for their future.
There are three women who decide to become members of the Australian Women's Land Army - Flora, Betty, and Lily.

Flora is a spinster in her thirties and works in an office in Melbourne. She is the only female in her family; having lost her mother years ago. She lives with her beloved father John, and brother Jack. Her other brother Frank is away at war. 

Betty is 17 years old and lives in Sydney. Her next door neighbour Michael is her best friend, and also her first love. When he joins the army, she decides to leave her job at Woolworths and become a Land Girl.

Lily is from Adelaide and her love interest is a man named David, who is away in the air force. She wants a break away from her overbearing family.

The story is told in alternating sections, but the majority of it is told from Flora's perspective. 
As it unfolds, we discover the reasons behind the women wanting to join the Land Girls. 
Each of them embrace their new roles, even though the work is hard and tiring. 
They also get to make some fantastic friendships with other members as they travel over Australia to contribute towards combating labour shortages on rural properties.

Whilst the three women don't work together until towards the end of the story, there are chance meetings throughout the story where they cross paths. 
By becoming Land Girls, these three women get to grow into the women they hope to be, and work towards living the life they want.


I adored this story. The females all showed a lot of bravery and resilience. They were hard working and dedicated to helping farmers with their crops, even in stifling weather conditions. 
They each had their fair share of heartbreak and their courage is something that I admired.
Flora in particular really grew from the start to the end of the story; she managed to fulfill a lot of things for herself that she thought would never be more than wishful thinking. 
I enjoyed reading about her time on the Nettlefolds farm at Two Rivers in Mildura. Owner Charles Nettlefold is widowed and lives at the property with his two adorable young daughters and his mother. 
She forms a strong relationship with Charles and is welcomed and respected by the family.

I learnt a lot about what that period of time must have been like for Australians. I have read many wartime novels but they have mainly been set in European countries, so this made for a different reading experience. 

I would gladly recommend The Land Girls.
Thank you to Beauty & Lace and Harlequin Books Australia for the opportunity to read and review The Land Girls. (You can read my original review on The Beauty & Lace post here: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/book-club-the-land-girls)