The Canary Girls

A Novel

De: Jennifer Chiaverini

Narrado por: Saskia Maarleveld

Duración: 13 h y 52 m

Resumen del Editor

Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini’s lively and illuminating novel about the “munitionettes” who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the football pitch.

Early in the Great War, men left Britain’s factories in droves to enlist. Struggling to keep up production, arsenals hired women to build the weapons the military urgently needed. “Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun,” the recruitment posters beckoned.

Thousands of women—cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives—answered their nation’s call. These “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts often seven days a week, handling TNT and other explosives with little protective gear.

Among them is nineteen-year-old former housemaid April Tipton. Impressed by her friend Marjorie’s descriptions of higher wages, plentiful meals, and comfortable lodgings, she takes a job at Thornshire Arsenal near London, filling shells in the Danger Building—difficult, dangerous, and absolutely essential work.

Joining them is Lucy Dempsey, wife of Daniel Dempsey, Olympic gold medalist and star forward of Tottenham Hotspur. With Daniel away serving in the Footballers’ Battalion, Lucy resolves to do her bit to hasten the end of the war. When her coworkers learn she is a footballer’s wife, they invite her to join the arsenal ladies’ football club, the Thornshire Canaries.

The Canaries soon acquire an unexpected fan in the boss’s wife, Helen Purcell, who is deeply troubled by reports that Danger Building workers suffer from serious, unexplained illnesses. One common symptom, the lurid yellow hue of their skin, earns them the nickname “canary girls.” Suspecting a connection between the canary girls’ maladies and the chemicals they handle, Helen joins the arsenal administration as their staunchest, though often unappreciated, advocate.

The football pitch is the one place where class distinctions and fears for their men fall away. As the war grinds on and tragedy takes its toll, the Canary Girls persist despite the dangers, proud to serve, determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.

©2023 Jennifer Chiaverini (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

A part of history I had not been aware of

Well written. Historical fiction with information about women’s history that has not had much light shed on it. I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters who brought this aspect of World War I to light.

This historical fiction novel rocks

Knowing now what we do and looking back to England during WWI helps to understand the challenges of life there during “The Great War”. And seeing how people coped with tragedies as well as aspects of life that we now take for granted does help understand and appreciate the challenges. Add in women’s part in winning the war and how women’s soccer helped overcome these challenges and you have the perfect story. A great read with superb narration withe a myriad of voices, too.

Interesting story!

I loved this story, I just wish at the end it was more detailed and drawn out about how everyone ended up. Throughout the story there was great details about specific characters, and building them, but the last hour just seemed rushed. Still great book though, I enjoy this author a lot!

Interesting vantage point from WWI

I usually go for WWII over the first war but i really enjoyed this. It’s an interesting story that holds your attention but there’s definitely no big story arch or anything like. It’s a good book, interesting story.

Very well written

A great story and so interesting. It was read well. I could not stop listening.

Compelling historical fiction

I purchased this book when it was on sale. It took me a couple of months to get in the mood to read another story about war. However, it was a delightful read. I enjoyed the the stories behind the women behind the men behind the guns. I had never read about the canary girls. As a modern woman, I take many of my rights as given. I have forgotten that all the rights are now enjoy or earned by the women before me. This book helped me remember and appreciate.

another great book

This is yet another fantastic book by Jennifer Chiaverini to show the real life impacts of historical events to every day people.

I loved everything!

This author did an amazing job at capturing lives of these four amazing women. The performer also did an excellent job. I may listen to it again and I don't say that about many of my books.

Too much football

This book got off to a very slow start for me. It wasn’t until chapter 7 that things began to really get interesting, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The story of the Canary Girls was excellent, but there was a much stronger focus on football than I expected based on the description. Maybe it’s just me, but I was bored with the level of detail given in some of the football passages. The narration was excellent. Kudos on the representation of the male voices! That’s something I’ve found nerve wracking in some other female narrators. Overall, it’s worth a listen.

Excellent, Reed

This book was very well written, and I was very impressed with all of the good information I got on the history of World War I, which I didn’t know very much about. Especially with the munitions workers, and their exposure to TNT, and all that they went through.