I cannot believe how long it is since I featured Elaine Everest on Linda’s Book Bag. I’m delighted to rectify that omission by sharing my review of Elaine’s latest book in her popular Woolworths Girls series, Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls and I’d like to thank Chloe Davies for sending me a copy of the book in return for this honest review. 

Published by Pan Macmillan on 12th October 2023, Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls is available for purchase through the links here.

Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls

It’s 1952 and with a new Monarch about to ascend the throne, The Woolworths Girls will face fresh new challenges . . .

At The Erith Store there is a new temporary Manager and Sarah is getting more than a little concerned by problems he seems to be creating. The whole mess is enough to make her want to resign.

Meanwhile, Ruby is extremely worried about her friend Vera, and with illness causing a problem from her past to come flooding back, Vera knows it’s going to take a lot of strength and willpower to do what needs to be done.

Then there is Freda, looking forwards to the birth of her first child but sick with worry that her Tony won’t have returned home in time for the birth of his child, let alone to be back to run the Erith store.

As Coronation Day for young Queen Elizabeth ll approaches, the girls from Woolworths celebrate friendship, family and overcoming anything that life can throw at them . . .

Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls is the ninth novel in Elaine Everest’s bestselling Woolworths series.

My Review of Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls

The Woolworth Girls have made it to 1952.

I’ve been meaning to catch up with Elaine Everest’s Woolworth Girls series for ages and I am delighted to do so with Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls because the setting and era are so brilliantly conveyed. Set at the time my sister was born, all the things I associate from the era are woven into the story so that it felt almost as if it had been written especially for me. The food, fashions, technology like Bakelite telephones, and values and attitudes seemed pitch perfect. 

I did need to concentrate to establish who was who because this is such an established series and I’ve missed some of the back stories, but the characters are so realistic that it didn’t matter at all. I found I cared about what happened to them as they faced personal, professional and national problems. Even (or possibly, especially) the more waspish Vera gained my sympathy and I was very definitely enamoured of Bob. 

The plot of Celebrations for the Woolworths Girls is well-planned and engaging. Indeed, one of the aspects I liked so much was the way real historical events impacted the people in Celebrations for the Woolworth Girls, giving a genuineness to the narrative, without detracting from the real lives of these ordinary and appealing people. 

Elaine Everest’s community encompasses a microcosm of society with characters of all ages as well as relatable, universal themes. Family and friendship are at the heart of the story, but so too are themes of marriage, ambition, deceit, feminism and sexism, so that any reader can find an aspect to draw them in.

Entertaining story with believable characters aside, I think the greatest enjoyment to be had from Celebrations for the Woolworth Girls is the reinforcing of the importance of pulling together, of being kind and of being part of a community. In a world where it’s all too easy to lose sight of such values, Elaine Everest reminds us just how much we need those values in a lovely story.

About Elaine Everest

Elaine Everest, author of Sunday Times best selling series, The Woolworths Girls and The Teashop Girls, was born and brought up in North West Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty-seven years and has written widely for women’s magazines and national newspapers, with both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to broadcasting on radio about our four legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy loomed.

For further information visit Elaine’s website, or you can follow Elaine on Twitter/X @ElaineEverest and find her on Facebook. You’ll also find Elaine on Instagram.