The September Girls [Paperback]

Maureen Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

In Liverpool, on a stormy September night in 1920, two women from very different backgrounds give birth to daughters in the same house. Enemies at first, they later become friends when separate troubles unite them. But friendship between their daughters, Cara and Sybil, is a different matter. Nineteen years later, at the beginning of the Second World War, Cara and Sybil find themselves thrown together when they enlist and are both stationed in Malta. It is a time of live-changing repercussions for them both while, back home in Liverpool, the bombs rain down on a defiant city. The September Girls is a compelling story of two families, their loves, secrets, and betrayals, and a powerful evocation of war-time Liverpool.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An 'engrossing tale... she explores with warmth and insight the intertwined lives of two very different families.' SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE

About the Author

Maureen Lee was born in Liverpool and had numerous short stories published and a play professionally staged before her first novel was published. She is an RNA winner, and writes full time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752865323
• ISBN-13: 978-0752865324
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful War Time Read!, September 16, 2007

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The September Girls (Paperback)

The September Girls starts on a chilly night in 1920 when two babies are born: one to a poor Irish family just arrived in Liverpool, and the second to a privileged family of money in the same town--in fact, in the very same house. Cara, the Irish child, grows up in a home filled with love and family though never rich, while Sybil, the monied child, grows up with an overly doting father and a mother who finally leaves them to forge her own life. Though very different, the girls' lives are entertwined through the circumstances of their births and the friendship of their mothers, leading them on different paths that will ultimately converge again.

This is a wonderful tale that pulls you in the moment you read the first page. Brenna and Eleanor, the mothers in this story, bond over their children and we follow them and their daughters over the course of 20+ years, through marriages that crumble, children who disappoint, and lives that are changed irreparably when the bombs begin to fall on Liverpool in 1940. Each of the characters, from Nancy the stalwart housekeeper to Marcus the stand-offish businessman, creep slowly into your heart as you read about the adventures of life in Liverpool as seen through their eyes. Cara and Sybil take us far away as both join the military when Britain enters World War 2, and both experience devastating affairs of the heart that bring them closer together and then tear them apart once again.

There are a few moments when things are tied up nicely that I would have liked a bit more information about, but this novel is so well-crafted and the characters so honest and believable that that is only a mild consideration. Full of life and the curves it throws us, this story will stay with me a very, very long time. I will definitely be looking for more from this superb author, and I encourage you to do the same. Highly, highly recommended.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars War time saga, September 14, 2005

By 

Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The September Girls (Hardcover)

This book is a warm, cosy read, a story of two families, set before and during WW2. Brenna and Colm Caffrey arrive from Ireland with just the clothes on their backs, in 1920, following a call from Colm's brother, to whom they had entrusted their only money, ten pounds, won on a bet. When the brother fails to appear, they begin to walk from the dock with their two small sons and with Brenna heavily pregnant. When the baby starts to come, she is forced to sit in the basement doorway of a large house, until the housekeeper takes her inside for the birth. At the same time, the mistress of the house is upstairs, also in labour and the two women have their baby daughters in the same hour. The story continues with the fate of the Caffrey's entwined with the family in the big house, with deaths, marriages, births and every possible drama happening that actually does happen in real life. I suppose it's easy to label this as chick lit or, even more damning, a nice "Ladies" book, but if you're in the mood for a non taxing read, like the comfort of an old dressing gown, this is the book for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, May 2, 2006

By 

M. E. Newell (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The September Girls (Paperback)

Their called the September Girls Sybil and Cara born within minutes of each other. But they couldn't be different. Growing up, they could stand each other. But when the second world war breaks they are both station on Malta. But in wartime things can change quickly. And for the September girls their live will never be the same.
"The September Girls" is another great book by Maureen Lee. As always Ms.Lee gives the reader great characters and a rich story that holds the reader interest and makes them want more.