A review by mandylovestoread
The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman

4.0

The Women’s Pages was the first book by Victoria Purman that I have read and I really enjoyed it. I have recently discovered historical fiction and found input to be a genre that I am loving. This book is set in the 1940’s, and starts toward the end of WWII. This book was very heavy on historical facts, and at times I felt a bit overwhelmed by it all. So much was happening in Sydney and the world at this time and the author has definitely done her research. It was an emotional and interesting read, told from the point of view of a woman waiting for her husbands return.

Tilly Galloway is a Sydney girl through and through. Her dad is a wharfie and she works for the Daily Herald as their first war correspondent. Her husband Archie has is a POW of the Japanese and she hasn’t heard from him since 1942. And then the war is over. And life is about to change for everyone. The men are coming home and the women are expected to give up there jobs for the men. Tilly is sent to the Women’s Pages, to report on fashion and recipes. She is frustrated as she knows she can do more, but in this time it is not the done thing for women. And she is anxiously awaiting news on Archie. We follow her journey as well as that of her flat mate Mary, whose husband was also a POW.

Thanks to Harlequin Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. The Women’s Pages is out September 2nd.