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Churchill's Angels #1
Churchill’s Angels
The first in a series of books featuring four young women whose lives will be forever changed by WWII. Perfect for fans of Katie Flynn.
It is 1939 and in the town of Dartford, Grace, Sally and twins Daisy and Rose, are determined to do their bit when war is declared. Grace, desperate to get away from her sad home life, signs up for the Land Army. Sally’s dream of stage school is thwarted by the war, but she finds hope in an unexpected place.
For the twins, nothing has prepared them for the shock of the blitz and the nightly raids on their hometown. Rose signs on at the local munitions factory, but with her brothers away fighting, Daisy is needed at home in her father’s greengrocer shop.
When she unwittingly trespasses on a wealthy estate and meets the aristocratic flying ace, Adair, Daisy initially dismisses him as a ‘toff’. But they become friends and Adair encourages Daisy to indulge her passion for aeroplanes. Could Daisy’s dream of being a pilot be closer than she thinks? And in these uncertain times, a girl would have to be crazy to fall in love, wouldn’t she?
It is 1939 and in the town of Dartford, Grace, Sally and twins Daisy and Rose, are determined to do their bit when war is declared. Grace, desperate to get away from her sad home life, signs up for the Land Army. Sally’s dream of stage school is thwarted by the war, but she finds hope in an unexpected place.
For the twins, nothing has prepared them for the shock of the blitz and the nightly raids on their hometown. Rose signs on at the local munitions factory, but with her brothers away fighting, Daisy is needed at home in her father’s greengrocer shop.
When she unwittingly trespasses on a wealthy estate and meets the aristocratic flying ace, Adair, Daisy initially dismisses him as a ‘toff’. But they become friends and Adair encourages Daisy to indulge her passion for aeroplanes. Could Daisy’s dream of being a pilot be closer than she thinks? And in these uncertain times, a girl would have to be crazy to fall in love, wouldn’t she?
383 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 7, 2021
Set during the Second World War, Grace, Sally, and twins Rose and Daisy are all determined to do what they can to help when war is declared. When Daisy meets the aristocratic flying ace, Adair, she is not sure what to make of him. But over time he encourages her to pursue her ambition of becoming a pilot. Meanwhile Grace has signed up for the Land army, Sally is tackling stage and drama school and Rose has signed on at the local munitions factory. While these women have their part to play is the story, this is really about Daisy attempting to reach her goals. And what about love? Does it have a role to play in her life? Or will war and loss overwhelm her and her family?
Firstly I think this book is wrongly titled. It is not so much about women pilots and their activities during the war but the story of one woman achieving her goal and even that does not happen until a long way into the book. This book meanders around, so if you are looking for a fast paced read and tight plot, this book is definitely not for you.
Daisy is likeable and easy to relate to. However I never felt I was actually there with Daisy and co. It all seemed rather emotionless and removed. A pleasant enough book, but not exactly memorable. The first in a series I doubt I feel inclined to read any more. Though it was an easy enough read and Daisy was likeable enough, it just didn’t capture my interest enough to want to persist further. Others my feel differently.
Firstly I think this book is wrongly titled. It is not so much about women pilots and their activities during the war but the story of one woman achieving her goal and even that does not happen until a long way into the book. This book meanders around, so if you are looking for a fast paced read and tight plot, this book is definitely not for you.
Daisy is likeable and easy to relate to. However I never felt I was actually there with Daisy and co. It all seemed rather emotionless and removed. A pleasant enough book, but not exactly memorable. The first in a series I doubt I feel inclined to read any more. Though it was an easy enough read and Daisy was likeable enough, it just didn’t capture my interest enough to want to persist further. Others my feel differently.
May 4, 2014
It's funny; usually I'm such a snob that if the writing isn't good, I won't continue. But this story was sweet and interesting, and it kept me going.
Daisy Petrie is a working class British teenager bored with working in her family's grocery. She yearns to be part of the burgeoning (and then later, ongoing) war effort. (WWII) She's from a loving, close-knit family, and often feels ashamed of her background when she meets upper class Brits involved in the war effort. Maybe it's because I adore Daisy, the assistant chef in Downton Abbey; or because I am fascinated by Britain's WWII efforts (Alan Turing is a genius!); or mostly because I like the merging feminism brought about by WWII), or because the spirit of rationing and nationwide patriotism is so inspiring, but books written in this time period hold a special place in my heart.
Despite writing like "It was wonderful to be a small part of something wonderful," (Groan) I had tears in my eyes twice.
The back of the book is deceptive. It promises to tell the story of 4 friends, but this is truly's Daisy's story.
Daisy Petrie is a working class British teenager bored with working in her family's grocery. She yearns to be part of the burgeoning (and then later, ongoing) war effort. (WWII) She's from a loving, close-knit family, and often feels ashamed of her background when she meets upper class Brits involved in the war effort. Maybe it's because I adore Daisy, the assistant chef in Downton Abbey; or because I am fascinated by Britain's WWII efforts (Alan Turing is a genius!); or mostly because I like the merging feminism brought about by WWII), or because the spirit of rationing and nationwide patriotism is so inspiring, but books written in this time period hold a special place in my heart.
Despite writing like "It was wonderful to be a small part of something wonderful," (Groan) I had tears in my eyes twice.
The back of the book is deceptive. It promises to tell the story of 4 friends, but this is truly's Daisy's story.
September 26, 2013
You look at this cover and you think it's about a woman flying and thus will have lots of flying scenes and such... In that aspect, this is a very disappointing read. The heroine of the story only flies four times and each time it warrants a mere paragraph or two (except the last one). She doesn't join the ATA until the last 50 pages.
I thought perhaps her being a mechanic in WAAF would offer some interesting aviation stuff. No, it doesn't. There are no details about her training, testing, the planes, nothing mechanical whatsoever. What could have been incredibly interesting and insightful was just hardly mentioned. We know she's in training and did bad or good on some test or another...and that's it.
It's mostly just a girl coming of age during WWII in a small town, and then on the bases, meeting people, dealing with grief and friends dying, worrying about her brothers fighting overseas, falling in love--though you couldn't really tell--and just managing to free herself from a very clingy mother
It's about a town in England and how they get bombed constantly by the Germans on their way to London. Blackouts, fires, death. Rationing.
To be frank, there's nothing to distinguish this novel from any other WWII story out there, and I've read way more detailed novels about the ATA.
It's entertaining though and the heroine is likable, but the writing falls a tad flat. It's missing emotion. It's not a narrative that made me feel one with the characters--like I'm in their heads. I could get into the story and curious about what happened next, but I didn't think about the story or people in it when I set the book down. It doesn't stay with me.
There was also lots of odd parts where I think I was supposed to laugh, but I honestly didn't get the joke. Charlie and his daughter Charlie...Charlie says if he shouts, he won't know who's going to answer him??? HUH? If he and his daughter are both named Charlie and he shouts "Charlie", then she'd answer. Why would he answer himself? I'm sorry, but this went way over my head.
So... I think this is a good novel for anyone who wants to read about England during WWII and doesn't want to get bogged down in historical details. But it's more life on the homefront than what the ATA was like.
Funny moment I did understand and laugh at:
Heroine: "I can drive, and strip an engine and I've worked on an aeroplane."
WAAF recruiter: "'An me and Princess Elizabeth went riding our 'orses at the weekend. Frightfully lovely it was, an' all."
I thought perhaps her being a mechanic in WAAF would offer some interesting aviation stuff. No, it doesn't. There are no details about her training, testing, the planes, nothing mechanical whatsoever. What could have been incredibly interesting and insightful was just hardly mentioned. We know she's in training and did bad or good on some test or another...and that's it.
It's mostly just a girl coming of age during WWII in a small town, and then on the bases, meeting people, dealing with grief and friends dying, worrying about her brothers fighting overseas, falling in love--though you couldn't really tell--and just managing to free herself from a very clingy mother
It's about a town in England and how they get bombed constantly by the Germans on their way to London. Blackouts, fires, death. Rationing.
To be frank, there's nothing to distinguish this novel from any other WWII story out there, and I've read way more detailed novels about the ATA.
It's entertaining though and the heroine is likable, but the writing falls a tad flat. It's missing emotion. It's not a narrative that made me feel one with the characters--like I'm in their heads. I could get into the story and curious about what happened next, but I didn't think about the story or people in it when I set the book down. It doesn't stay with me.
There was also lots of odd parts where I think I was supposed to laugh, but I honestly didn't get the joke. Charlie and his daughter Charlie...Charlie says if he shouts, he won't know who's going to answer him??? HUH? If he and his daughter are both named Charlie and he shouts "Charlie", then she'd answer. Why would he answer himself? I'm sorry, but this went way over my head.
So... I think this is a good novel for anyone who wants to read about England during WWII and doesn't want to get bogged down in historical details. But it's more life on the homefront than what the ATA was like.
Funny moment I did understand and laugh at:
Heroine: "I can drive, and strip an engine and I've worked on an aeroplane."
WAAF recruiter: "'An me and Princess Elizabeth went riding our 'orses at the weekend. Frightfully lovely it was, an' all."
September 1, 2014
Churchill's Angels by Ruby Jackson brings a little known part of the Second World War effort to our attention. Daisy Petrie is an ordinary girl. She left school at fourteen with only basic education and the oppression of being the child her mum decided was 'delicate'.
Jackson weaves Daisy's story through with the realities of wartime Britain. She doesn't stint on the losses and depredations or on the deeply held prejudices and beliefs people suffered from and lived with.
The book is a lovely example of great and genuine story-telling, but occasionally I felt I was being spoon-fed. The working class who provided the back-bone of the services were often folk who left school at fourteen, but, in the examples of both my parents, they were endlessly curious and widely read. I occasionally felt the author overdid their lack of education.
At the same time I really enjoyed the sense of wonder Daisy's discoveries arouse in the character.
Jackson weaves Daisy's story through with the realities of wartime Britain. She doesn't stint on the losses and depredations or on the deeply held prejudices and beliefs people suffered from and lived with.
The book is a lovely example of great and genuine story-telling, but occasionally I felt I was being spoon-fed. The working class who provided the back-bone of the services were often folk who left school at fourteen, but, in the examples of both my parents, they were endlessly curious and widely read. I occasionally felt the author overdid their lack of education.
At the same time I really enjoyed the sense of wonder Daisy's discoveries arouse in the character.
May 7, 2018
Wow; I felt like I was in England nearly eighty years ago. A time when England faced her worst danger since Napoleon. This book is about every day ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Living with the privations caused by pure evil and standing up to that evil. The author does not pull punches when she tells of tragic deaths, captures, and missing loved ones. Daisy, the protagonist, is a brave and determined young woman with many talents. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series and encourage you to do the same.
June 26, 2020
For such a heavy time in history, this was for the most part, a light and airy (no pun intended) novel. Daisy longs to be more than a shop girl, but with the war on, 3 brothers gone to fight it, and a twin sister already working in a munitions factory, Daisy doesn't ever think she will be able to get away. But when a chance encounter with dashing "toff" Adair Maxwell finds Daisy elbow deep in a plane engine, it's Adair who encourages Daisy to fly the nest. And for Daisy, it's love at first flight. The novel kind of plodded along, not thrilling us with tales from the sky, but neither did it leave us in the lurch. It was cute in a chaste, romantic sense, with a naive but plucky heroine who can do anything the boys can do if she has the right sponsors. This was more like a 3.5, but it certainly captured the spirit of the time, if in a meandering, reserved way.
April 19, 2020
This is the first in a series following the lives of four young women from Dartford in the first years of World War 2. This book follows Daisy and her bid to join up as a WAAF. This is part historical fiction and part romance with a few tears thrown in. I will be looking out for the other books in the series and will recommend it to friends and family.
November 6, 2020
Really enjoyed this romance set in the first three years of WWII. Some tragedies that made the story quite believable. Good characters and the pace of the story made for an easy read. I look forward to hunting down the rest of the series.
January 21, 2018
One part WWII fiction, one part love story. While not overflowing with historical detail, the book told an often not heard story of a working class girl and her journey during the war. It was sweet.
February 1, 2018
Another first in a series this one about the part of ladies in World War two - a decent enough read, but nothing I would rave over.
March 30, 2019
A very good read.
March 21, 2021
A book that gives you a different perspective of WW2-enjoy!
July 19, 2015
I so wanted to enjoy this book. It had everything I usually enjoy in a book. The setting World War Two England, it was about young women joining the war effort and trying to do their bit, but I think I was expecting a series similar to The Follies series by Hilary Green where you follow a group of different characters throughout the book and the series which carries on throughout the war. This book focuses mainly on one person Daisy. Daisy is bored with life working at her family grocery store and longs for adventure and sees her chance with the start of war. Her biggest obstacle is that her mother has labeled her as "delicate" mainly because she is the shortest and smallest in the family. While on the surface it sounds like a great story, a young woman breaking free of her parent's house and finding freedom, learning to fix cars and planes and eventually learning to fly, there was something missing. I didn't feel connected to anyone in the book. I felt like I was a distant observer that I was watching an old news reel of the events. For me a good book should make you feel like you are right there with the characters, you feel anger when they do something stupid and full of joy at their success and there have been many times I've cried and been in a depressed mood for hours when a fictional character dies. I felt nothing and in fact had a hard time not skipping ahead and keeping my eyes focused on the page. I tried though. I am sure this book will be a good read for someone out there but sadly that person isn't me.
October 30, 2016
This book is more of a 1.5 stars than two. It's the story of Daisy, a nice girl from a nice family, coping with the war. The operative word here is nice. And dull.
The quality of the writing is poor, which doesn't help, but Daisy herself is not a compelling character and, despite the changes in her circumstances, she never seems to grow. Throughout the book, Daisy sees herself as a little nobody who has no business doing the things she does. She's so completely wet and apologetic that it's hard to believe she has the imagination to become . It's also hard to believe that every man she meets appears to fall in love with her.
Daisy is obsessed with class and not appearing to be above her station. Every time she meets someone with a posher accent or a higher rank, she's glancing around, desperate not to be seen with them because she's worried about what people will say.
This book reads like an early draft rather than a polished final version. It could have done with some harsher editing. Not least to remove the author's irritating habit of everyone calling themselves and everyone else by their full name all the time.
This is apparently the first in a series about Daisy, her twin sister and their friends. On this evidence, I'm pretty sure I won't be picking up the other three books.
The quality of the writing is poor, which doesn't help, but Daisy herself is not a compelling character and, despite the changes in her circumstances, she never seems to grow. Throughout the book, Daisy sees herself as a little nobody who has no business doing the things she does. She's so completely wet and apologetic that it's hard to believe she has the imagination to become . It's also hard to believe that every man she meets appears to fall in love with her.
Daisy is obsessed with class and not appearing to be above her station. Every time she meets someone with a posher accent or a higher rank, she's glancing around, desperate not to be seen with them because she's worried about what people will say.
This book reads like an early draft rather than a polished final version. It could have done with some harsher editing. Not least to remove the author's irritating habit of everyone calling themselves and everyone else by their full name all the time.
This is apparently the first in a series about Daisy, her twin sister and their friends. On this evidence, I'm pretty sure I won't be picking up the other three books.
July 12, 2018
This book has been on my "to read" list for quite some time and now I wonder why I waited so long to read it! I was pleasantly surprised how each character came to life. It appears to be the 1st in a series entitled "Churchill's Angels". The book starts out in Dartford, England in 1939. The main character in this 1st installment is Daisy, the daughter of a shop owner. Daisy is a teenager but has already left school and works in the shop with her family. She has a twin sister, who works in a factory, and 3 older brothers. Daisy, her family and friends are swept up in the war with losses and victories. We see growth in Daisy's character as the book progresses - as she gets older but also experiences real life and the hardships of war. The cover shows her by an airplane and her flying adventures are a small part of the story. This reader enjoyed getting to know them all and I can't wait to read another book in the series.
November 4, 2016
This book was very disappointing. I had expected a story about female British aviators and their contribution to World War 2 but the main character in the story didn't begin her solo training flights until after page 300.
I found much of the first 300 pages superfluous, it isn't necessary to write about every thought that passes through a characters mind and we don't need to have every meal and cup of tea described in detail. These female pilots were amazing and their story should be told but, this book missed the mark. I think it would have made a good 100 page novella.
I found much of the first 300 pages superfluous, it isn't necessary to write about every thought that passes through a characters mind and we don't need to have every meal and cup of tea described in detail. These female pilots were amazing and their story should be told but, this book missed the mark. I think it would have made a good 100 page novella.
May 6, 2015
Love this book about WWII England. Just discovered Ruby Jackson's series and will continue to read about the four friends. Have read two and now on the third. This would make for a good drama series on TV.
The women have to help out during war-time and many enlist to take over jobs that men had. One becomes a mechanic then a pilot. Exciting read and hard to put down.
The women have to help out during war-time and many enlist to take over jobs that men had. One becomes a mechanic then a pilot. Exciting read and hard to put down.
July 3, 2013
I really enjoyed this book so much that I can't wait till Nov for the second in the series. I loved all the characters as you get to know them. This is the first WW2 book I have read about the WAAF and the ATS - what brave women they were.
December 1, 2013
This is a great start to a set of books that follow four young women who are friends in Britain in WW2. This book focuses on Daisy who ends up pursuing war work in Aviation. I will enjoy reading about the other girls in the next books. Lots of wartime/ homefront detail.
February 24, 2014
This is a fun read though I think there was a little too much of her life before she gets to fly. Very little of this was when she is actually one of Churchill's angels. I do look forward to the next girls story. I recieved this ebook through edelweiss for a fair and honest opinion.
September 27, 2013
Bit slow and dragged out with a predictable story line - could have been a whole lot better.
February 10, 2014
A good book from world war 2 mostly about young females joining . Well worth reading
February 28, 2014
loved this book and the characters
June 10, 2014
After a very slow start I felt that the story started half way through. Glad I hadn't given up on the book as I really enjoyed second half.
October 11, 2014
Quite formulaic, but not quite as predictable as I thought it was going to be; I enjoyed it enough to have just ordered the sequel
February 22, 2015
Not quiet what I expected but a slow read none the less
May 30, 2015
Very good read about women in world war 2.
September 19, 2016
was really looking forward to Ruby Jackson books, but felt a little disappointed with this one. Not alot really happened and it felt quiet slow. Hopefully the next one is better!
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October 26, 2016A slow read, took awhile to get into the story but enjoyed it in the end
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews