The Railway Girls

The Railway Girls, Book 1

By: Maisie Thomas

Narrated by: Julia Franklin

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

The first novel in the utterly brilliant Railway Girls series. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean.

In February, 1922, at the western-most entrance to Victoria Station in Manchester, a massive plaque was unveiled. Beneath a vast tiled map showing the lines of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway network, a series of seven bronze panels recorded the names of the men of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War - a total of 1,460 names.

In March, 1940, a group of women of varying ages and backgrounds stands in front of the memorial, ready to do its bit in this new World War.... 

Mabel is determined to make a fresh start as a railway girl where no one will know the terrible thing she did and she can put her guilt behind her. Or is she just running away?

Meanwhile, Joan will never be as good as her sister, or so her gran keeps telling her. A new job as a station clerk could be just the thing she needs to forget her troubles at home.

And Dot is further into her 40s than she cares to admit. Her beloved sons are away fighting, and her husband - well, the less said about him the better. Ratty old sod. She is anxious to become a railway girl just like her dear mam - anything to feel she is supporting the sons she prays for every night.

The three women start off as strangers but soon form an unbreakable bond that will get them through the toughest of times....

©2020 Maisie Thomas (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Enjoyed this book

Great book, good story and well read. The characters were interesting and each held my interest.

Very enjoyable story to listen to

Loved the story my grandfather and great grandfather worked on the railway and it was nice to hear what the women had to do juring the war

Struggled to finish!

The worst audible book I've listened to so far. I didn't feel like you get to know the characters properly so couldn't get into it. It was like listening to a group of old women, gossiping in the street.The editing was appalling with several sentences being repeated 2-3 times and the narrator even clearing her throat! I normally like this sort of story but it was mundane and tedious. Just terrible.

Terrible reader

The reader suddenly Realise she was reading the line run I repeated it several times it was quite annoying to hear the same line 3 or four times I can’t believe it hasn’t been edited out

A good story, poor recording

This is a lovely story but there are several sentences that are repeated by the author and at one point she cleared her throat. I imagine this recording was rushed to be released and not correctly edited.

what a shame

The recording was not of the usual high standard. There were several episodes of repeated sentences. even a throat being cleared!