War In The Valleys – by Francesca Capaldi

I am once again so lucky to be a part of another incredible blog tour. This book is wonderful and I cannot wait to share my thoughts on it with you all.

Book Description:

WW1 marches on, but Violet faces her own battle at home

July 1916. Young mother, Violet Jones, lives a tough life in the Rhymney Valley, caring for 4-year-old Clarice and baby Benjy on her own while soldier husband Charlie fights on the Front Line. But when tragedy strikes, Violet’s life becomes even harder.

While they may be far from the battlefields, the effects of WW1 take their toll on the small mining community of Dorcalon, with food becoming scarce and more and more of their young men losing their lives.

With very little money coming in, and two babies to care for, Violet takes in a relative to help make ends meet. But far from easing her burden, it might turn out to be the worst decision she’s made.

As the Great War takes its toll on the nation, Violet faces her own battle. All alone in the world, can she protect her children, and herself? And will she ever find joy out of the depths of despair?

A captivating, emotional saga set in WW1 – will tug on your heart-strings and bring a tear to your eye. If you like Nadine Dorries, Rosie Goodwin or Sheila Newbury you will adore this beautiful Welsh saga.

My Thoughts:

I adored the first book in this series – Heartbreak In The Valleys – so I couldn’t wait to start reading the second instalment.

The story transports you back in time to Rhymney Valley in Wales, to the little village of Dorcalon.

Throughout this story you get a true sense of how difficult life must have been for all of those living throughout WW1. As most of the men had gone to fight for their country, the Women of the village were left having to try and fulfil what was seen as the men’s jobs, as well as continue to take care of their families. They had to take care of the mining, and still ensure they were making ends meet for their own families sake.

Violet is a young mother who’s husband has been drafted off to war. I truly felt for her, as she had so many difficult issues to face throughout an already troublesome time. One of these difficulties was her Mother-in-law. She was so overwhelming and over bearing. She is a character that you dislike instantly, and find yourself cheering Violet on as she faces her troubles.

A lot of drama begins to unfold throughout the village too, and i really did find myself so engrossed in these little twists wondering if the characters would get away with their actions or not. The sense of friendship throughout this book is beautiful, along with the community spirit that the author so perfectly brings to life. The way the characters rally around one another during an impossible time in their lives was incredibly heart-warming.

This story is full of wonderful characters that you feel connected to, and you feel truly invested in their own individual stories as the book moves forward. It captivated me right from the start, and on the rare occasions I put the book down I found myself drifting back into the story in my mind. It was heart breaking and heart warming all at once. I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who loves Historical Fiction.

I would like to thank Sarah Hardy for inviting me to be a part of this incredible book tour. Also a huge thank you to Hera Books, and of course Francesca Capaldi for allowing me to read an ARC of this beautiful book in return for my honest review.

Author bio:

Several years ago, Francesca Capaldi pursued a childhood dream and joined a creative writing class. Lots of published short stories, a serial, and four pocket novels later, she’s now explored her mother’s ancestral history for a series of novels set in a Welsh colliery village. A history graduate and former teacher, she hails from the Sussex coast but now lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrissian.