'A twisty plot, warm-hearted characters, laughter, secrets and heartbreak - and bursting with fascinating detail' - Annie Murray

Stratford, 1943.

World War Two is still raging across Europe. But for the Lavender Girls, the workers at the Yardley cosmetics factory in East London, there are even more challenges on the home front.

Esther, newly married, is learning to juggle life as a working woman with her duties as a wife and homemaker. And she must find a way to help her adopted family on the Shoot, who are battling their own hidden demons . . .

Headstrong Patsy, a new recruit at the Yardley factory, has a double life that takes her from the East End lipstick belt by day to the stage in the West End at night. But will she be able to keep her secrets hidden from her controlling mother, Queenie?

For bubbly Lou, a forbidden love forces her to choose between family loyalty and a chance at true happiness. Can she be brave enough to forge her own path in the chaos of a war?

One thing is certain: the Lavender Girls need one another more than ever if they are going to survive . . .

About the Author
Kate Thompson an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist who has spent the past two decades in the UK mass market and book publishing industry. Over the past nine years Kate has written ten fiction and non-fiction titles, three of which have made the Sunday Times top ten bestseller list. Secrets of the Lavender Girls will be her eleventh book.

Reviews
Praise for Secrets of the Lavender Girls:
As warm, welcome and inviting as a cuppa on a cold day * Melanie McGrath *
Another of Kate's wonderful stories with a twisty plot, warm-hearted characters, with laughter, secrets and heartbreak - and bursting with fascinating detail. A really great read * Annie Murray *
Kate Thompson has brought to life a remarkable story and in loving detail too . . . an absolute joy! * Glenda Young *
A fabulous read that both entertains and educates! A wonderfully written, heart-felt novel . . . The historical research which has gone into this novel jumps off the pages. Perfect for lovers of saga or those wanting to step through a door to the past and become enmeshed in a fascinating part of our social history * Nancy Revell *
A welcome return to the Yardley Factory . . . A strong story of friendship, love and family set amid WWII * My Weekly *
Praise for Kate Thompson:
A riveting and wonderful read
The way Kate Thompson writes . . . made me feel that I was reading about old friends. I just had to keep the pages turning. I am sure that before long her readers will be clamouring for more
Marvellous, full of gutsy characters I immediately empathized with
The remarkable story of the women who ruled the East End through the Blitz. A lively authentic social history, the book centres around five formidable working-class women . . . a hair-raising, but always warmhearted tale * My Weekly *
Kate Thompson writes books that make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time. You cannot put them down. I advise you to read them all!
Inspiring tales of courage in the face of hardship * Mail on Sunday *



Book Information
ISBN 9781473698147
Author Kate Thompson
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint Hodder Paperback
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 320g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 34mm