The Boat Girls

I am not sure why The Boat Girls showed up in my recommended titles on NetGalley.com, other than the fact that I do have a penchant for reading World War II fiction. Margaret Mayhew was not on my radar of authors to read, but when I did sit down to read this book, I found it fascinating, so much so that I read it in one sitting. It's just that good. 

The Boat Girls describes the life of the narrow boats on the canals in England, the difficulties of moving materials where they need to be, the hardships of life on the boats, and the desires of young women to be useful in the war effort.  Frances, Prudence, and Rosalind are three unlikely compatriots on the Orpheus and Euripides canal boats, doing what they can to deliver goods where they need to go. 

There is a little bit of romance included in the book, but it is not the overwhelming pull of the plot, and part of the romance that is included is not very satisfactory in that it doesn't detail the relationships' developments. However, that does not detract from the overall quality of the book.  Margaret's research into the canal boats, or "narrow boats" as they are called in the book, is eye-opening for this American who knew nothing of this part of World War II history.  I really enjoyed reading about the boaters lifestyle, and the lives of the boaters themselves, even though this was a work of fiction.

I wish I could give this more than five stars, but that is the maximum I am allowed.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a windlass for the locks up ahead.

Random House UK and NetGalley.com provided the galley I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.