The Allotment Girls av Kate Thompson

<p><b><i>The Allotment Girls </i>is an inspiring and heartwarming novel of wartime hardship, friendship and fortitude from Kate Thompson, author of the<i> Secrets of the Sewing Bee.</i></b><br><br>During the Second World War, life in the iconic Bryant & May match factory is grimy and tough. Annie, Rose, Pearl and Millie carry on making matches for the British Army, with bombs raining down around them.<br><br>Inspired by the Dig for Victory campaign, Annie persuades the owners to start Bryant & May allotment in the factory grounds. With plenty of sweat and toil, the girls eventually carve out a corner of the yard into a green plot full of life and colour. <br><br>In the darkest of times, the girls find their allotment a tranquil, happy escape. Using pierced dustbin lids to sieve through the shrapnel and debris, they bring about a powerful change, not just in the factory, but their own lives. <br><br>As the war rages on, the garden becomes a place of community, friendship – and deceit. As the garden thrives and grows, so do the girls'' secrets . . .</p>