The Cornish Girls Sagas: An Introduction
Welcome to the Betty Walker Sagas monthly newsletter!
A BIG WAVE - AND HELLO!
Hi, I’m Betty Walker and I write WWII sagas set in Cornwall, a beautiful unspoilt part of the UK where I’ve lived for many years now, mostly on the north coast.
[NB. You can listen to an AUDIO VERSION of this newsletter HERE (or via my podcast page link above) if you prefer not to read on screen - or just wish to hear my dulcet tones in your ear!]
My Cornish Girls novels, published in ebook, paperback and audiobook by Avon Books (HarperCollins) are set in various locations around war-torn Cornwall.
This is my new monthly Substack newsletter, which will drop in the first week of every month, so I thought I’d kick off with an introduction to the world of the ‘Cornish Girls’ for new and returning readers…
For now, subscriptions to my newsletter are free. Enjoy!
The men might have enlisted, but the war years were tough on women too. Women were struggling on the home front as mothers and housewives, but also in community volunteer positions, some of them involving hard, strenuous and even dangerous work. Unmarried women without children or other caring responsibilities to keep them at home could even find themselves ‘drafted’ into war work many hundreds of miles from home.
In the same way, not all my “Cornish Girls” are originally from Cornwall, but they adore living in such a beautiful part of the world, and are determined to support the war effort there. Friendly and full of lively humour, my Cornish Girls are always to be relied upon when someone needs a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on.
Romance plays a huge role in these novels too, as some of my ladies do eventually find love and a soul-mate, despite the rigours of wartime. But at their heart a deep and abiding friendship between women is the keystone of my Cornish Girls sagas.
ORDER OF NOVELS
If starting to read my Cornish Girls series, this is the order in which the novels were written. They are, however, all standalone novels, so are designed to be read out of order or as single novels.
But many readers have noted that the experience of entering the Cornish Girls world is enhanced if you start with Book One and read the stories in order.
WARTIME WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book One)
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Two)
COURAGE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Three)
A MOTHER’S HOPE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Four)
A WEDDING FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Five)
VICTORY FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Six)
A NEW HOPE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Seven)
NOVEL BY NOVEL OVERVIEW
Here’s a useful breakdown of the stories for new and returning readers…
WARTIME WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book One)
When Violet loses her sister in the Blitz, she must take her nieces to safety in Cornwall. On the coast, she meets carefree chorus girl Eva, who is also running from the dangers of London.
But Porthcurno hides a secret military base, and soon Violet and Eva realise there’s a battle to fight in Cornwall, too.
Together with local Hazel, who works on the base, they must come together to help the war effort. But will their friendship be enough to keep them safe?
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Two)
With the war ongoing, Lily is feeling anything but festive. That is, until Eva asks if she’ll join her in working at an officers’ convalescent home, lifting her spirits no end.
Eva came to St. Ives to be near the man who almost gave his life to protect hers. But will the wounded pilot ever help to heal himself by opening his heart to love?
Rose suspects the local orphanage is mistreating its charges – and it’s her job to uncover the truth before it’s too late…
Can the Cornish Girls help one another through the darkest days in order to give everyone in St. Ives the sparkling Christmas they so deserve?
COURAGE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Three)
Yearning for adventure, Demelza dreams of one day joining the fire wardens. But before she can do so, gunfire during a trip to the beach provides her with an unexpected opportunity to get stuck in.
On hand to help the wounded beachgoers, Lily draws admiration with her nursing skills and is offered an exciting new position in the hospital in Penzance.
And swayed by her niece, Lily’s Aunt Violet agrees to take in three evacuees rescued on the beach, though they turn out to be more of a handful than she bargained for.
But even as the war rages around them, the biggest challenge facing each woman turns out to be one of the heart. Can the Cornish Girls help one another to open themselves up to love…?
A MOTHER’S HOPE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Four)
After having given up her baby at seventeen, Sonya is inspired by her work at an orphanage to discover what happened to her daughter twenty-five years ago. Reunited, they struggle to bond whilst braving the war together.
Nurse Lily has returned to St Ives to finish training as a midwife. But when old flame Tristan is brought in wounded, she must put the past firmly to bed in order to care for him.
And working at Tristan’s convalescent home, Mary longs for the romance she reads of in her novels. But her overprotective mother is making that more difficult at every turn…
In times of war, the Cornish Girls can rely on one another to make it through. But can they lean on the bonds of motherhood for support too?
A WEDDING FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Five)
Eighteen-year-old Alice receives a mysterious work summons for a special unit in Bude. Nervous but excited, she starts training straight away.
Meanwhile, land girl Penny also heads to Bude. With a new job at the village farm shop, she dreams of finding love.
Young widow Florence runs the local boarding house. When American troops are billeted to stay, Florence butts heads with their Staff Sergeant immediately.
But might sparks fly for Florence when she least expects it? Can Penny pluck up the courage to pursue romance? And will Alice be up to the task?
Most importantly, can love triumph for the Cornish Girls, even amidst the uncertainty of war?
VICTORY FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Six)
Even in Cornwall, the war shows no signs of slowing…
When tragic circumstances force Alice to give up her spy training, she is distraught. That is, until she’s asked to join a specialist group of codebreakers who might just find the key to winning the war.
Young Imogen feels impotent to help her beloved Cornwall as war rages on. When she suspects the attractive new Vicar of betraying their country, she's determined to uncover his deceit.
Meanwhile, American Pearl - entertainer to the troops – pours her heart into the war effort to boost morale, despite being jilted by her sweetheart. Can she find a home, and maybe even a family, in Bude?
A NEW HOPE FOR THE CORNISH GIRLS (Book Seven - due out Oct 2024)
Recently widowed, Sheila is determined to run the Porthcurno shop on her own, despite family opposition. Seeing villagers facing hard times, she’s desperate to help but not sure where to even start.
When her soldier beau breaks off their engagement to marry someone else, Land Girl Selina is devastated. Will going to the aid of her struggling sister restore her faith in human nature?
Fellow Land Girl Joan has always preferred books over boys. Yet when she meets Arthur, recently back from France and a damaged soul, she feels a connection. But Joan’s friends warn her off him. Can she ignore the promptings of her heart?
The fighting has stopped, but the Cornish Girls still face heartbreaking decisions – will they make the right choices?
The Cornish Girls series is set to continue into 2025…
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