Book Review: Daughter of the Home Front by Jennie Jones

Daughter of the Home Front is set in Queensland during WWII and follows the hopes and dreams of Emma as she battles against societal expectations of women.

Living in a small country town not far from Townsville 15-year-old Emma has dreams of one day travelling the world. The American soldiers have come to town, splashing their money around and showing local girls a whole new way of life. Emma quickly gets caught up in the excitement and glamour.

 

I quickly became totally invested in Emma's world. As the men go off to fight, many women are left to bring up the children and work to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. However the war also opened up new opportunities for single women and Emma soon finds herself working in Townsville and free of the constraints of her mother and younger siblings. Emma is young and naive and soon finds herself pregnant and alone. Society has a dim view of unmarried mothers and Emma is sent to a prison-like home to await the forcible adoption of her baby.

 

Daughter of the Home Front is a heartrending story of enduring friendship and resilience of spirit that encompasses many societal issues of the time.

 

Daughter of the Home Front is a story about true friendships, war brides, bad choices, unmarried mothers, stolen babies and second chances.

I always enjoy stories set during WWII and more so if they are from the perspective of Australians during the war, whether it be soldiers or civilians and Daughter of the Home Front didn't disappoint. The story is beautifully drawn with believable characters and a powerful and emotional plot.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 5th October 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 419 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher