Secrets of the Lavender Girls

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

Praise for Secrets of the Lavender Girls:, As warm, welcome and inviting as a cuppa on a cold day, 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, Kate Thompson has brought to life a remarkable story and in loving detail too . . . an absolute joy!, 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

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.