Judith Eagle is one of my favourite children’s authors. This is because whenever I pick up a book she has written I am safe in the knowledge that this reading experience will remind me of how and why I first became a reader as a child. Her historical mysteries are written in an immensely readable style with twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed and sufficient detail to ensure you do ‘feel as though you were there.’ However best of all she creates characters that you care for, a key element in reading enjoyment for me and I suspect for many others. The Blitz Sisters is subtly different in that there is no mystery for children to solve however this epic read, it is almost 500 pages long, contains drama, life changing events, family love and loss and everything else that readers have loved in Judith Eagle’s previous books in abundance.

The story spans quite a long period of time starting in 1939 with the declaration of war and continuing until 1948 as the Linden family and their friends deal with the aftermath and the deprivations brought about by the conflict. The narrative structure should increase the accessibility of this tender family story as it is divided into three sections with each being told from a different sister’s point of view. We begin with the eldest, Lydia, in 1939 then follow the later period of the war through middle sister Peggy’s eyes finally sharing the aftermath of the war with youngest sister, Teddy. This three stories in one approach provides a broader version of events and the way in which the author weaves the various threads together with skill increases the satisfaction for the reader.

In 1939 Lydia and her sisters are evacuated from London to the countryside, an unsettling and initially upsetting experience for the three girls. Lydia as the oldest and ‘the sensible one’ is using her love of cooking to try to ease the difficulties for everyone. As she experiences bullying at the local school and the sisters share upsets Lydia’s sense of responsibility and her natural inclination to worry increases the weight upon her and she takes drastic action to try to put things right.

Peggy’s story begins in 1943 when the girls have returned to London sharing a small house with friends and relatives. Peggy is artistic but also headstrong getting into scrapes and being reprimanded however she meets a young German refugee, Arno, who although quieter and calmer than his new friend shares her love of art. Despite struggling at school Peggy is determined to achieve her dream of eventually going to art school.

Lastly the story shines on the youngest Teddy, academic and hugely empathetic, she feels a little left behind by her older sisters however she is excelling at school. When a school trip to Paris becomes a possibility Teddy is keen to go and her family try to find the money to enable this. Little do they know that Teddy has a secret plan to try and find someone dear to her family but now lost to them.

The Blitz Sisters is being described as Little Women for today’s young readers and I can well understand why. The three Linden girls are reminiscent of the March sisters in many ways. Although their different temperaments result in squabbles and difficulties at times they share an unshakeable bond which even the grief and sadness from war will not destroy. For me though, this family story reminds me a little of The Skylarks’ War and The Swallows’ Flight by Hilary McKay. The backdrop of war is very much part of these young people’s lives and that experience is key to the story. There is exploration how women’s lives were affected by the dramatic events of the Second World War with the girls’ widowed mum, Cassie and the redoubtable Mrs Jessop plus Aunt Phoebe and Barbara being key to the storyline too. This sharing of adult and child experience adds another dimension to the book particularly as the girls, especially Lydia, grow towards adulthood by the end. Children may enjoy discussing the different characters and their choices, particularly those of the sisters. As an elder sister myself I empathised with Lydia’s sense of having to do the right thing and worrying about the impact of events on her younger sisters even as a child herself. Peggy’s difficulties at school would nowadays probably be recognised as dyslexia and possibly ADHD too. Teddy’s empathetic nature although commendable creates difficulties for her. All these aspects help young readers to recognise and perhaps cope with changing family situations of their own.

There is, despite the loss and sadness of war, a happy ending for this delightful family and I am sure that confident readers at the upper stage of primary school will lap this up and feel a real sense of reading achievement from the completion of this story. I loved The Blitz Sisters and hope that it gets the audience it surely deserves. I know it’s only January but I am sure this will be competing for my favourite children’s book of the year selection! I should like to thank Faber Children’s Books and Sarah Doyle for kindly providing my review copy. Do look out for The Blitz Sisters, it is published on 26th February and I highly recommend it.