Lumberjills: Under Suspicion is the second book in a series about the Women’s Timber Corp, a forestry offshoot of the Women’s Land Army assembled during World War II in Britain. The work of historical fiction, and women’s historical fiction in particular, is to reimagine histories that were previously unrealized so that we can bring them into the light of the present. What a fantastic, and recent history to be able to claim by author Joanna Foat. Not only has she written a successful literary reconstruction of this topic, but she has also published a longer fictional work entitled Lumberjills: Britain’s Forgotten Army.

This novel is an example of true historical fiction: an excavation of the past, a pearl held up to the light and dusted off, the presence of which will realign our thinking from henceforth. Through her interviews with 60 women from the original forestry commission, Joanna Foat fashioned a captivating world, scaffolded between the lives of the women she met and the experiences they had. Told from the rotating perspective of the four main characters: Edith, Rosie, Keeva & Beatrice, the book carefully chronicles the adventures, exploits, dangerous realities, misogyny and discrimination the Forestry Women faced.

As the title of the sequel implies, this second novel interrogates the multiplicative fears the women were facing: from citizens they were billeting with, the men they were operating amongst, the Ministry of Supply who distrusted their account of things, the welfare workers who failed to provide basic necessities, the foremen of the sawmills and timberlands they were assigned to, and the landowners they had to persuade to donate timber to the war cause, angry aristocrats who were being forced to contribute what they considered private resources for public necessity.

This is, I believe, a rarely fictionalized and largely ignored space of British women’s history. It is the historical significance and uniqueness that makes the book in some sense a triumph. However, it is dissonant in its successes and failures. Although the author positions the characters as socio-economically distinct from one another in their origins, she does little to develop those distinctions until at least 2/3 of the way through the text. At that point she makes starkly clear the chasms between them, but had I not been reading this for a review, I’m not sure if I would have hung in there long enough to have these distinctions revealed. Fortunately the novel escalates and packs all of the action, intensity, historical gravity, and revelations into that final chunk. The book truly soars at the end.

“You are a catalyst for me. You have an energy that communicated with me from the vortex of my soul, like a connection from beyond. Where other conversations bounce along the surface, we plunge beneath, threading and weaving our way. You are the fabric of life. You are alive and you inspire me.” (270)

This passage exemplifies the deep female fraternity and in some cases desire between the female characters. This layered world is accessed in one fluid read that, although bottom heavy, is worth the time. I would add that the emphasis on the bonds of friendship and the lack of extreme literary triggers would make this perfect for a YA audience. Although it was a slow start I look forward to finding out what these gals get up to in the next Lumberjills adventure. #LumberjillsUnderSuspicion #NetGalley

Book 2 in this unique WWII series about the lumberjills, Britain's female Timber Corps, is set in 1940 with the Blitz in full force. The beautifully written saga of war service, secrets, romance, and friendship fully captivated me. So much so that I'm heading back to read book one now and can't wait for more in the series. Brava, author Joanna Foat!

Four very different young women first meet as trainee Lumberjills in the opening novel of the series and, through shared adversity become firm friends. In this second book, they embark on new adventures, standing up for themselves and each other in the face of prejudice and suspicion with humour, warmth and courage.
As their skills and confidence grow, they discover the depth of both their physical and emotional strength. Jo Foat creates a wonderfully immersive world of ancient forests, sparkling waters and breathtaking natural beauty, making this a joy to read. Rich in historical detail and inspired by the real experiences of the women who served as Lumberjills during the Second World War, the novel celebrates friendship, loyalty, love and determination.

With its uplifting message that women can achieve extraordinary things when they stand together, this is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel that left me eagerly anticipating the next instalment in this compelling Second World War saga.

A fiercely enjoyable story of three friends fighting Hitler by cutting trees for the war effort - and fighting to be recognized for their work.

This is based on real events in Britain. During WWII there were women lumberjacks. They worked throughout the forests, only to be questioned as they worked. Well researched. I recommend it.