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Jump to navigationJump to searchJam and Roses: The Lives and Loves of 1920s Factory Girls by Mary Gibson (view source)
Revision as of 13:25, 16 August 2020
, 13:25, 16 August 2020no edit summary
Like [[Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson|Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts]], ''Jam and Roses'' is set in Bermondsey, also known as 'London's Larder'. This busy industrial area, with its many factories, provides a fascinating backdrop for Mary Gibson's family sagas, which are full of drama, joy and heartbreak in equal measure. I did find the full title: ''Jam and Roses: The lives and loves of 1920s factory girls'' a bit misleading, as the story mainly focused on Millie and her family and there is hardly any mention of the other girls who work in the jam factory.
One of the strong themes in the story is family unity. At the beginning of the story, the Colman family is a broken unit; the father rules with an iron fist and the mother struggles to hold everything together on a daily basis. The Colmans have lost two sons to war and another son has left home, leaving the three squabbling daughters, who whose mother jokingly refers to as her 'set of jugs'. Millie, the oldest, is selfish, headstrong and prone to drinking too much. The middle daughter, Elsie, is a strange soul, with a preternatural air about her, although she too is prone to violent outbursts when her reverie is disturbed. The youngest, Amy, is a free spirit, who runs wild on the streets with the boys and frequently defies her father. In modern terms, they would most likely be referred to as 'neighbours from hell', which makes Millie quite a daring and unusual choice for a protagonist.
Gibson's thorough research is clearly evident in the depictions of the places in the book. I particularly enjoyed the descriptive narrative about the hopping holiday in Kent, with hundreds of Bermondsey families loading up their 'hopping trolleys' and boarding the steam train. The sense of camaraderie between these desperately poor people is written in a warm and sympathetic way.
Although the book is set a decade later than the previous novel, several themes tie the stories together (eagle -eyed readers may even spot a cameo appearance from one of the characters!). There is still great political unrest, as wages are too low for people to live on. Strikes are common and unemployment is high. The book explores the repercussions of the strike action and how this affects ordinary people and families.
On a personal level, I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as 'Custard Tarts', as it was a lot darker in tone and I found it hard to warm to the heroine. At 438 pages long, I felt that a shorter format would have been more appropriate, as there are often long periods in the story where not much happens. The book also contains strong language, which, though suitable in the context of the story, may offend some readers. Despite this, I cannot fault the fact that the book itself is well-written and historically accurate, with some memorable characters and intriguing plot turns. I thank the publishers for my review copy.
Bookbag loved [[Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson]], a perfect cosy fireside read that you won't be able to put downor [[Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams (The Factory Girls) by Mary Gibson]].
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