Swansea Girls

It is Saturday night and the Pier Ballroom in Swansea is the. place to be for Lily, an evacuee unclaimed by her family at the end of the war; for Judy taught independence by her war widow mother; for Katie, the product of a marriage between a drunken, violent father and a cowed, beaten mother; and for spoiled, wilful Helen. It is an evening that fuels jealousies and sows the seeds for friendships and romance.

Catrin Collier’s ninth novel gives us a gloriously nostalgic picture of a Welsh community moving from war-time austerity to ‘never had it so good’ Britain. Her fresh lively style, combined with her ability to create warm, appealing characters make this her most engaging novel yet.