The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club: A Novel

I liked this book. The plot is somewhat complicated, with many characters and sets of circumstances, but it is generally about women who learned a trade during WWI and were then told they couldn't continue following the war. Their stories are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes awe-inspiring, but it is an entertaining book that doesn't take very long to read. I enjoyed it.

This is the third novel by Helen Simonson. The first two, "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," and "The Summer Before the War," were both wonderful! So, I was thrilled to see her third book coming out soon. I pre-ordered it, received it and immediately jumped in. It is absolutely mesmerizing, as I knew it would be. This one takes place immediately following WW1 in a small seaside village in England. There are those characters who are ready to get on with life despite the grief and pain left behind after the war. And there are those who struggle to do so. If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend all three of her novels.

A tale of right after WWI and the complications of returning soldiers to civilian life, the treatment of disabled soldiers, and the forced removal from jobs by the women who held them. The United Kingdom’s response to this situation was the same as the USA. In one aspect chaos towards women who needed income due to being war widows or those whose disabled husbands received only a small pension. Into this brink we find Constance who meets Poppy . A daughter of a Baronet who had created a business to help some of these women. A motorcycle company which functions with deliveries and taxis service. The rest is the growth of Constance, Poppy, and the other women as friends and partners in a company by women, for women.. but as usual government butts its nose in. This truly is a wonderful tale of friendship, freedom, fortitude, and courage.

This is a great story contemplating what happens to the men and women displaced by war in England. Constance, a lady’s companion, settles into an extended seaside vacation where she befriends Poppy and her merry band of motorcycle club ladies and the hotel’s cast of residents. Each person is on a journey to discover their own strength and place in the world. It’s a cozy read with thought provoking themes. Highly recommend.

“You see, it was all very well and good when we were freeing up men for the services,” said Iris. “But now we are just behaving oddly and diminishing our chances of snatching up one of the few available husbands.””

Taking place at the end of WWI (1919) when everyone is trying to adjust to a new world and their new roles in it. Familys are adjusting to the loss of a family member, women are adjusting to the loss of their livelihood and independence as they are forced to give up the jobs that they did during the war as the men return.

After the war, Poppy Wirrall lost her job working for Great Britain’s messenger service. She loved wearing pants and riding a motorcycle and yearns for that excitement again. She is trying to start her own motorcycle service with diiplaced female drivers. Harris Wirrall was a fighter pilot who returned home with just one leg, he is suffering from depression. He desperately wants to fly again but people are treating him as if he lost half a brain. If the war didn't take your family member the Spanish Flu did, Constance Haverhill lost her job and her family in one fell swoop. Now she is without a home, but is temporarily serving as a companion to the elderly Mrs. Fog, they are residing at the Meredith Hotel in Hazelbourne-By-The-Sea. Which is where Constance meets Poppy and Harris whose mother occupies an entire floor of rooms at the same hotel.

Witty banter and clever verbal sparring add to the fun of this historical fiction. A coming of age story that is funny, sad and touching in turns. An interesting look at a country just coming out of war. I have enjoyed all of Simonson's books, this one was slow in the beginning but the second half was much improved. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I so looked forward to reading this book as it takes place in England immediately following the peace treaty of WW I, an era I love. I liked the book but it just never came together until the last couple chapters where so much happened and then ended abruptly. The story theme is the struggle for women who held jobs during the war to lose their employment to returning soldiers, the conflict of subservient women and women fighting for independence and to break free from societal constraints. The majority of the story kind of plodded along these conflicts repeatedly and never totally held my interest until it seemed the author needed to end the book and all at once as I stated everything happened quickly to resolve issues and it ended. A 2.5 stars