February 1942. Still mourning the devastating loss of her young brother during the Blitz, spirited Fern Grey is determined to do her part for Britain’s war effort. When she receives her call-up papers for the Women’s Royal Naval Service, she plunges into the rigours of WREN training. Posted as a driver in Portsmouth, Fern forms unlikely friendships with shy Daphne Neagle and the aristocratic Cressida Talbot. Then she meets Canadian RCAF navigator Benjamin Lewis, whose quiet charm begins to capture her heart. But as the war tightens its grip, love proves as uncertain as the future.
Tell us about Fern Grey, the heroine of The Unseen Rider
Fern is Violet Grey’s younger sister. You met Violet in The Unquiet Translator, The Bletchley Park Chronicles Book 1. Fern has always felt in the shadow of her brainy and beloved elder sister. After all, Violet was at university studying languages when she was recruited to work as a German translator at the secret Bletchley Park. Fern bided her time working at an animal kennel, impatiently waiting for her 19th birthday so she could join up for the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRENs).
Outwardly bubbly and confident, Fern still felt inferior to Violet and second-best in her parent’s esteem. Gaining independence at basic training, she made fast friends with shy Daphne, as they both struggled to connect with snobby Cressida. When Fern and Daphne were posted together as drivers in the busy naval hub Portsmouth, they were thrilled to test out their new skills and make a wartime life together in a Wren-filled billet.
Fern faced her share of obstacles including a crushing breakup and unwanted attentions from a naval officer. This only made her stronger, especially after she met the gentle Canadian RCAF navigator, Ben. Separated by war, Fern takes up motorcycle dispatch riding, which she masters with her usual energy and enthusiasm. Time and again, she proves herself to be courageous, loyal, and caring. Finally, she sees that she belongs in the Grey family and is cherished just for herself. All that’s left is waiting for Ben to return from a harrowing imprisonment as a German prisoner of war in Italy for her to find her forever happiness.
Why give Fern a role as a motorcycle dispatch rider?
I continue to be passionate about raising up the stories of brave women in WWII England. Through my Kingston Sisters series, I explored roles in the WVS (Women’s Voluntary Service), anti-aircraft gunners, ambulance drivers, and Y-service message takers. From all my research, I’ve consistently found that the women who performed roles like during WWII never thought they did anything special. In their own words, they just “got on with it.” I beg to differ! I think these women were extraordinary, and I’m determined to keep telling stories of these dangerous wartime roles.
When I visited Bletchley Park a couple of years ago, I was captivated by the display of a real WWII motorcycle with the accompanying information about what women did as riders and message deliverers. These women drove all over England facing awful weather, poor roads and maps, bombs dropping, and so much more as they delivered important messages almost always on their own. So brave! I knew I had to feature a motorcycle dispatch rider in my Bletchley Park series.
What has been the response to The Unquiet Translator and The Unseen Rider?
I’m thrilled with the response to both books. Readers are connecting with these brave young women and the difficult working conditions of Bletchley Park. Imagine signing the Official Secrets Act and NEVER being able to talk about your work – ever – to your parents, your friends, your future spouse or children? Or working a never-ending cycle of day, afternoon, and evening shifts year-round with few breaks? Or having to regularly work extended hours at critical times?
Did you know that by the end of the war, almost 9,000 people worked at Bletchley Park – most of them women – and no one ever gave away the secrets of the home of the codebreakers? Amazing. Winston Churchill, then Prime Minister, called the workers “the geese who laid the golden eggs, and never cackled.”
Hearing from my readers is the most satisfying part of my job as a writer, and just recently I heard from a reader in New Zealand. She had just finished The Unseen Rider, and sent me glowing comments about it, asking when the third book in the series would be coming out. In thanking her, I had to tell her that I had just released this book and hadn’t even started the next one yet, so it will be some months before a new book launch. It’s heartwarming to have such loyal fans enjoying my books.
What’s next for the Bletchley Park Chronicles?
Well, the third book in the series has a title and a heroine. The Unnoticed Photographer tells Isabelle Grey’s story. She is Violet and Fern’s cousin, who lives next door and is under the thumb of a controlling mother. She has eyes on the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force but has been too young to enlist. She finally turns eighteen in early 1944, and can’t wait to start her independent life as an Aircraftwoman.
I’m still researching at the moment, but I’m hoping to announce a release date later this year. You can sign up for my free newsletter at debstratas.com to receive book launch news, highlights of my research trips, and author spotlights. And you can get a free copy of my prequel novella, The Kingston Sisters, Before the War.
Deb Stratas
# # #
About the Author
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting