Poor Girls

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Poor Girls by Clare Whitfield, read by Jenny Bede.

'Poor Girls is a brave, bold novel... You'll fall hard for Nell and the Forty Elephants.' ARAMINTA HALL
'Funny, fast-paced and dark, Poor Girls is a riveting read, with dialogue that absolutely crackles and a fabulously unsentimental heroine in Nell.’ ELODIE HARPER

We were never destined to have anything – so you know what we did?
We took it anyway.

1922. Twenty-year-old Eleanor Mackridge is horrified by the future mapped out for her – to serve the upper classes or find a man to marry (preferably kind). She ‘proved useful’ working in a munitions factory during the war – handling explosives – but now, society is returning to normal and women are being put back in their place.

But Eleanor has never paid attention to what society expects of her. When she crosses paths with a member of the notorious female-led gang the Forty Elephants, she is in awe of these bold women who wear diamonds and fur, drink champagne and gin, who take what they want without asking. Now, she sees a new future for herself: she can serve, marry – or steal.

After all, men will only let you down. Diamonds are forever.

In Poor Girls, Clare Whitfield exposes the criminal underbelly of 1920s London – but this isn't a morality tale, it's an adventure for the willingly wicked.

'Wonderfully roguish characters, and great period detail. Really enjoyable.' IAN MOORE
'A richly vivid and picaresque masterwork, Poor Girls is by turns humorous, horrifying and humane.' TOM MEAD
'A real page turner.' CAITLIN DAVIES

Critics Review

'Poor Girls is a brave, bold novel, illuminating the present through the past. It shows us how women have so often had to take the rights that society refuses to give them. You'll fall hard for Nell and the Forty Elephants.'
Araminta Hall
‘Funny, fast-paced and dark, Poor Girls is a riveting read, with dialogue that absolutely crackles and a fabulously unsentimental heroine in Nell.’
Elodie Harper
This world is not all fur coats and champagne. An exuberant and atmospheric read
The Times
A pacy, entertaining caper with well-drawn characters
Good Housekeeping
Vivid, witty, and full of wonderfully drawn characters
Woman & Home
Raucous, fast-paced and dripping with 1920s grime and glamour
The Sun
Captivating
Crime Monthly
'The story moves along at a terrific pace with wonderfully roguish characters, and great period detail. Really enjoyable.'
Ian Moore
'A richly vivid and picaresque masterwork, Poor Girls is by turns humorous, horrifying and humane.'
Tom Mead
‘A compulsive read. Brighton waitress Eleanor is recruited by the female crime syndicate the Forty Elephants into a world of champagne, diamonds and furs. But there’s a price to pay for postwar women who wanted to become something - how far will she go, and will she get away with it? A real page turner.’
Caitlin Davies
‘An addictive, thrilling five-star read with a plot that races along and is packed with unexpected turns. Nell and her friends in the girl-gang the Forty Elephants are unapologetically out for themselves, stealing, drinking and partying their way to infamy, and all the time defying expectations of what it means to be a woman in 1922. Memorable, outrageous and full of heart. Loved it – every time I put it down I couldn’t wait to pick it up again.’
Eleni Kyriacou
What a rollicking riot!... You'll love the adventures of this sisterhood
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
A crime novel like no other I’ve encountered, and it's solid proof of the old adage truth is stranger than fiction. And it’s a jolly good read into the bargain
Promoting Crime Fiction
This is splendidly entertaining, with sharp characterisation and a great sense of fun in addition to providing a fascinating insight into a lost period of British history
Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime
A vivid and witty read
Woman 'This Week's Hot Read'
[A] good read
Historical Novel Review

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