The Great Western Railway Girls
- Author Jane Lark
- Narrator Katherine Press
- Publisher Boldwood Books
- Publish Date 24 February 2025
- Run Time 9 hours and 30 minutes
- Format x-book®
- Genre Fiction: mashup, Generational sagas, Historical fiction, Historical romance, Narrative theme: Coming of age, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Interior life, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Sense of place.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only €4.95.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price p/Title
- €9.95
- €8.95
- €7.95
- €6.95
- €5.95
Listen to a sample
What to expect
A BRAND NEW gripping and heartwarming wartime saga of courage, friendship and love on the Home Front. Perfect for fans of Nancy Revell, Rosie Clarke and Donna Douglas! 🚂
'Friendship, drama and an array of authentic characters make this debut saga a must-read.’ Maisie Thomas, bestselling author of The Railway Girls series
September, 1939.
When war is declared, Lily sees an opportunity to escape her domineering father: she will join the Great Western Railway factory to win her financial independence and move out of home.
Maggie doesn’t want to simply follow in her sisters’ footsteps and work in the laundries at the GWR. So, when the chance comes to volunteer for men’s work in the machine shop, she’s the first to raise her hand.
Catherine, a clerk in the GWR office, has been helping with London’s evacuation efforts, organising trains to move children out of the city. But when her task is completed, will she defy her family and fiancé’s wishes and sign up for a more dangerous role?
Taking on demanding new duties, Lily, Maggie and Catherine – and others – develop an unexpectedly close bond.
But will friendship be enough to carry them through the ups and downs of life at war?
The first instalment in a brilliant new wartime series set in Swindon's Great Western Railway works.
'Another gem from one of my favourite historical authors, Jane Lark. She brings the Swindon Railway Village to life with characters that we care about as they face the perils of war. I can't wait for the next installment in this series!' May Ellis
'A compulsive, absolutely unputdownable read! I was enthralled.' Renita D'Silva
Praise for Jane Lark's historical fiction:
'What a brilliant read!! Jane Lark has an incredible talent to draw the reader in from the first page' Reader Review
'A powerful, many faceted book, intelligent and well written. Exceptional characters, emotionally charged, with mystery and suspense.' Reader Review
'I enjoyed it from beginning to end and have decided I would read anything by Jane Lark... hell I'd even read her shopping list!' Reader Review
'A worthy five-star read!' Reader Review
More from the same
About xigxag and the x-book®
Discover the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed to simplify finding, purchasing, and enjoying your favourite books in audio format. Our flexible pricing model makes bestselling audiobooks affordable, offering the best audiobook deals without the need for a subscription. You can also give the perfect gift with our convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
A core differentiator of xigxag is our groundbreaking listen-and-read x-book® technology, which delivers a truly immersive digital book experience. This unique innovation seamlessly combines the audiobook, text, and images into a brilliant, integrated format, complete with exclusive audiobook features and a next-generation digital reading experience. Our growing x-book selection is easily discoverable by looking for the distinctive purple x-book® ribbon, or by simply filtering your search by ‘x-book’.
Beyond our technology, xigxag is committed to sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we stand as a leader in audiobook innovation and a compelling alternative to big tech. Our commitment extends to delivering extraordinary customer service, provided by our friendly UK support team.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, gain insights from honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. You can download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere, guaranteeing the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.