Kate Thompson’s new book The Allotment Girls is published today

Today, Kate Thompson’s new book is The Allotment Girls is finally published. If you need another reason to read it (you really shouldn’t), here’s a summary to draw you in..

During the Second World War, life in the iconic Bryant & May match factory is grimy and tough. Annie, Rose, Pearl and Millie carry on making matches for the British Army with bombs raining down around them.

Inspired by the Dig for Victory campaign, Annie persuades the owners to start Bryant & May allotment in the factory grounds.

With plenty of sweat and toil, the girls eventually carve out a corner of the yard into a green plot full of life and colour. In the darkest of times, the girls find their allotment a tranquil, happy escape.

Using pierced dustbin lids to sieve through the shrapnel and debris, they bring about a powerful change, not just in the factory but in their own lives. As the war rages on, the garden becomes a place of community, friendship – and deceit.

As the garden thrives and grows, so do the girls’ secrets …

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