Christmas with the Engine Girls

Daisy Styles grew up in Lancashire, surrounded by a family and community of strong women whose tales she loved to listen to. It was from these women, particularly her vibrant mother and Irish grandmother, that Daisy learned the art of storytelling. There was also the landscape of her childhood - wide, sweeping, empty moors and hills that ran as far as the eye could see - which was a perfect backdrop for a saga, a space big enough and wild enough to stage a drama, one about women's lives during the Second World War.

Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read