Victory for the East End Angels by Rosie Hendry (Review by Maggie Majstrova)

This is the fourth instalment in the ‘East End Angels’ saga by Rosie Handley, following the lives of Winnie, Frankie, Bella and later Rose. Set in Second World War London, the books focus on the ladies’ work for the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service (LAAS) as well as their loves and lives outside of it. In this last book, we experience two weddings, a birth, a new romance – but also darker experiences – all culminating in the end of the War and the closure of Station 75. What will this mean for our girls? And how does Rosie Hendry imagine their lives beyond their time at the LAAS? An easy read, at over 400 pages it could, in my opinion, do with a little edit. Often, the book covers events and conversations multiple times without necessarily adding anything new. You get the feeling that it covers much of the events of the previous books, removing a need to go back and read them. I’d suggest the book could be a little snappier, without losing any crucial content. That said, Rosie Hendry has clearly spent numerous hours with her characters. Her love for them is apparent throughout the piece. She recounts their stories as one would those of old friends. She includes, at the end of the book, a letter to her readers outlining how she would imagine events unfolding for each of the ladies once the book has been closed. How she imagines each of their unanswered questions being successfully closed. And that, is a lovely way to end the saga.