Blog Tour - Blackpool Lass - Maggie Mason

Having recently discovered this author's alter ego, Mary Wood, I was thrilled to be asked to take part in the blog tour for her latest release as Maggie Mason. I'm a sucker for an historical fiction saga novel so I couldn't wait to start reading Blackpool Lass.

This has got to be one of the most heartbreaking stories I have ever read! The year is 1924 and Grace lives with her mother and father in Fleetwood. When her mother dies and her father's ship sinks she goes to live with her beloved grandmother but it's not long until tragedy strikes for Grace once again and her whole world is turned upside down.

Finding herself in Halford House, a children's home, Grace makes friends with Jeanie who gives her the low down on life in the home and Grace is horrified at the goings on in a place that she thought was supposed to take care of children, where it turns out that this is definitely not the case where the staff here are concerned.

Grace eventually makes her way back to home territory and reaches out to Sheila, a local girl she knew briefly back in happier times and life finally seems to be on the up for her.

Blackpool Lass is a true roller coaster of a novel. One minute I was laughing out loud with Grace and the next minute my heart was truly breaking for her, and at one point I was so angry with the author for giving Grace such a difficult life! If ever there was a character that deserved a bit of happiness in her life it was Grace.

It's abundantly clear that Maggie has done extensive research into life in Blackpool at the time which only adds to the realism of the story. The struggles that Grace and her friends and family went through were a harsh reality for so many people back in the day and it really makes you realise just how lucky were are nowadays.

I absolutely loved this book and if you're a fan of family saga's and historical fiction then this is definitely a book that you need to read.



                                                      Author bio

Photo courtesy of Maggie Mason/Mary Wood

Maggie Mason is a pseudonym for saga author Mary Wood. Mary was born the thirteenth child of fifteen and throughout her life had various factory, office and home-based jobs, finally becoming a Probation Service Officer before she retired.

Mary married in 1963 and with her husband Roy has four children, eight grandchildren, and five step-grandchildren. She got her first book deal in 2013 and has not looked back since.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour with these wonderful blogs:

With kind thanks to author Maggie Mason and Sphere for the review copy.