I am delighted to feature 15 reviews of A Ration Book Victory By Jean Fullerton.
Nicki Howells
So here we are, the final book following the Brogan Family. This time....at last, we learn the whole back story of Queenie Brogan. Starting with her childhood in Ireland, and ending with the long anticipated end of WW2.
I am not usually a fan of dual timeline books, of the flicking back and forth, but this time I found myself looking forward to the next flashback.
As is usual with Jean's books, they are very descriptive, especially when we are back in Queenie's childhood, she really brings the scene to life, and I was very pleased to see that Queenie's grandfather's shillelagh made one final appearance.....oh boy did that part make me laugh!!! (Go Queenie!!!), I laughed a few times, and shed a few tears too.
Thank you Jean, for sharing the Brogan Family with us, and I for one will miss them....unless you fancy telling us what happens next for the Brogans now the war is over!!!
Beverley Ann Hopper
A banging read, grab the hankies!
The Brogan Family in the final days of WW2 February 1945 Book six is sadly the end of this wonderful series, what a journey it's been.
Mafeking Terrace, London. Queenie Philomena Brogan loves her brood that are all still growing giving her sweet balm of old age. and the war with Hitler and Germany is ending,
She has lived here with her son Jeremiah and Ida for thirteen years sailing over from Kinsale Ireland as a widow.
This book has a cracking ending and Queenie Philomena Dooley takes us back to 1880 as a fifteen years old as we learn the true story and it's not one to be missed.
I do praise the author for all her hard work for creating this wonderful series. We grow to love the Brogan family as our friends and neighbours. It brought so much comfort to me reading all the characters' own stories and the changes that will happen in the coming months for them.
This book made me laugh and cry, an incredible heart-warming read right through to the end. And its a final goodbye to the series, but the books will live on and give enjoyment to read again and again.
I will miss the Brogan's and look forward to hopefully a new series to come from this author. Loved it all.
Heather Copping
Once again we are transported back in time to the hopeful end to WW2 and also back to Kinsale in Ireland in 1877 to read about Queenie's story. The book is interspersed with both but its no problem with understanding which era you are reading about.
Queenie is Jeremiah's mother of Irish traveller descent and she is hiding a big secret, and when her friend and priest is taken to hospital she is distraught, will her secret be revealed?
The rest of the family, that we met in previous books ( Ida, Jeremiah, Cathy, Jo, Francesca, Mattie, Billy, Michael and Charlie) are also present in this the final instalment of their stories. They are all wondering what they will do when eventually the war comes to an end, but will they in reality? This story really focuses on Queenie, her story from a child in Ireland to the darkest days of WW2, but the rest of the family is there also with the characters pulling together as always, this is truly a close knit family.
Knowing this was the last in this series I truly didn't want this book to end, trying to read it slowly so I didn't get to the end too quickly, but then also wanting to know what will become of this family that I had become so fond of.
The Brogan family like any family then and now, had their family squabbles and also their happy occasions, but the closeness of this family really shines through. Once again written so knowledgeable and with such believable and lovable characters it was both a beautiful and yet heartbreaking story and I loved it.
A superb 5 ☆ read.
Dianne Cunningham
Wow what an ending to a fabulous series. I have enjoyed following the ups and downs of family life with the Brogans of Mafeking Terrace. We have seen the family grow up, get married, have children, and deal with the hardships of life during World War Two.
This last book was especially touching as we learned about how it all began. Matriarch Queenie Philomena Dooley/ Brogan as a young girl in Kinsale Ireland starts off the wonderful emotional journey of her life by falling in love with the love of her life Patrick Mahon.
Grab the tissues for this emotional rollercoaster of a read. You can’t help but fall in love with the great characters in this series.
A well deserved five star read!
Anne Harvey
I was fortunate enough to be selected to review Jean Fullerton’s latest – and last book – in the Ration Book Series and I’m happy to do so. I have loved this series from the very beginning and I wasn’t disappointed with this last book, especially as it involved one of my favourite characters from the series, Queenie, otherwise known as Philomena Brogan.
There have been hints in Ms Fullerton’s previous novels about a past relationship with Father Patrick Mahon and this one describes how they met when they were both children and grew ever closer. Knowing some of Queenie’s escapades in the past, I knew that the path of their friendship would not be an easy one and so it proved.
Although this book centres around that relationship, all the other Brogan characters are there and all their stories are concluded in a more than satisfactory way.
As always, Ms Fullerton’s background research has been impeccable and one definitely understands the hardships and the uncertainty East End families endured during the hard years of Word War II. Thankfully, with the declaration of victory in May 1945, matters are already changing for the better for the family.
This book was a more than satisfactory conclusion to the Brogan family story but I, for one, will mourn the passing of this particular series.
Jan Poole
In some series of books, you may find that they just do not work. This is definitely not one of those!
As soon as I started reading this book about the Brogan family, I felt as though I was just revisiting them. It was as though I was part of their family, remembering the history of who was married/living with whom or which children belonged to which parents.
It was fantastic to be able to have the opportunity to read this book, write what I thought of it, and how to express my views on it.
The Brogan family, like many others show how their strong family values, their culture, and beliefs help each other survive the difficult times of the war.
The strength that is felt throughout with the support and love for each other through challenging times, good times, and all types of family scenarios is like the glue holding it all together.
I really could not put the book down, wanting to find out what was going to happen next to them all.
The respect for Queenie and the struggles she faced from an early age was honourable. Due to other people's small-minded ignorance of her family values and her cultural upbringing, she was labelled as an outcast out by the village children.
Her one true love was taken away from her because of her different lifestyle, but she showed true courage and stood by him right up until the end.
A fantastic read. Highly recommended to anyone.
Donna Prosho
Even though the ration book series are based around the Brogan family, this one spends more time with Queenie - the matriarch of the brogans and her love for Patrick Mahon now known as father Mahon the parish priest.
About how they were childhood sweethearts, but due to family were destined to be torn apart from the beginning, and then secrets that could destroy the brogan family.
This book had me gripped from the beginning to the end, and like previous books I felt like I was there alongside them. As usual, there were laughter and tears, and I really didn't want to finish reading it.
Jean is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading more novels from her in the future, whether it will be about the Brogan family or not, she's on my read list.
Debbie Taylor
This is another wonderful book in the Ration Book Series and brings us to the end of World War II. In this book we hear all about Queenie’s story and the secret she has carried with her for the last fifty years.
Queenie is the matriarch of the family many of the decisions she has made has shaped the family to be one who stick to their strong beliefs and one we are all able to fall in love with. I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with everyone again and hearing how they survived the war.
This series is an extremely enjoyable read which I found it so hard to put down as I was keen to find out what happened to them all, it was lovely meeting up with them all again. You feel as if you are among friends, I will definitely read this series of books again.
Sandra Blower
From A Ration Book Dream to this book, A Ration Book Victory, I have lived along side the Brogan Family and their fight to survive the war.
I have to say that out of all the Brogans Queenie is my favourite as she is such a strong lady but she won't have her family hurt.
Throughout the series we have gone through so many emotions as the Brogans live their lives as they always do but with determination to all be together again when war ends.
I have so loved this book even though it had me spitting feathers or crying and I will miss the Brogans but i can re-read them all.
Thank you Jean Fullerton for a terrific journey with Queenie and the family.5*
Jan Rosser
A Ration Book Victory is the final book in this excellent series. I have been enthralled by the Brogan family right from the start and followed their ups and downs throughout the various lives of each of the characters.
In Book 6, Queenie Brogan, the matriarch of the family is the main focus. Jean has chosen to take the reader from the time Queenie met Patrick Mahon in the late 1800’s through to the present day. This is a dual Time Slip novel and I was eager to go back in time to see how their relationship developed.
The other members of the Brogan family are not left out and have their relationships tested through various misdemeanours and upsets but as WW2 comes to an end, happiness on the whole shines through as V E Day approaches.
Jean’s research is fascinating and I for one have learnt so much throughout the whole series about the East End of London.
You will need tissues handy and certainly won’t want the book to end. No spoilers here from me except to say I will miss this series greatly and will certainly re read again.
Definitely 5 stars!
Julie Ryan
I have followed the trials and tribulations of the Brogan family since Book One. Whilst it is sad that the series finally comes to an end, this book is a fitting finale to the saga, detailing the last weeks of WW2.
It is slightly different to the others in the series though, as there is a dual timeline as the reader sees Queenie (Philomena) growing up in Ireland. This explains why she is like she is and the secret that she's been keeping almost all her life.
I have loved feeling part of the East End and as the title suggests, it ends on a high note as Mafeking Terrace celebrates victory. That is not to say you won't need a hanky at some point, as this book is very moving. Births, deaths, highs and lows, we have lived them all through the Brogan family.
It is one of the best sagas I have read in a long time and have thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Patricia Humm
What a wonderful story!
The war is coming to an end, the doodlebugs have been launched by Germany their last attempt at winning. The Brogan household have suffered losing part of the roof but life goes on.
This book goes back to happy days in Ireland when Queenie and Father Patrick were young, very much in love and planning to be married but Patrick's mother had other ideas and he was made to join the priesthood which in turn was forced to keep a secret.
Pearl, Ida's sister worms her way in to the life of Billy Brogan, the baby she dumped and Ida and Jeremiah brought up as their own and due to the association the poor lad ends up in Court.
Poor Jo is desperate to start a family but it just is not meant to be, Cathy is very happy with the new man in her life and has a wonderful new family. Francesca is pregnant again and so in love with her handsome husband.
Ida and Jeramiah have added late baby Victoria to the family and she is throughly spoilt.
Father Patrick is very ill and his bitter spinster sister comes over from Ireland to nurse him. She will not let Queenie (or as she always calls her, Philomena Dooley, her maiden name) near Patrick until he demands to see her.
Queenie tells him a secret she has kept for most of her life and a couple of days later she is with him as he passes away.
As the war ends, the Brogan girls celebrate with the crowds in Londons West end.
As we say goodbye to the Brogan family for the last time Cathy is marrying her new love, the family is moving to new homes out of bombed out East End and the family have survived the war together.
Margaret Joel
This book is last in the Ration book series about the Brogan family.
Queenie Brogan born & brought up in Ireland moved to London when she was pregnant. Here she discovered she lives in the parish of her love, Father Mahon, parted when he was forced into the priesthood by his family.
She has loved him all her life and now his is coming to an end. She is prevented from offering him support by his sister. We see the family relationships develop as the end of the war brings changes to them all. Interwoven throughout is the story of Philomena, ( Queenie). & Father Mahon, (Patrick) & their relationship.
It is a well written book, Jean Fullerton is a true storyteller, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fiona Dunn
This novel is a fascinating account of living in the East End of London during the latter years of the Second World War. Jean Fullerton’s attention to detail is meticulous and she evokes domestic life at that time so that the reader feels they’re actually there! I learnt so much about everyday lives in the Second World War from this novel.
The main character of Queenie Brogan was beautifully portrayed, rounded and fully believable – as is Father Patrick Mahon and young Billy.
However, there were too many characters’ lives tangled up with each other so that many were not fully developed for me. I wanted to know more about Queenie Brogan’s life journey but it was ’interrupted’ by other characters who were not as believable as Queenie.
It’s a good, easy read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Second World War and the day-to-day domestic lives of ordinary men and women and their families.
Shirley Barsby
It was lovely to catch up with the Brogan family, Jean Fullerton has a gift for drawing you in so that you feel part of the family.
The drama of WW11 seemed very real and at times very frightening.
