Review: The Variety Girls by Tracy Baines

I've been lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the debut novel by Tracy Baines. It's called The Variety Girls and is published in paperback by Penguin on February 20, 2020.

The book is a lovely read, cosy, heartwarming and set around WW2. The heroine Jessie dreams of getting the break of a lifetime to escape living with her overbearing (and horrible) aunty. I love horrible aunts in fiction and this one lives up to the mark!

Jessie is cast as one of the Variety Girls in a new theatre show and she hopes it's the new beginning she's been longing for. But not everything goes to plan and so Jessie's adventure begins.

For me, reading this book was a pleasure from start to finish. The very first page gripped me which is always a good sign because I have no patience with books that don't. It begins with the words: The house was a pressure cooker. Aunt Iris the lid, pushing down on them all. It's wonderful stuff and there are some glorious turns of phrase which Tracy uses to bring her characters to life.

However, it is when Jessie takes to the stage that the book - and Tracy's writing - really shines. This, I believe, comes from Tracy writing from the heart about a subject she's passionate about. From the age of 16, Tracy worked summer seasons, pantos and everything else in between at her local end of the pier show. She met her husband when he was appearing with the Nolan Sisters and she was Assistant Stage Manager. Her background shows in the book and her knowledge of the world of theatre helps bring Jessie's tale alive.

I really enjoyed this book and wish Tracy all the best with her next book which is out for Christmas and called Christmas with the Variety Girls.

Visit Tracy's website and follow her on Twitter

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor