Baggy Pants and Bootees by Marilyn Chapman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It's 1968 and Sophie has just landed her dream job, reporter on a local paper. Young and feisty, Sophie has supported herself since her mother threw her out on her 16th birthday and she is adamant she will make something of her life by having the career she has dreamed of and if that means putting up with the sexist remarks and behaviour in what is predominantly a man's world, so be it.

Determined not to get involved with the office romeo Steve, Sophie nevertheless finds herself in need of a friend when her mother falls ill and Sophie discovers some old diaries, a bootee and a tiny piece of silk. What can it mean and what did her mum want her to know before she fell ill?

As Sophie delves into the past she discovers more about her mother's hard life during the war years and finally discovers who she herself is, a discovery that leads to a father she never knew she had and even more than that....but will finally knowing the truth make Sophie happy or will it take love for that?

Although not my usual type of book I nonetheless found it an easy and compelling read. It's always interesting to read books that hark back to the war years and the various events that led to people's lives changing for better or worse. Sophie is a modern heroine of the sixties, on the cusp of women's lib, determined to make it in a man's world but showing a vulnerable and softer side that still needs to be loved.
Overall an enjoyable and light read.