A review by misssarahg1
The Dover Cafe at War by Ginny Bell

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Marianne Castle is a young woman with a secret. As a teenager she had a relationship with a man, leading to her giving birth to her son Donny. Years later, as the Second World War begins her secret begins to unravel, however desperately hard she tries to cling to it. She has hidden herself in the kitchen at her family's cafe in Dover which her formidable mother Nellie runs. The book follows the family's journey through the early days of the war and chronicles their lives in Dover with the soldiers and the threats of bombing ever present.