In 1916, Ruby Archer enjoyed her work as a housemaid in the suburb of Hampstead, London. She’s far enough away from the industrial area and docks that Zeppelin raids don’t occur, and she gets well-fed. But she’s about to return to WARTIME ON SANCTUARY LANE. With the news that the respected cook is leaving to get better pay for war work, it dawns on Ruby for the first time, a girl like her has options. She’s twenty-one and when she can’t put up with a gentleman guest’s behaviour towards her anymore, she hands in notice.

The East End of London, where Ruby’s mother lives in the little terraced family house on Sanctuary Lane, has lots of jobs open for women – in the munitions factory at Silvertown. The first part of the book concentrates on this startling and dangerous experience, with chemicals and detonators being handled and assembled. This is excellently realised with all parts of the job shown. The local Suffragettes are running charities to help mothers, and Ruby starts to help the many animals in need of veterinary care, especially cats and dogs. 

Thousands of ponies, horses and donkeys were kept next to their owners’ houses, and vets only bothered with working animals, by and large, not to mention wanting to be paid. Ruby’s plan to run an animal charity to help pet owners runs into opposition and ridicule. Some characters include Leah Richardson, a manager at the munitions factory, and several of the women workers (they were named Canary Girls because some turned yellow), Ruby’s enlisted brother, Harry, and a returned soldier, Jack Kennedy.

A Zeppelin bombing raid provided a major slice of drama and brought the wartime home for me. While it’s easy to connect bombing London with WW2, it’s sobering to realise that this destruction also happened during the Great War. A chemical factory near the Thames docks, turning out munitions night and day, is exactly where you would not want to be.

As an animal lover, I wholeheartedly support the story of WARTIME ON SANCTUARY LANE. It’s always easy to put people’s needs first, but people are responsible for their animals. Kirsty Dougal has a second book to continue the series, which will be called A Christmas Miracle on Sanctuary Lane. This first book is a sweet romantic read, which would suit older teens and adults who want to know more about women’s history.