Women of Steel

The Feisty Factory Sisters Who Helped Win the War

By: Michelle Rawlins

Narrated by: Sarah Durham

True stories of love and loss during WWII from a band of tough Northern women.

When war broke out, the young women of Sheffield had their carefree lives turned upside down. With their sweethearts being sent away to fight, they had no choice but to step into the men's shoes and became the backbone of the city's steel industry. Through hard toil and companionship in the gruelling world of factory work, they vowed to keep the foundry fires burning and ensured that soldiers had the weapons, planes and ships needed to secure victory over Hitler.

Women of Steel is the last chance to hear these unsung heroines' voices, as they share first-hand how a group of plucky young women rallied together to win the war for Britain. When the men returned from the front in 1945, many of these women tragically found themselves discarded 'like yesterday's fish and chip wrappers'. But decades later, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the elderly Women of Steel finally brought their remarkable story to light.

(P) 2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2020 Michelle Rawlins

Critic reviews

A brilliant book of true stories of love and loss during WWII from the tough northern women who kept the foundry fires burning.

Stories of the unsung WWII heroines who took up jobs in the factories that kept the country running and built the weapons that beat Hitler are told... author Michelle Rawlins interviewed some of the last surviving women - many now in their 90s or 100s - who dropped everything to support the war effort.

This blend of memoir and history, that comes complete with gorgeous wartime romance stories, celebrates a heroic generation.

A worthy tribute to incredible grit

A profoundly moving blend of fascinating social history and personal memoirs.

Inspiring.

Celebrates the amazing stories of Sheffield's Women of Steel and their incredible working lives during two world wars.