Wrens Under the Radar

 By: Colleen Shipley  

Location: FIC SHI

Genre: Historical Kiwi Fiction

"Wrens Under the Radar is the kind of tale you can curl up with in a comfy chair - but be careful, it'll give you a hard pinch right in your empathy when you're least expecting it."  review by Kieran

Written by a library colleague of mine!!! Im so proud of her mahi on this!

War is declared on Germany, and Betty’s fiancé Fred enlists. Desperate to do her bit, Betty signs up with the Wrens, hoping to venture overseas. Instead, she finds herself on a top-secret mission in a farmhouse near Blenheim, along with seven other Wrens.
As the women settle into their roles as telegraphers and classifiers, monitoring transmissions from Japanese submarines in the Pacific, close friendships develop and they support each other through times of loss. The Wrens attend dances and church services, mixing with the locals, but are sworn to secrecy about their work.
When Betty receives terrible news, it hits her hard, shattering her dreams. But she pushes on, working long night shifts, and in the daytime learns to ride horses, drive trucks, and goes pig-hunting with the locals. While her time in the farmhouse is important to the defence of New Zealand, the experience is also a time of change for Betty. Will life return to normal after the war – and what is normal now?
Wrens Under the Radar is a wartime tale inspired by the true story of eight Wrens based in Blenheim, New Zealand from November 1942 to May 1944.
This story of loss, healing and comradeship is a vivid snapshot of life in New Zealand during World War 2.