Heroes of War Series
Bassingbourn, 1942: Americans swamp Cambridgeshire as bomber bases spring up across the county. For Stella Charlton, an aircraft woman in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, it’s a distraction from her own troubles as she listens to swing music drifting from the aircraft hangar.
When she catches the eye of charismatic US bomber pilot, John ‘Mac’ Mackenzie, he reaches for her friendship.
Torn, she feels a spark between them and accepts. As they grow close, Stella, under pressure from her mother, faces a tough choice.
And as bombers fill the skies daily, the British and Americans suffer losses on a catastrophic scale. For Mac, flying missions over France, across Europe and into Germany, becomes a personal crusade.
Maverick New Zealand doctor Archie McIndoe risks his career and marriage to save badly burned airmen.
Reliant upon his unorthodox methods, he battles to save and rehabilitate seriously injured pilots while pioneering plastic surgical techniques. Soon, he appeals to the town of East Grinstead for their help.
When Mac becomes another casualty, his world falls apart. Believing Stella will never look at him again, he pushes her away. Can Stella find her way back to Mac and help him conquer his demons? Can Archie help Mac picture a future beyond war, one filled with love, hopes, and dreams?
Based on a true story, “The Beauty Shop” is a sweeping WW2 tale of love, compassion, and determination against a backdrop of wartime tragedy, awarded with an indieBRAG Gold Medallion. A truly inspirational historical fiction novel series.
For fans of The Beauty Chorus, Under an English Heaven, and Sarah Sundin’s A Distant Melody. Inspired by the true story of the Guinea Pig Club, a social club that provided support for all the British and allied pilots and airmen injured during WW2 who found themselves in the care of pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe.
Audiobook available via
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING…
“Suzy Henderson has written a book that is beautifully heartbreaking and inspiring, as well as deeply educational, and books like this are incredibly important right now. The Beauty Shop isn’t just a book or a story; it’s a piece of art that has been stitched together so delicately, entwining both history and passion into one. I genuinely do not have the words to write a review like I normally would, because this book has left me in a state of shock. This book stole, crushed and healed my heart over and over, and I do not have a single criticism.
Suzy is genuinely an exceptionally talented woman, who made me feel like I was back in the 1940s. She writes beautifully and passionately, and you just know that she cares about what she’s writing about. I cannot wait to read more of her work (but next time I’ll make sure I have the tissues ready).” 5-Star Review.
“Atmospheric and powerful story of a pilot, a surgeon and a woman in the WAAF during WW2. It is a story based on the Guinea Pig Club, and of a pioneering surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. He helped men not only with their horrific physical injuries but to heal their emotions and souls. A superb debut novel which felt like a labour of love from the author. Extremely well written story of a heroic time about ordinary people.” 5-Star Review.
Awards
The Beauty Shop was awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2017.
© Suzy Henderson 2023. All rights reserved.
