Radio Girls
American edition
London, 1926. American-raised Maisie Musgrave is thrilled to land a job as a secretary at the upstart British Broadcasting Corporation, whose use of radio – still new, strange, and electrifying – is captivating the nation. But the hectic pace, smart young staff, and intimidating bosses only add to Maisie’s insecurity.
Soon, she is seduced by the work— gaining confidence as she arranges broadcasts by the most famous writers, scientists, and politicians in Britain. She is also caught up in a growing conflict between her two bosses, John Reith, the formidable Director-General of the BBC, and Hilda Matheson, the extraordinary director of the hugely popular Talks programming, who each have very different visions of what radio should be. Under Hilda’s tutelage, Maisie discovers her talent, passion, and ambition. But when she unearths a shocking conspiracy, she and Hilda join forces to make their voices heard both on and off the air…and then face the dangerous consequences of telling the truth for a living.
German edition
“A bright, appealing novel about the early days of the BBC and the women behind its brilliant programming.... [The] depiction of female friendship and support is one of the great strengths of Stratford’s novel, which so capably describes its characters’ thirst for knowledge, for information of all kinds. An intoxicating look inside a world of innovative new media.”
“Sarah-Jane Stratford’s crackerjack historical novel Radio Girls smartly tunes in to the beginnings of Britain’s broadcasting behemoth….Radio Girls is a hit.”
“Sparkling historical fiction.”
“A delightfully literary historical fiction book about the early days of the BBC.”
“A highly detailed narrative and well-fleshed characters set the stage for this unique, early-twentieth-century story….This is an eye-opening view of the world when women’s rights were newly budding.”
British edition