Irish Factory Girls

When war changes everything, can friendship hold fast?

Life is hard for Kathleen Deery. With five children to feed and her husband struggling to find steady work, the family depends on her wages at the infamous Tillie and Henderson shirt factory at the heart of Derry. Every shift is a battle against exhaustion, worry, and the constant fear of what tomorrow might bring.

But even in difficult times, the women of the factory look out for one another. And Kathleen finds unexpected comfort in her growing friendship with Celine – single, seemingly carefree, and always with a touch of glamour that lifts the factory floor. Yet Celine isn’t as untouched by hardship as she appears, and behind her bright smile lie secrets of her own.

When war breaks out in Europe, life in Northern Ireland is shaken once more. As pressure mounts and uncertainty grows, can the women of Tillie and Henderson’s hold each other together when everything else is pulling them apart?