Green's story tells of realistic experiences and events of WWII, focussing on entertainers of the day. Merry is a pianist and director of concerts that take place in theatres such as the one at the end of the Pier in a seaside town, with dedicated artists like Rose, a dancer, magician Felix, and Richard, a singer. When war is declared they find themselves split up in different services. Green uses factual events in the story giving it authenticity and although there is some warfare, the description is not distressing to the reader. It's a gentle story with characters the reader can care about. Good for anyone who likes a wartime story with a dash of romance thrown in. As it's the first in the series "Follies" I look forward to more. ( )