The Cinderella Service

In the midst of World War Two, New Zealand faces a labour shortage as its men leave to serve overseas. To fill the gap, young women are called upon to work the land, becoming the nation’s ‘land girls’.

Emerald (Emma) is one of those who answer the call, leaving her widowed mother and the comfort of home, to work on a rural farm. Thrown into the harsh and physically demanding world of farming, Emma grapples with doubt, isolation, and the weight of responsibility. But under the guidance of the farmer and his wife, Emma learns resilience and discovers a strength she never knew she had.

With new friends and the trials of wartime life shaping her, Emma’s world is further complicated by her soldier sweetheart, Clifford, whose letters are her link to love and hope. When he returns on furlough, Emma must face the toll war has taken on him—and the challenge of seeing the world, and herself, in a new light.

In The Cinderella Service, Lynda Taylor brings to life a young woman’s journey of growth, love, and the courage to endure, set against the poignant backdrop of wartime New Zealand.