Narrowboat Girl books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Narrowboat Girl series?"

"There are four books in the Narrowboat Girl series, published between 2001 and 2008."

Q: "What is the first book in the Narrowboat Girl series?"

"The first book in the Narrowboat Girl series is The Narrowboat Girl, published in 2001."

Q: "What time period is the Narrowboat Girl series set in?"

"The series is set primarily in the early to mid-twentieth century, following the working narrowboat communities of the Midland canals before and during the era when commercial canal traffic declined. The period gives Murray room to document a vanishing way of life."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Narrowboat Girl	2001	Annie Murray	Buy
2	Chocolate Girls	2003	Annie Murray	N/A
3	Water Gypsies	2004	Annie Murray	Buy
4	The Bells of Bournville Green	2008	Annie Murray	N/A

The Narrowboat Girl (2001) introduced Maryann, a young Birmingham woman who escapes her circumstances by joining the working narrowboat community on the Midland canals. The canal world gave Murray a distinctive setting that set this series apart from her Birmingham factory and city stories — the waterways, the narrowboat culture, and the communities of boatpeople provided rich historical material.

The series runs to four books, with Water Gypsies (2004) the direct sequel and The Bells of Bournville Green (2008) linking the canal world back to the Bournville setting. Chocolate Girls (2003) also appears in this series grouping, reflecting the overlapping networks of Murray’s Birmingham fiction, where characters and settings sometimes cross over between books.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Narrowboat Girl series?

There are four books in the Narrowboat Girl series, published between 2001 and 2008.

What is the first book in the Narrowboat Girl series?

The first book in the Narrowboat Girl series is The Narrowboat Girl, published in 2001.

What time period is the Narrowboat Girl series set in?

The series is set primarily in the early to mid-twentieth century, following the working narrowboat communities of the Midland canals before and during the era when commercial canal traffic declined. The period gives Murray room to document a vanishing way of life.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order