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gwalt118's review against another edition
5.0
A delightful novel told through journal entries and letters, this book tells the story of a group of women who are left behind in a small town in England after the men go to war. Under the leadership of a dynamic choir director, Prim, the women band together to start their own choir. Through the choir practices and performances, the women find their voices in more ways than one. They become stronger both individually and as a group. Their community becomes even more close-knit than it was before the choir began. We see inside the minds of widows, lovers, soldiers, a young evacuee from Czechoslovakia, a 13-year-old girl, midwives, young mothers, older mothers, and single women. Over the course of the 360-ish pages, I fell in love with some of the characters. I sincerely hope Jennifer Ryan writes a sequel (which she has hinted at doing on Goodreads). I am impressed with her ability to address such a dark and tumultuous war in a way that is fun to read. I found myself reading this book for hours at a time. I am quite astounded this is her debut novel, and I look forward to reading what she writes next.
wrasea's review against another edition
4.0
"Maybe we've been told that women can't do things so many times that we've actually started to believe it."
belsbooks06's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
2readornot2read's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
3.0
To be rated/reviewed after this month’s book club meeting
apochemu's review against another edition
3.0
First off, she shouldn't have bothered using "diary entries" and "letters". Nobody writes that detailed in diaries and letters. Not believable. But if you ignore that, the writing is fine. The story was entertaining but highly predictable. I guessed all of the outcomes and every "twist". Most of the characters were alright, not annoying or anything, but pretty stereotypical. I feel like this was just fluffy chick-lit rather than a moving story about WW2. Not bad, but not great either.
rmarcin's review against another edition
4.0
This book started out very slowly for me, but then it picked up and I really enjoyed the remainder of the book.
In Chilbury, a small town in England, it is 1940, and the men have gone off to war. The choir is in danger of being disbanded, because they are no men to sing in it. However, Prim, a choir director, convinces the vicar to allow the choir to continue as a ladies' choir.
This is but a small part of the story, which is told in a series of letters and journals. The story is a sweet story of people doing their best in time of war. It also tells of love, deceit, friendships, and women taking control when necessary.
A delightful book overall.
In Chilbury, a small town in England, it is 1940, and the men have gone off to war. The choir is in danger of being disbanded, because they are no men to sing in it. However, Prim, a choir director, convinces the vicar to allow the choir to continue as a ladies' choir.
This is but a small part of the story, which is told in a series of letters and journals. The story is a sweet story of people doing their best in time of war. It also tells of love, deceit, friendships, and women taking control when necessary.
A delightful book overall.
daidui's review against another edition
4.0
This book epitomizes Keep Calm and Carry On. The use of letters in this epistolary novel works perfectly to really help the reader relate to each character.
aubreewillden's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. I listened to the audiobook and would highly recommend it. They have several different narrators that add to the character of the story. There were also short clips of the hymns and songs they were singing.