Scan barcode
audiophile71's review against another edition
4.0
Charming novel depicting a small rural English town as World War II looms closer. The town is comprised mostly of women, as the men have gone off to war. They decide it important to form the Chilbury Ladies' Choir to uplift the spirits of those who continue to reside in their small community. Told from various points of view through letters, the story is filled with tender and sometimes sad moments and sprinkled in with some uplifting ones as well. Storylines evolve around romance, deception and the innocence of youth. A pleasing read, but absent of the powerful female characters that have become popular in WWII fiction. A pleasant read. Rating not a full 4 stars...
vene121's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audiobook and love how it was infused with actual choir music. This was truly a wonderful story. I loved it.
kdurham2's review against another edition
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A book told through letters, journal entries and so on was such a new inventive way to approach the subject of World War II and set in a small town that is on the outskirts, but close enough to have fear of the impending doom.
I would say it was hard to keep all the ladies straight from the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and make sure I could remember who was who and what was what. It may have been harder given the style of the book, but in the same moment I loved how it was written. I read this one slower because I took a minute at the beginning of each chapter to remember who was talking and where they were coming from. I loved that the characters varied in age and station in life so you saw the full view of the village.
A book told through letters, journal entries and so on was such a new inventive way to approach the subject of World War II and set in a small town that is on the outskirts, but close enough to have fear of the impending doom.
I would say it was hard to keep all the ladies straight from the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and make sure I could remember who was who and what was what. It may have been harder given the style of the book, but in the same moment I loved how it was written. I read this one slower because I took a minute at the beginning of each chapter to remember who was talking and where they were coming from. I loved that the characters varied in age and station in life so you saw the full view of the village.
bahfox's review against another edition
4.0
I almost gave up on this one but I’m so glad I didn’t. It started out slowly and seemed very shallow. Once it got going it gave an inside picture of the lives of women in England during WWII. If you enjoy Home Fires, this book is for you.
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
samiswanhorst's review against another edition
5.0
Great read! I love how the book was set up and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the story lines!
marilynw's review against another edition
4.0
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan (Author), Gabrielle Glaister (Narrator), Laura Kirman (Narrator), Imogen Wilde (Narrator), Adjoa Andoh (Narrator), Tom Clegg (Narrator), Mike Grady (Narrator)
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir comes to us through journal entries, letters, posters, and newspaper articles. It's 1940 and the Chilbury Choir is going to be shut down due to the men being away at war and a choir most certainly can NOT exist with no men, according to the stuffy traditionalists of the village. But several of the women choir members are having none of that decree and rename themselves the The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.
There has already been so much loss for the village. Sons, husbands, and fathers away at a war that has taken the lives of so many. The enemy is getting closer, food and other supplies are scarce, and the women must support each other in any way that they can. There is the entertainment value of being able to come together to sing, gossip, and console and the women are not going to give that up.
Mrs.Tilling, a widowed nurse/midwife whose son is away at war, has her hands full, trying to ferret out the misdeeds of conniving Edwina Paltry, who puts ill gains above all else. Thirteen year old Kitty, from a wealthy family, has her nose into everything although what she thinks is going on is often far from the truth. It seems some of the most vocal and evil of the town are the most funny, with their over the top protests of their innocence and importance. The audiobook version of the story is often hilarious, with the letter/journal writers imitating the voices of the townspeople...the more spit and bluster from a person's mouth, the more you can not trust what they say.
This little village is under attack and not everyone lives. As the story ends and life goes on, with several of the villagers moving to London, we know that their fate is not secure, with all the dangers of war still to come. I'd love for there to be a sequel to this story so that we can continue to follow Mrs. Tilling, Kitty, and the others.
Pub February 21, 2017
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir comes to us through journal entries, letters, posters, and newspaper articles. It's 1940 and the Chilbury Choir is going to be shut down due to the men being away at war and a choir most certainly can NOT exist with no men, according to the stuffy traditionalists of the village. But several of the women choir members are having none of that decree and rename themselves the The Chilbury Ladies' Choir.
There has already been so much loss for the village. Sons, husbands, and fathers away at a war that has taken the lives of so many. The enemy is getting closer, food and other supplies are scarce, and the women must support each other in any way that they can. There is the entertainment value of being able to come together to sing, gossip, and console and the women are not going to give that up.
Mrs.Tilling, a widowed nurse/midwife whose son is away at war, has her hands full, trying to ferret out the misdeeds of conniving Edwina Paltry, who puts ill gains above all else. Thirteen year old Kitty, from a wealthy family, has her nose into everything although what she thinks is going on is often far from the truth. It seems some of the most vocal and evil of the town are the most funny, with their over the top protests of their innocence and importance. The audiobook version of the story is often hilarious, with the letter/journal writers imitating the voices of the townspeople...the more spit and bluster from a person's mouth, the more you can not trust what they say.
This little village is under attack and not everyone lives. As the story ends and life goes on, with several of the villagers moving to London, we know that their fate is not secure, with all the dangers of war still to come. I'd love for there to be a sequel to this story so that we can continue to follow Mrs. Tilling, Kitty, and the others.
Pub February 21, 2017
louise56637's review against another edition
4.0
I like the way this book was arranged in a series of letters and diary entries by women in this small village. At first I didn't like the characters but then the story started to deepen and I came to like them. This is well worth the read.