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A review by jacki_f
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan
5.0
It's 1940 and we are in the fictional village of Chilbury in south east England. The women of Chilbury have decided to form their own Ladies' Choir, as all the local men have gone off to fight in the Second World War. Written in the form of diary entries and letters, it focuses on five of the choir participants. There is Mrs Tilling, a widow who is feeling bereft having sent her son off to war; the beautiful Venetia who collects admirers and is determined to seduce the one man who shows no interest in her; her younger sister Kitty who is pining for one of her sister's admirers; Silvie, a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia, who is living with Venetia and Kitty's family; and Edwina Paltry, a grasping midwife who senses an opportunity to turn her fortunes around. All of them will experience dramatic changes in their lives.
The last couple of books I've read have been hard going and depressing which probably contributes to how much I enjoyed this delightful book. I picked it up expecting something lightweight and frothy, and certainly it could be described that way, but it also incorporates genuinely touching elements as the realities of the Second World War impact on the lives of the villagers.
In fairness this was probably a four star rating (the writing can be florid, the ending too pat) but it came along at the perfect time for me and I truly loved it.
The last couple of books I've read have been hard going and depressing which probably contributes to how much I enjoyed this delightful book. I picked it up expecting something lightweight and frothy, and certainly it could be described that way, but it also incorporates genuinely touching elements as the realities of the Second World War impact on the lives of the villagers.
In fairness this was probably a four star rating (the writing can be florid, the ending too pat) but it came along at the perfect time for me and I truly loved it.