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A review by lisawreading
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan
5.0
What an uplifting, engaging, utterly delightful read!
The Chilbury Ladies Choir is set in the small English village of Chilbury in 1940, as the ladies of the town try to find purpose and solace while the men are at war. When the official church choir is closed down due to a lack of men, spirits sink even further, until the women decide to sing on their own. Stemming from there, relationships are strengthened as the women find a new source of courage. By standing up together, they realize they can make a difference, and each, in her own way, starts to move beyond the boundaries of her former life and take a chance on something new.
Told through journal entries, newspaper clippings, and letters, we get to know the main characters through their own voices, which is a wonderful touch. Young Kitty Winthrop, age 13 (almost 14! as she likes to point out) is an aspiring singer with a childish crush on an older boy, which she allows to dominate her romantic dreams. Kitty's sister Venetia, age 18, is the town beauty who likes nothing better than flirting and toying with attractive men, making them fall in love with her and then pushing them aside once they do. However, when Venetia meets the mysterious Mr. Sleator, an artist who moves to Chilbury along with many other evacuees, she sense something more in him than merely this week's fling. For Mrs. Tilling, a woman widowed years earlier whose only son is now fighting in the war, the ladies' choir offers a chance to create beauty and harmony, and helps her come out of her shy shell and become a leading force in the community. And then there's Mrs. Paltrey, a midwife with a heart of stone, who schemes to make it rich no matter what, and no matter whose lives may be shattered along the way.
It's moving and fascinating to see how these and other characters grow and change over the course of the book. Venetia in particular is an absorbing character. Shallow and self-centered when we first meet her, she grows into a woman of substance over the months we know her, as she falls in love, suffers great loss, and emerges as a hero at a time of devastation. Likewise, Kitty, while still a young woman, learns to appreciate those around her and see people more realistically, while also realizing that even someone of her young age can make a difference.
These characters' stories, as well as those of other women of the village, weave together to create a portrait of community and courage. We don't go to war; we stay behind and see how this small village is affected by the war, and how all are changed by it, for good or for ill.
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir was a book group pick, and yet another one that I might have skipped over if not for the group. When it was first selected I was skeptical: The title made me think that it would be a very church-y sort of book, perhaps a little saccharine and cloying. Well, once again I'm glad to not have judged a book by its title! The choir itself is the framework of the story, but really, the book is about so much more. It's a portrait of the courage and strength a community can find by supporting one another through the worst of times, and shows how each woman emerges as a better version of herself when given the opportunity to step forward and stand up.
Highly recommended!
PS - I listened to the audiobook, and loved it! The audiobook uses multiple narrators to portray the voices of the different women whose voices we here, and even features snippets of the music described in the story. It's a wonderful way to experience this moving story.
Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
The Chilbury Ladies Choir is set in the small English village of Chilbury in 1940, as the ladies of the town try to find purpose and solace while the men are at war. When the official church choir is closed down due to a lack of men, spirits sink even further, until the women decide to sing on their own. Stemming from there, relationships are strengthened as the women find a new source of courage. By standing up together, they realize they can make a difference, and each, in her own way, starts to move beyond the boundaries of her former life and take a chance on something new.
Told through journal entries, newspaper clippings, and letters, we get to know the main characters through their own voices, which is a wonderful touch. Young Kitty Winthrop, age 13 (almost 14! as she likes to point out) is an aspiring singer with a childish crush on an older boy, which she allows to dominate her romantic dreams. Kitty's sister Venetia, age 18, is the town beauty who likes nothing better than flirting and toying with attractive men, making them fall in love with her and then pushing them aside once they do. However, when Venetia meets the mysterious Mr. Sleator, an artist who moves to Chilbury along with many other evacuees, she sense something more in him than merely this week's fling. For Mrs. Tilling, a woman widowed years earlier whose only son is now fighting in the war, the ladies' choir offers a chance to create beauty and harmony, and helps her come out of her shy shell and become a leading force in the community. And then there's Mrs. Paltrey, a midwife with a heart of stone, who schemes to make it rich no matter what, and no matter whose lives may be shattered along the way.
It's moving and fascinating to see how these and other characters grow and change over the course of the book. Venetia in particular is an absorbing character. Shallow and self-centered when we first meet her, she grows into a woman of substance over the months we know her, as she falls in love, suffers great loss, and emerges as a hero at a time of devastation. Likewise, Kitty, while still a young woman, learns to appreciate those around her and see people more realistically, while also realizing that even someone of her young age can make a difference.
These characters' stories, as well as those of other women of the village, weave together to create a portrait of community and courage. We don't go to war; we stay behind and see how this small village is affected by the war, and how all are changed by it, for good or for ill.
The Chilbury Ladies' Choir was a book group pick, and yet another one that I might have skipped over if not for the group. When it was first selected I was skeptical: The title made me think that it would be a very church-y sort of book, perhaps a little saccharine and cloying. Well, once again I'm glad to not have judged a book by its title! The choir itself is the framework of the story, but really, the book is about so much more. It's a portrait of the courage and strength a community can find by supporting one another through the worst of times, and shows how each woman emerges as a better version of herself when given the opportunity to step forward and stand up.
Highly recommended!
PS - I listened to the audiobook, and loved it! The audiobook uses multiple narrators to portray the voices of the different women whose voices we here, and even features snippets of the music described in the story. It's a wonderful way to experience this moving story.
Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.