What intrigued me about this book is that it was projected to be an uplifting novel that is set in the time of WWII. You don’t come across that often. Most historical fiction novels set during this time period are distressing, and focused on the horrors inflicted on people by the Nazis. While this novel doesn’t ignore these issues, it also doesn’t dampen the spirits and seeks to show that love and courage can be found in all forms. That was enough to get me interested in reading this novel!
As England enters WWII’s dark period, a spirited music professor named Primrose Trent arrives to the village of Chilbury. There, she decides to set up an all-women’s choir, which goes against the edict of the Vicar. Resurrecting themselves as “The Chilbury’s Ladies’ Choir”, the women of this small village use their voices and songs to bring hope to themselves and their community, as the war tears through their lives.
This was an enjoyable read that lived up to its reputation of being inspiring and uplifting. It is told from the perspective of many people in the village, through a medium of journals and letters and announcements. I quite liked that the author chose to do it this way rather than having a single narrator; it produced such a well-rounded story with a great deal of depth and charm. The author introduces us to a whole host of characters, each unique and equipped with different skills to deal with the changes that are happening in their lives because of the war. Each character was beautifully created with a perfect balance of skills and imperfections; it was a delight to watch them grow and change throughout the course of the novel and its events. Spoiled children mature and become selfless, righteous women learn to let go of prejudices, and ugly personalities reveal themselves. Each character has their own little subplot going on, and yet the author manages to tie everything together beautifully – and I can imagine that this must have been a very difficult task to orchestrate! The effect was wonderful, with a poignant, cohesive, charming story emerging. If my previous remarks haven’t been obvious enough, this novel is a character-driven story and it is done remarkably well. At various different time points, I felt a kinship with almost all of the characters. This is definitely one of my favorite books on WWII, and it shows the strength that women can have in uniting a community, facing their own internal fears, and being a source of comfort to those around them during times of distress.
Thank you to NetGalley, Blogging for Books, and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Happy reading ~
