The Chilbury Ladies Choir

This book opens in the early days of World War II, as the local Vicar has put an end to the village choir since most of the men have gone off to war.  The ladies of Chilbury band together and rebel against the order and form the Chilbury Ladies' Choir.

The story is told through the journals and letters of five women who are part of the choir and tell the story of life in the village and what happens when Prim helps them start up an all female choir. The characters are vastly different - a widowed nurse with a son recently sent to fight, a thirteen year-old who longs to be a singer , the ten-year-old Jewish Czech evacuee, an eighteen year-old town beauty, and the local midwife and an opportunist.

There is a lot of intrigue going on in this small village, from both the joys and the heartaches of that face the villagers in this time of war. There are dark dealings, births, deaths, and romance that take place during the six months that this book spans.

I really enjoyed the different voices and perspectives.  I enjoyed seeing the transformation of the characters and how they grew during the stress of wartime and being left on the home front.  This is the debut novel by Jennifer Ryan, I look forward to more books from her.

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Note:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through Blogging For Books for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.