The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir A Novel

Jennifer Ryan2017
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "A delightful debut."--People For readers of Lilac Girls and The Nightingale, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir unfolds the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of a village choir during World War II. As England becomes enmeshed in the early days of World War II and the men are away fighting, the women of Chilbury village forge an uncommon bond. They defy the Vicar's stuffy edict to close the choir and instead "carry on singing," resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies' Choir. We come to know the home-front struggles of five unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret; and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past. An enchanting ensemble story that shuttles from village intrigue to romance to the heartbreaking matters of life and death, Jennifer Ryan's debut novel thrillingly illuminates the true strength of the women on the home front in a village of indomitable spirit.
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Reviews

Photo of Renee Blankenship
Renee Blankenship@somekindofalibrary
4 stars
Aug 31, 2021

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan is a historical fiction novel set during the early days of WWII in a small town of England. Told through letters and diary entries, the story follows a few of the women in the local town ladies' choir as the struggles of war hit closer to home. One of my favorite characters, Mrs. Tilling, leads the town through her quiet steadfast determination to not let the Nazis take away all of their happiness. Her character's transformation from a subservient wife and mother to a strong woman with a voice made me want to applaud her by the end of the book! One of my favorite quotes of the book came from her chapter... "Everything was black in the moonless night, the blackout rules forcing all of the light out of the world. But with a cautious smile, I realized that there are no laws against singing, and I found my voice becoming louder, in defiance of this war. In defiance of my right to be heard." I enjoyed the shenanigans of the other townspeople as well and my heart hurt right along with them when things went badly and the war turned up right on their doorstep. I think this story made more of an impact to me because it dealt with the personal lives of the people left behind, the women specifically, left to keep their world turning without the men they had learned to rely upon. I'd love to see a sequel to this book! I was so proud of Mrs. Tilling by the end and would love to hear more about her time surviving the war with her fellow villagers and everything that followed in their lives during its aftermath.

Photo of Pierke Bosschieter
Pierke Bosschieter@pierke
4 stars
Aug 21, 2023
Photo of Veronica Overholt
Veronica Overholt@thequeenvee
3 stars
Dec 1, 2022
Photo of Kimberly Page
Kimberly Page@kimberlypage
5 stars
Aug 12, 2022
Photo of Erika Bilyeu
Erika Bilyeu@thebooknerdprincess
5 stars
Jul 31, 2022
Photo of Devon Morton
Devon Morton @dmorton
4 stars
Feb 24, 2022
Photo of Catalina Petre
Catalina Petre@katalinareads
4 stars
Aug 18, 2021

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