I very much enjoy historical fiction and found this to be a beautifully told story of two sisters during WWII.

I really liked The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman. I enjoy historical fiction and this book was no exception. The characters were probably my favorite part about this book. I loved how real they felt, and I really felt for them throughout the story. The setting of this book was also very well done. It was clear the author did her research about the place and time the book is set in. I never wanted to put this book down and it was very engaging. However, this book did seem to drag on a little at times, but this did not much impact my overall enjoyment of this book.

The Wartime Sisters shows women’s strength and resilience during war and also the complex, but wonderful relationship between sisters. I enjoyed this read and the history it provided.

This book started out a little bit slow. It picked up Midway and if you like a good historical fiction book this one, I highly recommend. I definitely want to read more books from this author in the future

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a good read about familial relationships set against a historical backdrop. Set in the 30s/40s and focuses on sisters and had an engaging storyline and plot points.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Ruth and Millie have a strained relationship, to say the least. Their resentment and fervor to put their differences and secrets in the past came across as genuine along with their progress and setbacks. Each woman has a varied perception of how they view one another. Witnessing their growth, admitting to “secrets” matched with forgiveness reared two endearing characters. The author did a wonderful job of sweeping the reader into the era as well as the Springfield Armory. Loigman reveals she tried to stick with historical facts while bending a few pieces to fit her version of events and characters. Wonderful to read of women uplifting each other, finding independence in a truly difficult time. The “bad apples” added to the determination and strength, the positivity of women employed by the armory as well as the community as a whole. Great story for historical fiction fans, women sticking together positively, and of course WWII fans. You will undoubtedly appreciate Loigman’s tight historical accuracy.

I love a good WWII novel, and The Wartime Sisters was no exception. I didn't grow up with a sister, so it was interesting to read about the sometimes strained relationship between Ruth and Millie. This book kept me in just the right amount of suspense where I couldn't help but devour each page to see what would happen next. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Story line was pretty good,a little long but plot was ok. Called Wartime Sisters was expecting a war but really a war between sisters,really jealousy! Read it in one day did skip over a lot too much on and on and on! Two sisters, two different needs and as adults can they overcome and become friends? Read this fantastic story and if you have a sister it makes you think! Received from Net Gallery!

A good read for fans of historical fiction. Engaging and adept. Will recommend to students who enjoy history.

I liked the pace and the perspectives within this book. The only thing that was disconcerting was the narrative seemed a bit askew, derivative, if you will..

As a WWII farn, I looked forward to reading this book. However, this was more than a historical fiction story. This was as much, if not more than, a tale of family drama. The characters are well developed and it was interesting to see how the way the sisters were treated by their parents helped them grow into the adults they became. The history of the Armory in Springfield in the 1940s was a bonus to the story of Ruth and Milllie.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/MacMillan for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

It is always so gratifying to read a historical novel that has been meticulously researched. The rewards are two-fold. You get to read a compelling story AND you learn something in the process. I learned not only about the history of the Springfield Armory during WWII, but I also learned a bit about Jewish traditions and the Jewish way of life.

The sisters in this story were very ‘human’ with all the flaws that the word represents. The story was well-paced and incorporated the history in an entertaining way.

The Springfield Armory was like a city within a city. It had a strong sense of community, with its inhabitants working toward a common goal.

How discrepancies in the way children are treated by their parents has such a profound affect on their adult personalities – and how it shapes their adult lives – is the primary focus of the narrative.

Family secrets, sibling dynamics, and an interesting peek behind the scenes of life stateside during WWII, this story held me spellbound throughout.

Anyone who enjoys women’s fiction with a strong historical base will be sure to delight in “The Wartime Sisters”.

4.5 stars rounded up

Loved this story. The telling and the events are a set that have always intrigued me. I've always been drawn towards the second war. An amazing read.

A wonderful look at the dynamics between sisters and a world at war as two very different women find a way to make peace with their differences. Loigman's novel is well-researched and explores the family ties that both bind and repel one another. This read is highly recommended for fans of Fiona Davis and Susie Orman Schnall.

"The Wartime Sisters" is a surprisingly solid character driven novel. The sisters Ruth and Millie have a relationship colored by their mother's treatment. Ruth is the smart one while Millie is the pretty one, as far as their mother cares. It's a surprisingly solidly written story by Loigman that definitely makes me want to read more from her.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️Ruth, Millie, Arrietta and Lillian all have secrets that they have to navigate during the WWII era. I feel like I most identified with Ruth since she was steady, disciplined and always had a book in her hand.

Although this book is set during the WWII era, It is set in an armory and not of the front lines which gives a different experience than most WWII books.

I felt like this was very well written and that each of the girls had their own definitive parts as well as being part of the whole story.

The Wartime Sisters
As we follow the relationship between two sisters, who have grown up in Brooklyn, NY we are educated about the the war years in Springfield, MA. It is interesting to learn that there was a very active Amory and busy munitions plant. This is a great story of two sisters, the older one serious and studious, the younger, pretty and social. The secrets they have kept from each other make interactions tense when, now, years later they move in together in Springfield and build lives during the Great War.

Again author, Lynda Cohen Loigman, has found a little known piece of history from World War II and used that as the backdrop for a fascinating novel. She has found a way to share a part of the United States history of what was happening in Springfield, MA to help the war effort and weave a story of complicated, entangled family dynamics into the history lesson.

Ruth and her younger sister, Millie are the daughters of Jewish parents living in Brooklyn, NY. Their mother has from Ruth’s perspective played favorites as a parent and Millie was the favored daughter, young pretty and social. Ruth was the bookish, studious older sister and has always resented her sister. As adults they have become estranged until the war brings them back together. Ruth is living in SPringfield with her husband and two daughters, in officer housing. Millie has lead a very different existence and she shows up needing help for herself and her young son. Her husband is gone. As the sisters work through the burdens of sibling rivalry they have carried all their lives, they are also trying to bring up their families and live during war times.

This author is also not afraid to bring out the many different dynamics that affect every family and maybe more pronounced in families living in close conditions and with the added pressures of the Army. Loigman writes about wife batterers, drinking problems and promiscuity. She shows how families, both wealthy and struggling, seemly happy and successful to the outside world can be wrestling with problems they keep hidden.

Beautifully written and emotionally engaging.

As girls growing up in Brooklyn, Ruth and Millie Kaplan were taught to see Ruth as The Smart One and Millie as The Pretty One, implying, of course, that Ruth isn't much to look at and Millie isn't all that bright. Their mother's different treatment drives wedge between the sisters, as Ruth is constantly reminded that Millie's beauty marks her out for a better future. While Ruth is destined to do well in school and then marry a mensch, Millie is destined to be swept away by a handsome prince, marry well, and live an amazing life.

I was very moved by the conflict between the sisters in The Wartime Sisters. My own sister is one of my closest friends, so a story about sisters who couldn't connect and couldn't trust each other made me sad. The author did an amazing job with a layered, complex misunderstanding, based on years of different treatments and unspoken expectations. 

There was one moment, right after Millie arrived in Springfield, when I was afraid the book was about the reversal when the pretty girl in high school is now a single mom, looking for a menial job, but fortunately, the story swerves before we get too much about that. Instead, we see how the war has affected everyone.  In Springfield, the sisters meet Arietta, a cook and singer viewed with suspicion because of her Italian background, and Lillian, an officer's wife with her own secrets. This is solid, character-driven fiction.

I found the final conflict completely surprising, especially since there were other moments that were a little predictable and obvious. I don't want to reveal too much, so you can be surprised too, but I did not see Lenny's story ending that way at all!

Loved this book! I have really enjoyed both of Lynda Cohen Loigman's books. Her knowledge of the history is spot on, writing is clear, and characters are well-developed. Very interesting read! I can't wait to read more of her books in the future.

3.5 stars

I really enjoy historical fiction and was looking forward to a different topic covering WWII, but I felt a bit deceived by the blurb as this was more fitting for women's fiction. With that being said I did enjoy the story. I have had The Two- Family House by the same author on my tbr list for years. I think I'll go ahead and read that soon since the authors writing style was engaging.