This is a historical fiction story about two sisters Ruth and Millie that is set during WWII. The sisters were raised in Brooklyn and the older sister Ruth,marries and accompanies her husband to Springfield to begin her married life in the Armory. Millie, the younger sister soon follows when her husband disappears and Millie has no one else to turn to. Ruth has always been jealous of Millie, and has not always been truthful and harbors a secret....will this secret be revealed when Millie comes to town, or will Ruth be able to keep it hidden??? The story describes many of the conflicts that the two sisters have encountered throughout their lives.
The characters were well developed, and the story moved swiftly with a good feel for life during the Armory. I really enjoyed this book. Many thanks to Netgalley and StMartin's Press for providing me a copy of this book for review.

I was impressed by Lynda Cohen Loigman's debut, The Two-Family House, so I was thrilled to see that she had a new novel coming out. This one was even better than her previous one, which is hard to do when a debut sets such a bar for excellent writing.

I couldn't get enough of The Wartime Sisters and I didn't want it to end. Lynda combined sibling rivalry, Judaism, history, and women's issues during World War II to create a mesmerizing story. She really captured the feel of the early 1940's and I got a glimpse of what it was like to be on the home front during a time of enormous strife in the world.

Both Ruth and Millie were easy to connect with. I had a soft spot for Ruth with us both being the older sisters and expected to set an example for our siblings. However, Millie was a sympathetic character and it was good to know that she wasn't trying to steal the attention of men away from Ruth, especially since she didn't welcome it. There was more to her than how she was seen through Ruth's eyes. I liked that some other characters also had a voice in the story and I enjoyed getting to know them too.

Fun (personal) fact: Ruth and Millie's parents names were Florence and Morris. My late paternal grandparents were also named Florence and Morris. Furthermore, their last name was Kaplan and my paternal grandma's maiden name was Kaplan.

I really loved everything about this novel and highly recommend it. It publishes early next year, so be sure to add it to your shelf and move it to the top of your TBR pile as soon as you get it!

Movie casting suggestions:
Ruth: Lola Kirke
Millie: Natalia Dyer
Lillian: Kate Bosworth
Arietta: Keala Settle (This was my favorite part to cast and I couldn't think of anyone more deserving than "Lettie.")
Lenny: Cole Sprouse
Grace: January Jones

When sisters have different looks and talents and are treated differently, there are inevitable problems that result. This is the underlying these of The Wartime Sisters. Can Ruth and Millie finally open themselves and resolve the resentment both have carried since childhood? In the background, the reader also gets a look at the armory in Springfield, Massachusetts during WWII. Loigman gives us insight into the way the world shifted when women went to work by the thousands. The book is well worth the read.

“Wartime Sisters” follows two very different sisters in the time period prior to and throughout WW II. It was an extremely enjoyable read and truly surpassed my expectations! It provided a fascinating portrayal of the work done at the Springfield Armory during WW II, where the sisters eventually worked. And it provided an even more interesting portrayal of the complex relationship these sisters had to each other. The author developed characters and relationships that were rich in complexity and for me, thought-provoking! And while the storyline alone kept me reading well into the night, it was the character development that made this book so memorable and one that I am happy to recommend. Based on how much I enjoyed “Wartime Sisters”, I am looking forward to reading the author’s first book, “A Two Family House” which is now on the top of my “to read” list! I was privileged to receive a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher, St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book, it allows us to follow the lives of two sisters, Ruth and Millie, they are as different as can be, in looks, personalities, and how the choices they made affect their lives and the lives of others they care for and love. The story is told in flashbacks from their present lives back to years before of the sisters and also between several other characters in the story on how the happenings in their childhoods shaped their destinies. I was impressed by the writing and it was very interesting to read how the women were so eager to help out in the war effort and the descriptions were so good you could envision the officers housing and several of the social events.
I could certainly relate to the relationship between the sisters as I have a sister and we also, are very different, this book opened my eyes a little bit on how our mother handled the differences between us. I wish the story would have covered the war effort a little bit more but otherwise I really enjoyed my time with Millie, Ruth, Lillian and the other characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of family secrets and love.
I thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to receive a free copy for my honest review. This one gets 4****’s.

I thought this was a great story, set in the US during WWII. This book is centered around 2 sisters & their relationship growing up together. The way the author described the scenes helped me to feel as if I was watching the story unfold, not just reading about it. Lynda Cohen Loigman has produced another winner!

A powerful novel about two sisters, Ruth and Millie growing up in Brooklyn during the 1930's then later moving to Springfield, Massachusetts. A deep divide has always been between the two sisters, mainly because of their mother's favoritism. Ruth, the older sister is plain, serious and very smart but is mostly overlooked because of her younger beautiful sister. There are lots of secrets that is gradually told to help the reader understand the underlying tension. The Springfield Armory during the early part of WWII was a very interesting setting for this story. I enjoyed learning more about the armory in the author's note. Highly recommended!

A life time of sibling jealousy and resentment has caused a huge bridge between two sisters. The main time setting is pre and during WWII. The story begins when the sisters were children. A lifetime of favoritism was shown to Millie, the pretty one, while the plain, but smart sister, Ruth, was practically ignored by their parents and others. As adults, one sister seems to have it all and the other sister has made bad choices and she continues to struggle to get by. The Brooklyn sisters continued to be distant and estranged into their adult lives.
In the beginning of the story I found myself siding with Ruth and understanding her jealousy and neglected feelings. As I read further my empathy and understanding of Millie grew. A “secret” that has been kept from one sister Is finally revealed during a scary encounter with someone from Millie’s past.
I enjoyed this story and I understood the rocky relationship between the two sisters. I liked both characters. I also like reading about the historical industrial aspect of WWII when women worked the assembly lines in weapons production in an effort to support the war.
I read and liked the author’s previous book, The Two Family House, a few years ago so I was happy to receive an advanced reader’s copy of The Wartime Sisters from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Growing up in Brooklyn in the 1930s, Jewish sisters Millie and Ruth have always had a tense bond. Big sister Ruth has always felt like she had to be the responsible, serious one, while pretty and popular Millie often got away with silliness and sensitivity. During World War II, Ruth lives at the Springfield Armory with her scientist husband, and Millie, now seemingly a war widow, arrives with her son to stay with Ruth for the first time in five years. The book explores their relationship as secrets from the past and wartime changes begin to surface.

Any fans of historical fiction will enjoy this relatively easy and light World War II homefront read. The writing is solid and has its moments of real beauty, and the unique setting of a real-life armory definitely sets the book apart from similar stories. However, when it comes to the characters, The Wartime Sisters didn't particularly stick out to me. I enjoyed the narrations of side character Ariette and Lillian more than those of Millie and Ruth, who both came across as relatable in different ways but didn't leave lasting impressions on me. Although I understood the roles Arietta and Lillian played in the overall story, I was expecting fully-fleshed stories about them that were never really delivered. The title suggests that Millie and Ruth are the only narratives explored, but tossing in so much about the other women almost felt like a different book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy. I would still recommend this to casual readers who enjoy WWII fiction.

The Wartime Sisters was one of the best books I have read all year. I could not put it down. The author makes you feel as you are part of the story and you can see the images so we'll you feel you are there in it. Everyone should have this book in their Kindle or on their book shelf.

I read this amazing book in one day as I couldn't put it down. The Wartime Sisters is about sisters Ruth and Millie. Ruth is the oldest and the responsible one. Millie is the beautiful one who their Mom wants to marry well. Both sisters have their own stories to tell and I loved the characters in the book. I also enjoyed learning about the Springfield Armory and its purpose during WW2. I truly devoured this book and it will stay with me for a very long time. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction. I love multiple points of view books. I love books that flow and just hold you in.
"The Wartime Sisters' does all of those with grace.

Two sisters, Ruth is the oldest and 'plain', Millie is the youngest by 3 years and draws all the attention. Their lives have taken separate paths but due to circumstances they must live together again. They are in Springfield Massachusetts at the Armory where Ruth's husband is working.

As the book and time progresses. you quickly realize how different they are and see why they went different ways. You grow to see how alike they are and hope that time will let them see that. The flashback scenes are great to see the changes. The chapters from the viewpoints of two supporting characters are also helpful to see the women in their true colors. You also get to see how prejudices ran rampant and assumptions became 'truths'

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! I will definitely be reading more Lynda Cohen Loigman

I loved this book. Such an amazing story of two sisters.


Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Once again Lynda Cohen Loigman has brought us a story of complicated family relationships. I found this story of two sisters to be entertaining and intriguing. The story that was told of the Armory was very interesting. The author made me feel as if I was walking through the grounds. I found it very interesting how women helped fill the jobs that had to be done for the war.

This is a gem of a story with strong female characters! It takes place in the early days of WWII against the backdrop of the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Ruth and Millie are two estranged sisters. They have always been at war with each other, with Ruth resenting Millie’s beauty. Ruth marries and moves to Springfield with her husband, Arthur, who is a scientist with the army. Millie marries too and it seems her husband is killed while in the army, so Ruth invites her and her son Michael to move in with her for a time. It is soon apparent that the relationship between the two sisters is complex and that each is carrying a secret. Ultimately a story about the strength of a sisterly bond.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynn Cohen Loigman is an eloquent portrayal of the experience of World War II by American civilian women, an important section of society that is not usually the focus of novels set in WWII. Each of the “wartime sisters” represents a different faucet of society -- the married mother who chooses to work outside of the home, a supposed war-widow who has experienced an abusive marriage, an uber-organized military stay-at-home wife, and an African-American singer whose talent is no longer recognized.

Similar to many women from many backgrounds all around the world these women are thrown together by circumstance and by virtue of the situation become sisters as they help each other through thick and thin. (Hence, The Sisterhood.) The war provides the background for this novel as the women who are keeping the home fires burning pitch in and do what they can for the war effort.

Loigman takes great care in developing her characters. Each of them has a well planned backstory, personality, life style and behaviours. She spends a lot of time describing the childhood of the two main characters, allowing the reader to understand how the influence of their parents formed their adult decisions.

Perfect for this reviewer: there is a happy, although unexpected, ending and no loose ends are left to torment me.

I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure how it eluded me that this book is by the same author as The Two-Family House (a book I absolutely adored!) but it did. However, once I realized this, I knew I was going to love this book. Loigman has a way of writing characters that you can relate to and feel yourself in their shoes. The multi-narrative story speeds by, giving different points of view, something I have always enjoyed in a book.

I found myself getting wrapped up not only in the story, but the time period as well. Anything set during this era is of interest to me and I couldn't read this fast enough.

I absolutely loved this and look forward to her next book!

Lynda Cohen Loigman is two for two and fast becoming a new favorite historical fiction author for me. She has a talent when it comes to telling a story about the dynamics of a family. I really enjoyed the different setting for this WWII novel, featuring the home front rather than the battlefield. We often forget what it was like for those left behind. Ruth and Millie are as different as two sisters could be. Very often in life we wish for something we don't have, whether it's curly or straight hair, a personality trait we admire in another, or the eye or admiration of a parent or friend. That happens to both Millie and Ruth in this story and almost puts a permanent rift in their relationship. I liked that there were wonderful secondary stories layered in as well. I enjoyed reading about the cook in the Armory cafeteria who was a feisty opera singer and who ultimately finds love. I also enjoyed the story of the head Armory officer's wife. I really felt these characters could have been real people they were so well written. They really added another layer of complexity to the story.

This was a very well written book about sisters who had their difficulties! This book truly had a bit of everything- history, family drama etc and was very good. I enjoyed it!

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth and Millie are sisters who are like night and day. Ruth is thoughtful, controlled, intelligent, and average-looking. Millie is passionate, impulsive, and beautiful. This dichotomy develops into a chasm over the course of their adolescence and early adulthood, set against the backdrop of the Interwar Period and World War II. Eventually Ruth marries and moves away to live her own life without Millie's shadow hanging over her, only to have her sister and nephew arrive several years later in need of assistance.

The novel skips around chronologically between childhood, adolescence, and their present day. It follows several characters but focuses mainly on Ruth and Millie. The flashbacks were helpful and usually interesting, and they were not difficult to follow. However, the addition of the other characters does not improve the story. The author fixated on certain aspects of the real life individuals (ex: opera singer who volunteers in the cafeteria) and obviously wanted to weave them into her narrative, but they feel one dimensional and simplistic. All of the friends are wonderful people and all of the villains are terrible people; there's no development to them.

Overall, the novel was enjoyable, and I appreciated that it didn't focus on the War but instead used it simply as a backdrop for the relationship of the sisters with each other and their environment.