A different take on your typical WWII era story, where it mainly focuses on the relationships, and the war is the background. Following the story of a pair of Jewish sisters and their conflicts growing up into adulthood. This switches perspectives between the sisters and a couple friends, so you never get bored, but get left on a cliffhanger from time-to-time! I recommend this book, but just want to warn that there is some minor language and some violence.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the e-galley of The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman - a historical fiction novel about two sisters who live stateside during WWII. The book opens with a a look into how differently Ruth and Millie were raised and treated and how that affected their relationship with each other - culminating into an estrangement that neither sister knew how to overcome until they were forced to realize that old resentments and secrets were no match for sisterly love. The main characters, Ruth and Millie, are easy to get attached to as were their story lines. The Wartime Sisters provides an interesting look into the home front war effort and the Springfield , MA Armory. I give this book 3.5 stars.

I absolutely loved this book! I had high hopes bc I had previously read "The Two-Family House" by Lynda Cohen Loigman and I was not disappointed.

The Wartime Sisters is a beautifully written historical drama that follows sisters Ruth and Millie during WWII--in Brooklyn, NY and Springfield, Massachusetts. The sisters are as different as night and day, and as a result they don't understand each other's decisions. They keep secrets from each other and are eventually forced to confront their secrets and the affect the secrets had on their lives and relationships.

The book alternates between 1937 and 1943, and gives each sister's perspective about the events that happen between them. Both Ruth and Millie were well-drawn, likable, understandable characters. (The book also has chapters dedicated to the perspectives of two other, less central characters and, while it was interesting, I didn't think it was needed for the novel to succeed.) I felt bad for each one and was truly invested in their relationship and what happened to them and their families. I loved the pieces of history (the Springfield Armory, specifically) that were masterfully woven in. Overall this is a gem of a book and I

Many thanks to The #NetGalley team at St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-galley of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of WWII fiction or books about sisters or just love a well written well researched historical fiction novel, this is the book for you. Not only was this novel well written but it was real re-searched and based on work that was going on in the US during WWII. I knew that a lot of women went to work during the war but had never heard of the Springfield Armory or been aware of the number of workers that were employed there.

Ruth is three years older than Millie. When they are growing up in Brooklyn in the 1930s, Ruth is seen as dependable and trustworthy and boring. Millie is seen as cute and needy for attention so everyone pays attention to her - she even gets preferential treatment from their mother. The different way that the girls are treated causes a big rift between them on Ruth's part. In later years, when Ruth is married to an Army scientist and has twin daughters and Ruth's husband has disappeared and left her with a small son, they end up living in the same house and working at the Armory in Springfield. As the sisters struggle to maintain a relationship, secrets are revealed that may drive them even further apart. Will the rift between them cause them to remain estranged or will they find the way to truly become sisters??

I loved both of the sisters - they were so well written that it was impossible to take sides and assign blame for their estrangement because both of them had valid reasons for the way they acted toward each other. I loved the location of the Armory and learning more about the women that worked in American to support the men away at war. i highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Bit of a mixed bag on this one. I'd say solid 3.5 stars - I liked it better than 3, but not enough for 4. The story line itself was decent enough, and the writing was done well. I liked the wartime setting and I thought the author did a great job of exploring the dynamics of all the various relationships - siblings, parents, spouses, friends. I think my biggest issue came down to the characters. I just didn't get any sort of feeling of sympathy or interest from any of them. About the only ones that sparked me were Lillian and Arietta, and although they played large roles in the story, they came along so far into it that I was already just "meh" about the whole thing. I wanted to feel some sort of sympathy for both Ruth and Millie - they struggled with virtually all their relationships throughout their lives, and I felt like that should earn them my sympathy and respect, but I just never connected with either of them. So while I enjoyed the writing and the story, the characters didn't do anything for me. Still a good book, and one I would recommend on the off-chance it was just me.

This is my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it.
In The Wartime Sisters we meet Ruth and Millie from Brooklyn, one sister is blonde, pretty and popular and the other is intelligent and also plain. Growing up each sister felt over shadowed by the other, which leads to resentment as adults. Flashing forward 5 years, one sister is a war widow and mother of a young son and they move in with the other sister, now an officer's wife and mother of twins.
Several interesting minor characters are introduced throughout the story, each one revealing more about a sister through their own history.
The arrival of a person from the past, reveals truths, and ultimately brings the storylines together to a very satisfying conclusion.

This is a well written, very engaging story with full and dynamic characters. Ariatta and Lillian may very well be my favorite characters from the story, though they were minor they were crucial to the story.

I was prepared not to like this book nor be able to finish it because I don't much read period based stories. Since I'd truly enjoyed "The Two-Family House: A Novel" I gave it a chance. I was so very wrong....I liked it just as much!! The characters were complex, emotional, misguided, believable and likable. The pace and switch between viewpoints made it an easy read. I was never bored, I could not predict what would come next and I finished the book with a satisfied smile.

The novel is about about the tricky jealous relationship of 2 sisters and how perceptions as well as other external factors can complicate that fraying thread even more.

Ms Cohen Loigman thank you for allowing me to read this wonderfully developed novel. I'll look forward to your next period piece.

The Two Family House was one of my favorite books of the last few years so when I heard about The Wartime Sisters, I knew I had to read it. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing a copy through NetGalley.

I love when historical fiction teaches me something. I knew nothing of the Springfield Armory during WWII and this book taught me so much in an interesting and engaging way. The main characters, sisters Ruth and Millie, are both complex, well developed characters and I rooted for them both. By the time the war hits, they are partially estranged and each is guarding a secret that threatens to end their relationship completely. When Millie comes to live with Ruth in Springfield, their relationship changes and they each must decide how and when to reveal her secret.

I enjoyed this book. The writing is lovely and the subject matter is thoroughly researched (I wasn't surprised to learn on the author's website that this story was culled from her mother's background). It felt just that personal. The chapters from Lillian and Arietta, two other Springfield residents, were readable and interesting, but I would have preferred to stay with the sisters and delve deeper into how their flawed relationship and how they came to where they are today.

For fans of WWII fiction, put the Wartime Sisters on your list immediately. I remain a super fan of this author and will read anything she writes as soon as it's available.

A wonderful story about three women during WWII. I loved how the author told us each of their stories while intertwining it into the story taking place during WWII. I enjoyed this novel!

The Wartime Sisters by
Lynda Cohen Loigman


This story with a WWII backdrop will appeal to many book clubs, as a lifetime of sibling rivalry takes two sisters along different paths to a satisfying resolution.

I would also recommend this book for anyone interested in how women played an important role in the munitions factories during WWII, specifically at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts during the war years.

Ruth and Millie are two very different siblings guarding secrets and lifelong hurts. As they mature and their lives once again intersect, they are afforded many opportunities to resolve their conflicts. But, just as in real life, many of these chances are just too painful to face.

The novel is told in alternating chapters for each sister between childhood and adulthood, with the addition of chapters for a couple of influential friends. I found some confusion in a few chapters in the transition between the first and second paragraphs of the chapter. Are we still in childhood or adulthood? It wasn’t always clear until further reading. Also, and this may be particular to this reader, but I had some confusion with the character names of Millie and Lillian, both being “illi” names.

Also, other than introducing some Yiddish words, phrases and holiday traditions, I didn’t see that the girls being Jewish played any role in the narrative. Their religion was never a hindrance nor a help to either of them throughout the story.

All in all, the story moved along smoothly with the author’s good eye to descriptions of food, clothing, fashion and personalities of the period. It was a most enjoyable read.

There is an unexplainable bond between sisters which remains through pettiness, rivalry, jealously, quarrels, and even enmity. This novel supports this theory.
Two sisters grow up physically close but miles apart in every other way. In their adult life they are thrown together by circumstances during World War ll. As they begin to help each other through difficulties, a fragile sense of togetherness emerges- but it be maintained? Both need honesty and humility to bring healing.
The story is set mainly in the Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. This location has a great deal of history from the war days.
It is a wonderful story!

Loved this story of estranged sisters told against the backdrop of World War II.and the Springfield Armory. One sister a war widow and one an officer's wife I loved the TV show, "Army Wives" and found this somewhat similiar, different time period, of course, but I could picture in my mind "life at the armory" Such great story lines running throughout the book.and unfolding of the secrets that each sister had was very well written. Thank you to St Martin's Press, the author, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I loved this book. It was extremely well written. The characters were well developed and relatable. I loved the plot of the novel and how historically accurate it was. I highly recommend!

This certainly is not the typical WWII historical fiction. This story does not focus on Europe or in a concentration camp. It is, however, just as powerful!

I loved this story of two sisters that are worlds apart but are the same. Ruth and Millie just can't seem to get their relationship with each other together. One is pretty and one is smart. One always had the attention of family and friends, while the other was always in the background. How will they ever mend the broken bond? Was it ever really broken in the first place?

Many thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy.

I liked The Wartime Sisters. The book gives a good look at what it was like women during World War II.
I give this book four stars.

The steady plot moved quickly - I didn't want to put it down!

The Springfield Armoury is a real place with a long history. The story of Ruth, Millie & Lillian is fiction based on true stories of many women who worked there rolled into their characters and situations. Events in the story actually happened, like the On To Victory dance.

Ruth & Molly Kaplan are Jews, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. The hopes and dreams of their mother shaped their relationship as sisters and who they each became. With the outbreak of WW 2 Ruth's family moves to Springfield, Mass. when Arthur's hired to develop better guns. When Millie must follow Ruth to Springfield their relationship goes through many trials for both of them and the C.O.'s wife, Lillian Walsh, plays a pivotal role in their lives.

Gripping ending.

The Wartime Sisters is a Historical Fiction. It has real life situations, locations and people that the story revolves around, although the actual plot and characters are fiction.
The plot was deeply emotional and a page turner. The relationship between the sisters, Ruth and Millie was heartbreaking from the beginning. Ruth, the older of the siblings is studious and mature from an early age. She also is plain in her physical features. Millie was beautiful from birth, irresponsible and extremely sensitive. Everyone was attracted to Millie and put Ruth in the shadows. Their parents treated their children differently and this resulted in Ruth’s desire to escape the world she lived in her parent’s house. Both siblings love each other, but they are so different, it was difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. The upbringing they had molded the adults they become. Just as Ruth begins her life as a married woman, and thinks she has escaped her sister, life intervenes and her future is changed. Millie was preconditioned by her mother to think she was destined to be adored by her husband and would have a wonderful life.
The plot explores the relationship of the siblings, the relationships with their spouses and friends and how all of their lives change due World War II.
The author does a fantastic job of creating the world that exists in this story. The plot is developed so well and it is definitely a page turner. The descriptions of the locations are very clear and let the reader see a visual of the settings in their mind. The characters are deeply developed and brought out so many emotions in me as I read the book; joy, sadness, anger and disgust. I flipped/flopped on my opinions of the some of the characters as I read. That showed me that you don’t know a person until you know all that they lived through to make them the person that they are at present.
This book was an emotional journey that I honestly struggled a bit to get through, but the journey was worth the outcome of having this story in my consciousness. I want to thank St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read the ARC. I wanted to share my opinion of this book with others.

In “Wartime Sisters”, Lynda Cohen Loigman tells the story of two estranged sisters who are thrust together, first through the tragic loss of their parents and again with the backdrop of the Springfield Armory at the beginning of WWII. They attempt to achieve a détente while living together on the base, but the wounds of their childhood war are made fresh by the battles of living at Springfield. The sisterhood found goes beyond those created by blood and includes “sisters” created by choice, or perhaps circumstance. The return of someone from their past threatens to reveal dark secrets that each sister is desperate to keep.

The historical setting of Springfield Armory was one that I have not read about before. I found the factual information compelling as Cohen Loigman described the daily lives of those working in the armory factory creating pieces of weapons while never seeing the whole weapon come together or understanding their role in the bigger picture of the war. A vivid picture of the social and economic structure of the time was engrossing.
This was a most enjoyable read.

I really love books that deal with live for those left stateside during World War 2. The Wartime Sisters is probably one of my favorites. The authenticity of the descriptions from clothes to houses to food was terrific! Loigman introduces us to sisters born three years apart but circumstances make those years seem much more. Ruth is the “smart” one and Millie is the “pretty” one. Through a series of maneuvering and deception the sisters go separate ways until the war brings them together and not in a good way. I really enjoyed the twists in the story and found myself cheering for both sisters at different times. The Wartime Sisters is a book that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

Many thanks to The #NetGalley team at St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-galley of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have a fascination about reading books set in wartime and in particular set in the time period of World War Two. This novel is set in the USA primarily at the Springfield Armory which is an actual place. The author clearly researched the era and the location before writing and although she made minor changes in dates to assist with the story flow, she stuck as close as possible to descriptions and events that actually took place in the time period in which the story is told. Ultimately , however, the book is a story about relationships. I have read several books recently that focused on the difficulties that can arise between siblings when the second child to arrive appears to be the most loved child.

Ruth and Millie are two Jewish sisters who were lucky enough not to be in Nazi Germany during the time of the war. They lived with their parents in the early part of the story and almost immediately after Millie's birth, young Ruthie could see that her new little sister was treated differently than she was. Comments were made by visitors to the home that severely impacted on Ruth's self-esteem. Millie was the pretty one, Ruthie was the strong one. Things became particularly difficult in young adulthood when Ruth's parents kept inviting young men who were potential suitors around to meet Ruth but they had eyes only for Millie. Millie, on the other hand - loved her sister and wanted to help but her best efforts just seemed to go awry.

Ruth eventually meets her future husband Arthur who only has eyes for her, but she lives in fear that some day he, too will favour Millie. Millie's strongest relationships are with the DeLuca family, neighbours with an ailing mother and 2 young children. Mrs DeLuca seems to be the only person who in any way views Millie as being a capable, gifted individual and upon her death, Millie feels a horrible sense of loss which ultimately leads her to begin dating a very unsuitable young man named Lennie, who never even completed high school and who is the eyes of her mother is a "bum" Needless to say, her mother's hostility just ended up pushing her even more into Lenny's arms and after the sudden death of her parents and a major meltdown, Millie finds herself pretty much forced into a marriage that she isn't really sure she wants. Meanwhile, Ruth and her husband Arthur, a military man, are transferred to Springfield Armory.

When Lenny disappears after failing to successfully enlist, Millie believes that he might in fact be dead. When Ruth invites Millie and her young son Michael to move in with them in Springfield, Millie feels she has little choice but to accept. This is where the bulk of the story is set.

The author did a good job of setting the time period - women are increasingly needed to work in the armoury doing the jobs that men once did. Millie is quickly hired to assemble triggers. The class system in the military plays a huge role in the story. Not only do Millie and Ruth have trouble relating to each other but there are those who feel Millie should not be allowed to live in the higher-up residence or associate with the officer's and their families. This even leads to accusations that Millie or one of her friends might be a spy!

There were lots of twists and turns in the story. Some I expected and some I didn't. It certainly kept me reading whenever I could find a few free minutes. I think this book could be a really interesting one for use in a book club for discussion. I believe that a lot of people would be able to identify with the self esteem issues that both the main characters experienced, and the secondary characters are also fascinating and worthy of discussion. If you are at all interested in what the war may have been like "back home" then this book is bound to be of interest to you. Enjoy!