Ruth and Millie are two very different sisters and their paths separate and then cross in this novel. Each one is holding a secret, and Millie, a war widow, risks everything to start her new life in Springfield, MA, where her older sister Ruth is an officer’s wife. Strength, forgiveness, fortitude, and self-acceptance are all themes in this wonderful novel. It was a compelling read, and one where you feel like the characters are real people. I couldn’t put it down. This is my first title by this author and I loved her writing!

Thank you for my e-copy to review!

(full review at drbethnolan.com)

Lynda Cohen Loigman's The Wartime Sisters checked a couple of my book-catnip boxes. As you’ll know if you've followed my reviews for any length of time, I absolutely adore books that take place during the Second World War. I also really enjoy reading about the close but messy relationships shared between sisters. I don't have a sister, so perhaps I've romanticized the whole sisterly experience in my mind, but we're all entitled to our fantasies, right?

Millie and Ruth have never been close. Ruth is the oldest, and her parents don't seem to pay her much attention at all. She's intelligent and practical, but her younger sister Millie's beauty seems to garner her much more parental praise, and while the sisters are growing up in Brooklyn, Ruth constantly hears how Millie is destined for greatness. Their mother is certain that a handsome and extremely wealthy man will one day take notice of Millie and sweep her away from her family's humble home. As you might imagine, Ruth quickly tires of Millie's praises being sung almost constantly, and she begins to resent her younger sister.

For her part, Millie yearns to be seen as more than the sister with the pretty face. No one seems to think she's good for anything but making an advantageous marriage, and they never stop to think she might want something more out of life. She desperately wishes she could be close to Ruth, but her sister rebuffs her every attempt to reach out, and so, Millie seeks comfort in the arms of a most undesirable man.

We then jump in time to 1942. Ruth is married and lives with her husband and children on a military base in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her husband is an officer, so Ruth leads a life of privilege. She's well-liked by the other women on the base, and she's finally begun to think people have realized her worth.

Things aren't going nearly so well for Millie. Her husband has gone off to war, and she and her young son are struggling to make ends meet. The reader is given the impression that Millie's marriage is not a happy one, but we don't learn the truth until much later on in the story.

Ruth and Millie have been estranged for the past several years, so no one is more surprised than Millie when Ruth reaches out and invites Millie and her son to move in with her family. At first, Millie is hesitant, but the promise of a job that pays a decent wage plus the opportunity to hopefully mend fences with her sister compels her to move from Brooklyn to the Springfield army base. Once there, she begins working as a Soldier of Production in the armory, a job that keeps her quite busy and also brings her to the attention of some of the most powerful men on the base.

Things between the sisters are strained, but both seem determined to work out their differences, and when Ruth's husband is called to fight overseas, the women finally begin to grow close. Unfortunately, Millie is keeping a dangerous secret from her sister, a secret that threatens to drive a wedge between them once again if it comes to light. And then a shadowy figure from their past shows up in Springfield, making it necessary for both Millie and Ruth to make some very difficult decisions.

The Wartime Sisters is set during the World War II, but it reads much more like women's fiction than historical fiction. Sure, we get to experience life on a military base, and I learned quite a bit about the work women were hired on to do during the conflict, but the relationship between the sisters takes center stage. The setting felt like more of a bonus than anything else. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I enjoyed watching Ruth and Millie figure out who they are both separately and together, but readers who are looking for a story brimming with historical detail might be disappointed.

I feel like I've read about characters like Millie and Ruth in a hundred other books, and this is honestly what kept me from giving this book a higher grade. They're both easy enough to relate to, but neither woman possesses any traits that make her stand out from the crowd of fictional heroines. I understood the problematic nature of their relationship, and I was definitely routing for them to set their differences aside, but I would have liked certain aspects of the plot to have taken a couple of different turns.

As for Millie's secret, the author did a great job keeping me guessing and I had no idea what it was until about halfway through the book. Of course, once I figured things out, I realized she had dropped a few clues earlier on in the story, so some readers may jump to the correct conclusions a bit quicker than I did.

On the whole, The Wartime Sisters is an enjoyable, if predictable, novel best suited to readers who are most interested in seeing Millie and Ruth work out their many differences. I'm not sorry I picked it up, but neither does it earn a place on my keeper shelf.

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This book was really well done, and I enjoyed it. It's set during World War Two, but it's really a family drama. Female friendships also play an important part in the story. I enjoyed the New England setting and learning about women's roles in the war. The family secrets were somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed the process of discovering them. I would recommend this books for readers of family drama and WW2 novels. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Lynda Cohen Loigman’s "The Wartime Sisters" takes place on the home front during World War II. Despite its’ title, the war that rages across the ocean is a mere shadow, This is the story of two sisters who find themselves fighting their own war on the home front. The sisters are as different as night and day. One is intelligent, quiet and insecure, while the other is beautiful, impetuous and outgoing. One feels as if she is always in the shadow of the other. Both suffer from secret hurts and misunderstandings that are not confronted and lead to a lifetime of heartbreak, hostility and resentment. They both long for relationship, long for the secret conversations, laughter and the special bond that other sisters share. Is there hope for Ruth and Millie? Can they reconcile the past and move forward with their lives as friends.
Ruth and Millie have been estranged for years when Millie, a widow, goes to live with her at the Springfield Armory where Ruth lives comfortably as an officer’s wife. Their hopes are high with the possibility of a relationship, but each has harbored secrets that threaten the closeness they both seek.
A few other characters are introduced that are significant in the reconciliation of these sisters. They are beautiful people, each having their own story to tell. Together they form a kind of wartime sisterhood.
Lynda Cohen Loigman’s "The Wartime Sisters” is a wonderful piece of literature that shows that it’s never to late for forgiveness and redemption.
Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

This book was a great read. It was about the relationship between two sisters, who grew up in Brooklyn, then went their separate ways, until circumstances brought them back together during the war.

The relationship between the two sisters portrayed in this book is one that anyone with a prettier sister or smarter sister can really envision and feel. I didn't have a sister like this, but I had a cousin that was always the pretty one, while I was always the smart one. She was good at almost everything she did, and I could only beat her in academics. This story really illustrated that dynamic.

Both of the main characters were great in their own ways. Ruth was not weak. She did what she had to do to leave Brooklyn, and be out of the shadow of her little sister's looks, even though she did it in a sort of backhanded way that was a betrayal to her late parents and her sister. Millie managed to make it, even with her poor choice in a partner. She survived her husband, with the help of her sister and a few good friends.

The side characters were also awesome. I loved Arietta. Her story was one of strength as well. I hate books that portray women as weak, so this book was right up my alley!

Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an early copy of #WartimeSisters to review!

Loved this book just as much as I loved the author’s previous book. What she does so flawlessly is give us the perspective of two different characters in a way in which the reader wants to root for them both equally.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman tells of two sisters, Ruth and Millie Kaplan, raised in Brooklyn, NY, who have carried the childhood emotions and sibling rivalries which have colored the relationship between them for decades. We watch them struggle with favoritism (parental, familial, and social), based on their looks (plain vs. pretty), academic inclinations (smart vs. no so much), personalities (cold fish vs. outgoing) and any other possibility. Each longs to be closer to, yet cannot let go of her resentment toward, or open herself up to, the other. For several years, they each went their own way.

A second chance to get things right is presented when they both find themselves working for the Springfield, Massachusetts Armory during WWII. Once again, they find themselves falling into the same old patterns and resentments of their childhood. Over time, some movement is made towards reconciliation as each begins to take responsibility for the chasm between them, but it comes late in the game. Their individual friendships with the other women on the base seem more honest than the late-coming awareness of what family should mean.

Though set during WWII, do not mistake this for a historical fiction book. It falls better into the genre of women's literature (or "chick-lit" if you prefer that term.) A light, yet entertaining read, this will provide some escapist hours from whatever you may be dealing with in your own life.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

My sixth WWII era narrative featuring strong female protagonists in a two week period and suprisingly I don't seem to be tiring. In The Wartime Sisters, I found myself on the Home Front, specifically in Springfield Mass, at the Armory campus. The sisters in question are Ruth and Millie, two Jewish girls from Brooklyn that act more like high school rivals than sisters. Both women bounce back in time to their upbringing and the present, showing readers all the reasons for their estrangement. Sandwiched in between these narratives are chapters led by armory cook, Arietta, and Lillian, the wife of a Colonel. Both of these women also give us insights into the Ruth and Millie relationship and had interesting back stories as well.

My rating of 3.5 stars is at the forefront an echo of many other reviewers including my Goodreads pals, Melissa and Martie. The Wartime Sisters feels more in the women's fiction category than in the historical fiction. Although Millie has a job at the armoury, Lynda Cohen Loigman doesn't really get into the details of Millie's work. Secondly, I grew really weary of Ruth and felt that little Elsa chick needed to visit her and sing "Let It Go." So your sister was born better
looking- GET OVER IT and work on your UGLY HEART. Although books like this are important because as much as we hear about everyone doing their part for the war effort, it's a human story that even during times war people can be petty.

All in all, a good addition to the growing library of WWII era tales.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The Wartime Sisters tells the story of four women who live and/or work at an armory where weapons are manufactured during World War II. The relationships are told from each woman’s viewpoint. I am struggling to write this review because I both enjoyed and disliked this book. I enjoyed the various viewpoints and how each woman’s view impacted the story. I dinsliked part of the resolution. I related to Ruth and I felt she was slighted throughout the entire book including the resolution.

This book is set in 1930s Brooklyn, and 1940s Springfield Massachusetts at the Armory there, about two sisters with a fraught relationship (with a few chapters from the perspectives of other women at the Armory). The setting of the Armory and the many women working there (along with the officers' wives) was an interesting one, but I feel like it could have been explored/developed more. And the characters were just shy of really coming to life. So, a pretty good book but not a great one. 3.5 stars.

As the former wife of a military officer who spent her time in a variety of base housing, I can testify that Lynda Cohen Loigman totally nailed the setting. The military members (in my day it was mostly men) are away making critical contributions to national security, but the same discipline, focus and self-denial are called on from the family members left at home. And these latter contributions are left unsung.

Which is why I reacted to a recurring theme among other readers' reviews -- that this book isn't really "historical fiction," it's "women's fiction." As if women simply weren't there for history. As if the part women played were lesser.

I liked this book, and the authenticity of the setting ratcheted up my opinion. I appreciated the well-drawn characters, both male and female, both young and old. I liked the portrayal of both the noble and self-serving characters -- and those who were a bit of a mixture. I really enjoyed the way Loigman subtly captured the hierarchy, between active duty and civilian, between officer and enlisted, between military and dependents.

I'm a Baby Boomer, and that means my early childhood was filled with family tales of war-time life, of service overseas and stateside, and I can tell you, the tone and the content of their stories exactly paralleled what Loigman captured on the page.

Although the primary relationship in the book was between two actual siblings -- Ruth and Millie -- who had not been well-served by their parents' treatment of them, I thought the "Wartime Sisters" reference took in the other main characters, whose sisterhood was forged in their shared challenges.

I haven't read The Two-Family House, Loigman's first book (in fact hadn't heard of her until I received this NetGalley advance readers copy), but I will definitely seek it out.

I really enjoyed this book! The writing evoked perfectly the times in World War II - the times of my parents. I could easily picture the people, the styles, and the habits of those times. The relationship between the sisters came across as authentic - and heartbreaking. The characters and settings seemed very genuine.

The narrative was interesting and kept my attention throughout. This would be a great book club selection for people to discuss those times.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ecopy for my Kindle. "The Wartime Sisters" is both an historical fiction and a fiction book.
Starting in the 1930's in Brooklyn and leading up to WWII, this is story about 2 estranged and very different sisters. The elder sister marries an officer in the service and moves to Connecticut, and the younger sister stays in Brooklyn and doesn't marry well after their parents' deaths. Going back and forth from the 1930's to the 1940's, the story alternates about the lives of the 2 sisters and their roles during WWII.
Even though some of the book was fiction, it was still an interesting story about family, war, and the roles both men and women played during these time periods.
A great book!

This was a wonderful story of the tension that can occur between two sisters. These sisters believe they are very different and grow apart as they get older. They are reunited during WWll in Springfield, Massachusetts and need to learn each other’s secrets. There are secrets and intrigue. I enjoyed both sisters. I received a copy of this book through Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Two sisters. As seen in their parents' eyes, Ruth is the plain, smart sister and Millie is the beautiful sister who isn't scholastically talented. Each one has their own secret. It's no surprise that they grow distant. Ruth has married and lives at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, while Millie stays in Brooklyn. Naturally there is sibling rivalry between the two, which is fostered by their parents' expectations. Set against a backdrop of WWII, Ruth is an officer's wife with a prestigious job. Millie arrives on her doorstep as a war widow and Ruth feels forces to take her in. However the past is not forgotten and while keeping their secrets, it's a difficult situation for both of them. This book gives a very interesting portrait of WWII that I was not familiar with and found very interesting.

Also reviewed at B&N and Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

A novel about two Brooklyn sisters, born three years apart, completely different in every way, trying to mend old wounds while supporting the war efforts. Millie and Ruth grew up with loving parents who only wanted the best for each of them. Ruth is the serious, studious older sister, while Millie is the beautiful, flighty, social sister. Driving home from a family wedding, both of their parents are killed in a car accident leaving Ruth and Millie with only each other as family. Can they overcome the age old sister arguments and jealousies to become friends?

I devoured this book in two days. I loved the telling of the story from four main perspectives: Ruth, and Millie, as well as two mutual friends the sisters meet in Springfield, Lillian and Arietta. As you read between their early years growing up in Brooklyn, and their later years in Springfield, along with small glimpses into the backgrounds of both Arietta and Lillian, the author weaves a novel of friendship and sisterhood you don’t want to put down.

Lynda Cohen Loigman does a fabulous job of depicting the times about which she writes. She creates characters that are memorable and that the reader comes to know as their stories and secrets are gradually revealed. The main focus of the story is about two sisters growing up in Brooklyn. It follows them to ten years later. Through multiple and alternating narratives which move back and forth between two places and two time frames. Since the story is about two sisters there is jealousy, resentment, secrets kept, embarrassment and hurt.

The historical portion of this novel is the Springfield Armory in Springfield, MA during WWII. The armory is where the M1 Garand was made. During the war it was made almost exclusively by women because all the men were fighting at the front. This is where the two sisters ultimately work. The armory becomes a character and the reader finds out many historical facts about this famous gun manufacturing hub. The authors reflections on how the armory impacted the women and men left on the home front.

This is a wonderful story. There was a tremendous amount of research put into the writing of the novel. It was extremely interesting novel and well written.

I would like to thank the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced free copy of The Wartime Sisters in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In the early days of WW11, two estranged sisters are reunited at the Springfield, Massachusetts Armory. Ruth is the older sister and an officer's wife and the younger sister Millie is a single mom who, in desperation, seeks refuge in her sister's home and takes a position in the Armory factories as a "soldier of production." This living arrangement isn't ideal, but the younger sister has no other family after the death of their parents and the disappearance of her abusive husband. The relationship between the sisters is tense and filled with resentment, jealousy, misunderstanding, competition, and secrets.

Although the story is set during WW11 and interesting details are given about the time periods, the armory, and wartime efforts, I think this story of the "war between sisters" could have taken place in any time period and any setting. I appreciate the effort the author gives in this mostly character driven story to creating a complex and believable relationship between two sisters. A plot twist towards the end provides compelling tension and plot action. Overall, this poignant, well written story told from the alternating perspectives of four strong women (two sisters and two friends) and from dual timelines is a solid read. It could be categorized as women's fiction as well as the official historical fiction designation.

Themes addressed include parental favoritism and expectations, sibling loyalty and rivalry, family dynamics, complex relationships, reconciliation, roles of women in the 30s and 40s, and strong and brave women supporting each other.

Recommended for readers who appreciate well drawn and realistic characterizations of resilient women and stories that explore complicated family dynamics. I can see this as a movie!

The Wartime Sisters is an emotional and tragic journey through the relationship of two sisters who want a close relationship but embrace the secrets that prevent it.

Ruth and Millie are only three years apart but it is more than age that separates them. Ruth is plain and shy. Millie is beautiful and vivacious. As their family and the community reacts to their personalities the wedge grows wider. Circumstances prevail which separate the two in both logistics and as sisters. It is also circumstances that bring them back together in Springfield, Massechuetts.

This is a superbly written book. I love the way the author presented the story. Millie and Ruth are the main characters, but we are also able to see inside the person and circumstances of two other characters, Lillian and Arietta. This allows us to delve into the motivation and strength of these two women, as well. It makes for a much more satisfying story.

Everything about this book it written well. The characters are well developed and intricate. The scenes are complete and easily imagined. The story itself is well paced and the plot is slowly revealed through the characters, as it should be.

Well done, Ms. Loigman.


I received an eBook ARC from St. Martin press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

This a heart wrenching story of sisterhood, family ties and friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. The women in the book are strong and resilient. Though the story is set during World War ll, it is the “warring” relationship between the two sisters that take center stage. The sisters live in Brooklyn. The strained relationship between Ruth and her sister Millie is further complicated by the actions of their loving but domineering mother. Ruth is the "intelligent" one but somewhat mousy in personality and appearance. Millie is the beautiful and radiant sister. Any beaus that Ruth has seems to immediately abandon her in favor of Millie once they meet her. Her mother has the highest hopes that Millie will marry into a rich and prosperous family. Ruth considers her sister shallow and blames her for her own unhappiness. Ruth finally meets a young man who is truly interested in her and marries. She is happy to relocated to Springfield Ma. for her husband’s military job. Meanwhile Millie is dating a suitor whom her mother finds unacceptable. Her mother pressures a reluctant Ruth to take Millie to live with her in Springfield. A tragic family event changes everything. Fast forward five years, where another event occurs which has the now widowed Millie and her son moving in with her sister and her growing family in Springfield at the armory there.However things are not what they seem. Several secrets are revealed which further complicate the sisters relationship. Friendships are formed which make all the difference in both sisters lives. A terrifying situation occurs which finally brings a resolution to the sisters relationship.