The Wartime Sisters is a book about family relationships. Ruth and Millie are sisters. However, they were never close. Millie was the pretty one, the special one, that everyone loved, and Ruth was always the afterthought even to their mother. When Millie's husband goes missing during the war, she and her young son go to live with Ruth and her family at the Springfield Armory. However, Ruth is not really happy about her sister coming to live with her nor is Millie happy about having nowhere else to go, and they are both keeping secrets that can deteroriate their relationship even further. Lynda Cohen Loigman's does such a good job of building her characters' backstories that even when they are behaving in ways that are not particular admirable, you can understand where there are coming from. This book shows how the seeds of sibling rivilary are built and how forces can conspire to keep that rivilary going even into adulthood. Anyone who has ever had a sibling can relate and if you have a have a good relationship with your sibling, it will make you grateful. If you don't have a good relationship with your sibling, it will make you hopeful.

When I heard Lynda Cohen Loigman was releasing a new novel, I was excited as I loved her first book, The Two-Family House. The Wartime Sisters did not disappoint. I loved this book. The relationship between the two estranged sisters, Ruth and Millie, was very complex, filled with tension with each sister hiding a secret from their past. Both of the these characters, even with their imperfections, and two other prominent characters, Lillian and Arietta, were very likable to me. These were all strong female characters. Stories that take place during WWII are favorites of mine. Not only was the story itself very enjoyable and well written, I also enjoyed reading the historical information about the Springfield Armory given in the Author's Note. It's a big plus for me when I learn something new from reading a historical fiction novel and has me doing my own research, and this one did just that! The Wartime Sisters is a book I will definitely recommend to my friends.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a story set during WWII about sisters in both the traditional and non-traditional sense. Ruth and Millie are traditional sisters who have a troubled relationship. That is tested when Millie is down on her luck and she and her young son move in with Ruth and her family at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. At a time when many men are away at war and these sisters are struggling to deal with each other, the non-traditional sisters enter the picture and show us how women can build each other up with love and compassion and that the sense of family can come in many different forms.

If you love family drama and historical fiction, this is the book for you. The characters are so well written that I felt that I was standing and watching as an invisible observer. The sisters are so different that experiencing their relationship through the years is amazing. Another great book by Lynda Cohen Loigman!

More women's fiction than historical fiction, this look at life during WWII is centered on the lives of 4 women who exist in various functions at the armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Two of the women are sisters, but I think the title comes from the bonds of sisterhood formed during trying times. I enjoyed how the women worked through their own misconceptions and assumptions to support each other during the stressful times. I felt frustrated at the horrible communication between the two actual sisters that caused so much stress for them both. A wonderful read about friendship and the struggles of family.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

A few years ago, I read and devoured Lynda Cohen Loigman's debut novel, The Two-Family House and knew that I would absolutely be reading whatever else she wrote. Well, once again, I found myself completely captivated by her next novel. I actually read this latest one in a day, so completely entranced was I in the story.

I love reading about family dynamics. Coming from a large family, I am quite fascinated with how authors choose to portray sibling relationships and I definitely think Lynda Cohen Loigman portrays the relationship between these two sisters in such a real, relatable way. She sets up the story with why they are at odds so many years later and you can't help but understand why these two sisters would have their grudges against each other - jealousy and the way they were parented certainly being part of it. This complicated relationship is so accurately portrayed and the secrets they are keeping from each other is certainly not helping.

I love the way the story is structured, alternating not only from the sisters' point of view, but also from two other women who had important roles in the sisters' lives. It also moves back and forth in time, from when the sisters are young and living in Brooklyn, to when they are adults and living in Springfield at the Armory. I felt the movement back and forth happened at the right time - it would come at a time when a memory was sparked and the backstory was needed to fill in a gap. It never seemed as if it was jumping around or confusing.

I don't know if I could pick a favorite from these characters, as I liked them all for different reasons. Even with the sisters, I felt they each had their moments when they shined. Yes, there were times when they might have grated on my nerves for an action they took, but if you have sisters yourself, like I do, doesn't that happen in real life? These characters really came to life as I was reading and that's because of the way Lynda Cohen Loigman created them and the brilliant story she gave them.

This is the second book I've read, and devoured, of Lynda's and I cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author. She is definitely on my must-read list and I highly recommend you picking this one up!

Sisters who didn't get along because of jealousy.

Sisters who didn't get along because of different ways of looking at things.

Sisters who just didn't get along or agree about anything.

Ruth and Millie were sisters who fit into those categories. Ruth was older and more reliable. Millie just couldn't focus on anything and was not reliable but earned the favor of their mother and could do no wrong in her eyes.

THE WARTIME SISTERS focuses on relationships between the sisters, between a mother and her daughters, between other women, and on how everything affected their daily lives.

We follow Ruth and Millie from their childhood to the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts during WWII. We see the friction between the sisters during both time periods in their lives. Nothing had changed over the years for them.

THE WARTIME SISTERS held my interest because of the well developed characters. Each one had something interesting about themselves and something that truly added to the story line.

Lillian was a favorite character for me. She was very nurturing. Ruth was likeable, but a bit too strict and unforgiving. Millie was a bit pitiful because she knew she had made a bad mistake by marrying Lenny, but I liked her. Arietta was the best...I just loved her singing and her cooking.

Ms. Loigman's writing is very detailed and pulls you in with the beautiful way she has the words simply grab you.

When a small comment was slyly dropped in one of the chapters about a truth Ruth kept from Millie and then a truth Millie had kept from Ruth, the interest definitely was upped.

THE WARTIME SISTERS is a beautiful, warm, marvelously researched read.

A truly enjoyable book. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two sisters, one is beautiful, one is not. One sister is very intelligent, one is not. The mother dotes on one, the father dotes on the other. You can just imagine where this leads….or maybe not.

Millie and Ruth have always had problems. Ruth is the oldest and the smartest. Millie is flighty and gorgeous. This combination does not meld well together. These two are like oil and water and jealousy abounds. Then there are some bad decisions and some terrible secrets. Add all this to the mix and you have some very hard feelings to overcome.

Ruth is my favorite of the two. However, she is the manipulator and instigator. She is also the smartest. She does her best to protect her assets even if this leaves Millie in bad situations. You have to read this book to understand. The author really pulled at your heartstrings with each sister. As the reader, one minute you want to slap both and the next you are rooting for their success.

I do think the title could be better. It is really not about the war. Yes these girls work in an Armory during wartime, but that is about it. This is a story about family, jealousy, secrets, choices and where all of this can lead.

Well! I have started 2019 off with a bang! This is a poignant read not soon to be forgotten!

I received this novel from St. Martin’s press via Netgalley for a honest review.

I loved this book from its strong plot to characters that you become emotionally invested in. If you love well written stories that grip you from the very first page until the end definitely pick up this winner. Happy reading!

This book was very good overall! The historical aspect of it was second to none and Loigman's voice as an author was simply stunning. For me, the sister's dialogue became a bit repetitive, but that didn't take away from the overall story. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy Historical Fiction or are interested in what life was like at the Armories.

<i>The Wartime Sisters </i>is the second novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman, whose debut novel <em>The Two-Family House</em> came out in 2016 (reviewed <a href="http://bookshelffantasies.com/2016/02/27/book-review-the-two-family-house/">here</a>). Both books focus on women's lives during the 20th century, and both examine the intricate relationships between sisters, friends, and the people who come into their lives.

In <em>The Wartime Sisters</em>, Millie and Ruth couldn't be more different. Ruth is three years older than Millie, and spends her entire childhood and adolescence hearing about her sister's beauty and charm. Millie is the one their mother pins her hopes on, fantasizing about how the endless crowd of suitors will yield the perfect man to propose to Millie and make all her dreams come true. Meanwhile, Ruth grows up realizing that she'll never be the pretty one, and resents Millie for always being the center of attention... never stopping to ask herself if Millie actually wants or enjoys the attention that comes her way.

The story flashes back and forth between the late 1930s, as the girls approach womanhood, and 1942/1943, as they settle into life at an army base in Massachusetts. We learn over time how they came to be there, and how they became so estranged from one another following their parents' death.

Interwoven throughout their chapters on their earlier years is a nice evocation of Jewish life in Brooklyn at that time, showing the ways in which the family's religion and culture define their world, their friends, and their approaches to life. Meanwhile, in Springfield, both Millie and Ruth form new bonds among the military wives and base workers, who represent a different but no less vibrant sort of community.

<em>The Wartime Sisters</em> shows the damage done to women's souls through neglect and abuse, and also by the small and large cruelties carried out through resentment and gossip. In Springfield, we meet two additional women who fill large roles in the sisters' new lives: Lillian, the base commander's wife, with her own troubled childhood, is a pillar of strength and goodness amidst the turmoil; and Arietta, a motherly woman with a talent for both singing and cooking, takes Millie under her wing.

It's sad to see the conflict between Ruth and Millie. As Ruth's husband is sent overseas as a wartime scientist and Millie arrives, husband-less, impoverished, and burdened by secrets, it would seem that the two women finally have an opportunity to reclaim their relationship and establish a new closeness. Sadly, although Ruth offers a home to Millie, the warmth and ease that should come with it is missing. While the author lets us see why Ruth feels as she does and how her resentments built over time, it's still hard to empathize. As far as we can see, Millie has never done anything wrong, has never set out to hurt Ruth or to undermine her. Ruth blames Millie for the incessant comparisons unkind neighbors have made all their lives, but it's clearly just so unfair. Because of Ruth's animosity, Millie is left to deal with their parents' death on her own, and makes some calamitous decisions that bring about hardship and suffering. It's hard to forgive Ruth for what she put Millie through.

In terms of the historical settings, I enjoyed learning about the Springfield Armory and the role women played in wartime readiness and production. The characters are colorful and memorable, and Arietta in particular is a delight to meet.

Overall, I found <em>The Wartime Sisters</em> to be moving and engaging. The story is crisp and nicely constructed, and the length means that it never feel draggy. I enjoyed the exploration of Ruth and Millie's relationship, and despite being super annoyed with Ruth for much of the story, I thought the build-up of their history together and the explanation of all the baggage they carry with them was really effective and realistic.

The Wartime Sisters is a fascinating novel written by the masterful Lynda Cohen Loigman. I have been waiting for her second novel since finishing her debut-The Two Family House. Loigman's latest novel does not disappoint. The sisters are Ruth and Millie and they have little in common. They are never close and disapprove of each others choices. Millie is gorgeous and Ruth resents the attention she gets from her beauty. Millie wishes people would see her for more than her looks. Ruth marries and moves away and Millie marries a man that seems too good to be true. In 1942 they find themselves living together as adults with their own families. Loigman's hook is the shocking secrets the sisters are keeping from each other. Will Ruth and Millie ever confide in each other? The author has written another thought provoking novel about relationships and overcoming obstacles. The characters and stories are entertaining. This is definitely a must read!

4 Stars.

Ruth and Millie Kaplan are sisters being raised by their parents in Brooklyn, New York during the 1930s. Ruth is a serious girl; introverted, studious, conscientious, a perfectionist. She was hoping for a younger sister who shared her interests. Instead she got Millie, an extroverted girl who makes friends easily, loves to be active, reads movie magazines and wears her heart on her sleeve. To top it all off, Millie is very pretty and Ruth is plain. None of this would necessarily have caused problems between them if their mother hadn’t favored Millie over Ruth. As a result Ruth becomes jealous of Millie and begins to see her only as a rival and nuisance, while Millie sees Ruth and cold and disapproving.

When the war begins and a married Ruth is living with her husband at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, she receives word that Millie’s husband has died and feels obligated to offer her a home until she can get on her feet. What follows is a potential disaster built upon years of petty jealousies and misunderstandings.

This is a wonderful book; charming in it’s depiction of family life in Brooklyn during the 1930s. This, coupled with a mystery for the second half, makes it a winner.

This WWII story concentrates on two sisters with very different temperaments. Ruth is the older, ‘smarter’ one, and Millie, the emotional, ‘pretty’ one. Millie is clearly the parental favorite. Unfair parenting combined with relentless schoolboy’ goo goo eyes for Millie take a toll on the girls’ relationship, leading to buried secrets and long-term estrangement.

Millie’s character is a sympathetic one while Ruth less so as I often found her mean and self-centered. The supporting cast was terrific. I especially loved Lillian, the Commander’s wife and Arietta, the opera-singer/cook and how these women could make a difference through kindness and wisdom. They are based on real people.

Much of the story takes place at a munitions armory based on a real armory near where the author grew up. Cohenn Loigman was doing local research when she stumbled on the armory’s Forge of Innovation. She found a plethora of related articles and recordings by women who worked on assembly lines as ‘soldiers of production’. Here she found the inspiration for The Wartime Sisters. Her compassion for this dedicated community of women shows.

Make sure to read the Acknowledgements by Colhen Loigman. In fact, I wish I read them first. Having ‘insider’s’ vision would have made bits of the story and characterization even better than they already were.

Sisterhood can be extremely complicated. I am the oldest of three other sisters, so I found this book to be extremely relatable. I could relate to the jealousy, fighting, and oldest child responsibilities that were presented in this book. 

I loved the background setting for this novel. I think that the World War II genre has gotten unoriginal lately, but this book is unique. Yes, it's set during this time, and the war does have a background presence, but I thought this was a unique take on the war and things civilians were employed to do to help the wartime cause. 

I really liked the character of Arietta. She was unique and finding out her background at the end only added to my enjoyment of her. 

Cohen Loigman wrote a wonderful character driven novel that represents the hardships of sisterhood. I think this is an honest, vulnerable, realistic view of it. I can't wait to read her first book which I have on my TBR shelf. 

If you like historical fiction and a story about the complications of family - especially between sisters - I highly recommend this. It comes out tomorrow, January 22, so make sure you get a copy.

I love historical fiction, particularly when it's about the 1940's and WWII. I guess it's because it's hard to imagine such a colossal event as a worldwide war. I honestly can't imagine this happening now.

The Wartime Sisters, by Lynda Cohen Loigman, is full of fascinating details about life at that time. It's also a dark family drama about the animosity between two sisters. Which war are they fighting in: World War II or their own private conflict? Their story was riveting.

What I Liked:

Setting:

The novel begins in 1930's Brooklyn. The two sisters, Ruth and Millie, are constantly being compared by their parents. Millie seems to be favored due to her stunning looks, which causes resentment in Ruth.

Both Brooklyn, and later Springfield, Massachusetts, are shown in positive and negative light. On the one hand, Brooklyn seems like a place of lively comradeship among the neighbors. People look out for each other. But people must also watch out for nosy busybodies. Springfield also has it's share on helpful and troublesome residents. With the war going in the 1040's, paranoia makes everyone a suspected saboteur.

Historical Details:

The details of life at this time are so plentiful. One can tell the author worked hard to make the Springfield Armory come to life, with all the frantic activity of thousands of people coming together to support the war effort. One scene of an Armory dance was particularly memorable. The fact that the organizers had to have various start times to accommodate all the shift workers really brings home how hard these people were working.

Characters:

At first, I found Ruth to be really petty, getting so upset about how people fawned over Millie. But later, I came to see how boxed in Ruth must have felt. Ruth, the responsible older sister, felt she had to be perfect. She could see how Millie wasn't held accountable for anything simply because of her looks. I would probably resent being the responsible child, too!

But Millie did have expectations thrust upon her. Her mother assumes that Millie will find a rich man to marry. Being so pretty, men assume that she will be sexually eager when they go on dates. When Millie rebels and starts seeing a handsome (but disreputable) man, her mother is livid. With so many people telling her she is only valuable for her looks, it's no wonder Millie feels so helpless.

Story:

The story revolves around Ruth and Millie's relationship. Both have a hard time connecting with each other due to many misunderstandings. There are several moments when the sisters could have made choices to support each other, but there would be no story, right? I do think this was pretty realistic, albeit frustrating as a spectator to read.

Ruth and Millie are two sisters that were never close as Ruth was always resentful of Millie, the younger sister. They continue to grow apart after their parents' death, and reunite years later but both clearly have secrets they are not willing to share which makes it difficult. They are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII, where Ruth has been living on campus as an officer's wife. Millie arrives as a war widow and let's just say Ruth does not exactly throw out the red carpet to receive her. They are forced to deal with their secrets when someone from the past resurfaces.

I flew through this one as it was so enjoyable. The women were definitely the prominent characters, the relationships were real, and even though Ruth was frustrating, you understood where she was coming from with her resentments. The book is told from different POV's, which definitely helps with pacing as well as provides the reader insight into each of the women's thoughts. We hear from Ruth and Millie, but also Arietta, the cook at the Armory that is also a singer, and Lillian, the commanding officer's wife. These two women supported Millie as a newcomer, and show just how great it is when women support each other.

All four of these POV's come together to make this a great story that is different than most historical fiction books about WWII and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved Ruth and Millie's journey and watching them coming to terms with their past.

I highly recommend this book, it will be released on 1/22/19. Please add it to your list, you won't be disappointed! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an electronic ARC to review. All above opinions are my own.

I loved this book and it’s new take on WW I I. This book explores the relationship between sisters and families set against the drama of the war
Overall a good read .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Ruth has always. been jealous of her sister Millie- unreasonably so- because of Millie's good looks and easy way with people. Now, as adults, she finds herself bringing Millie, a single mom, into her home at the Armory in Springfield, Mass, where she works in personnel and her husband is a senior researcher. This is less a tale of WWII than it is about the dynamics between these two women. Loigman wisely also includes two others- Lillian and Arietta- who are critical characters. The story moves back and forth in time and perspective (some of the back and forth was a little confusing at first), allowing you to see how everyone arrived at where they were when the novel starts. There's a twist which I found surprising and which is key to the resolution of things between the women. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely written and plotted, this was a good read on a rainy day.

Fabulous read, a little history, sibling rivalry, and something more that indescribable passion to keep reading. We meet Ruth who at 7 gets a new little sister Millie. Ruth is jealous of the attention and beauty of Millie and jealousy plays a part most of the girls lives growing up. After the loss of her husband and a single mom. Millie is invited by Ruth to move where she lives. By this time, Ruth is married to an officer in the military. Some twist and turns, but the ending was great it wasn’t a phony every thing is great. No it was human.