Based on the real group of Smith College alumni who form the Smith College Relief Unit, this story is set during World War I in France, near Somme. Katie Moran never felt a part of the group at Smith College, being both a scholarship student and an Irish Catholic in the group of WASPS. Emmie, although in that group of wealth privilege, is Kate’s closest friend. Emmie is a social worker with a big heart, who convinces Kate to join the group to aid relief efforts in the villages of France. The women become as close as sisters, as they are challenged not only by rough conditions but by constant gunfire. I loved the book, and wish I could have met the women who so bravely helped the villagers who were innocent bystanders to the German invasion. The characters really develop throughout the story, and there are times you will be on the edge of your seat. Thanks to NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

I loved the idea of this book but I found the characters lacking. I did like the story and wanted to see it through to the end but I just found them one dimensional and not relatable at all. Overall I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook and e-book.

Confession: While I was never crazy about Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series, I love her single titles. Band of Sisters might be her best work yet. What I loved best was how she created two very real, likable heroines with very human flaws. The very strengths that make them great relief workers are also what cause most of their problems. The book deals with not just World War 1 (which was such a change of pace) but with issues like pride, self-esteem and the need to belong.

The pacing is well-done too. Unlike some complicated historicals that have to lay pages of groundwork before the real action starts, Willig hits the ground immediately with the women shipping abroad.

Readers will not be disappointed. I highly recommend.

Lauren Willig is an established author, but she is new to me. Band of Sisters, her newest release, has made me a fan. I read it free and early, and my thanks go to Net Galley, William Morrow, and Harper Audio for the review copies. It will be available to the public March 2, 2021.

A group of Smith College alumni sail to France on a mission to help civilians suffering extreme deprivation during World War I. “They carry money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray,” says the promotional blurb, and that’s what happens. It’s hard to make plans when you don’t know which way the battle may turn or where bombs may fall, but these are plucky women, two doctors among them, and several of them are members of wealthy, influential American families as well. The story is based on actual women and events, and the teacher in me wishes I were still in the classroom and able to order sets of this excellent novel to share with honors students, girls especially, who need to see more of themselves in the study of American history.

Our two protagonists are Kate and Emmie, best friends and roommates a decade ago, united in this adventure. Kate is the only woman among the “Smithies” that doesn’t come from money and that doesn’t pay her own way; she is led to believe no one else paid their own way, either, but it isn’t true. And this is a chewy, inviting historical truth that we don’t see often in fiction. Though social class divisions are every bit as present and sharp today, assumptions made by most Americans have become more generous. During the early years of the twentieth century, there was a widely held belief that rich people were better in other ways as well, whether they had earned their fortunes or inherited them. They considered themselves to be God’s own chosen ones, and their wealth was one more sign that the Almighty loved them a bit more than others. Poverty was considered shameful, a thing to be concealed; there were no government funds of any kind to help the poor, and if there had been, women like Kate would have just about died before accepting them. Taking charitable contributions was a sign of personal failure and possibly dishonesty to most people back then. And the truth is, Kate isn’t impoverished, and she surely hasn’t failed at anything, but she has to work to earn her living, a thing most Caucasian women in the U.S. didn’t do in 1917. She is horrified when, midway through our narrative, she learns the truth about her travel expenses, and this creates one of the crises within the story.
Willig is a fine novelist. The pace never flags, and there’s never a moment of revisionism that makes me blink. She is true to the time period and the characters. Emmie’s character is a harder sell, to my way of thinking, because she comes from tremendous wealth, but her family has made her feel unworthy because of her physical appearance, and by the end of the book, I love Emmie as much as I do Kate.

I’ve plucked a sample for you, a scene in which Kate and Emmie are evacuating an area which is being overrun by the Germans:

[Kate] wanted Mrs. Barrett; she wanted Dr. Stringfellow; she wanted anyone who could tell them what to do and where to go. Grecourt looked different already, the anemones churned up by the tread of two hundred soldiers, tents dotted around the lawn, Maybe, if she closed her eyes and wished hard enough, she could make it a week ago; the ground bright with flowers; slipping into story time and holding Zelie on her lap while Nell read to the basse-cour children in French about little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, joking with the unit around the supper table about their amazing ability differentiate between types of guns.
But it wasn’t a week ago. The Big Bad Wolf was here, he was on the march, with his big, big teeth and big, big guns, and maybe she wasn’t the best the Unit could have, but she was what they had right now.

By the time we reach this part of the story, I could not stop reading if I wanted to. It would have been impossible.

The hardest characters for many writers are the children, and although we have no child protagonists, there are numerous scenes in which children play a part. How does a child act when he is traumatized by war? Willig is in perfect form here as well.

I received both the digital review copy and the audio, and I used them both. At the beginning there are so many women introduced to us at once that I felt lost with just the audio, and so I listened and read along to keep track. The narrator, Julia Whelan, does a superb job with a challenging manuscript, changing her tone and point of view to let us know which woman’s point of view we are hearing. My only concern regarding the audio version—which is much easier to follow once you have learned the most important characters—is that the story begins with a lengthy list of the women that participated, and it’s not great to listen to. I recommend you fast forward the audio to somewhere between five and seven percent, and then dive in.

I requested this galley because a number of Goodreads friends whose opinions I respect recommended it to me, and all of them were absolutely right. This book is a gem, and I highly recommend it.

I love historical fiction and the premise for this sounded very good! It was great to take a break from WW2 and this story is quite a special one.

While WW1 was still raging a group of young women from Smith college wanted to do more than just knit socks or make bandages. They formed the Smith College Relief Unit, made their way to France and sought out the villages that were heavily bombed. Through their efforts they were able to help many women and children get the aid that they needed to get them back to where they could once again raise livestock and farm for themselves.

While the story is a good one I had some real issues with it. The main character, Kate, was hard to connect to. She had lots of preconceived ideas about the other women in the unit. She was a scholarship student and always felt looked down upon.

As the story progresses she did grow as a character but I felt that it was a slow and arduous task for the reader.

There is a large cast of characters in this book. We really don’t get to know them all well with the exception of Kate and Emmeline. The girls were from different backgrounds and all had a story to tell, but it was a lot to take in and to keep them all straight. I enjoyed Emmie the most as she was such a kind and caring person, always trying to help others without concern for herself.

There is a lot of back and forth chatter between the girls and more romance than was needed. I felt that this lessened the seriousness of the story and added far more pages to this novel which could perhaps have been edited back from the 528 pages.

This novel is based on extensive research and correspondence from many of the girls in the unit during the unit’s stay in France.

The author’s notes are extensive and informative and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book.

If you don’t mind a slower paced novel, this book might be the right one for you.

This novel is set to publish on March 2, 2021.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

I enjoyed the grit and bravery of this group of single women, graduates of Smith College, sent as aid workers just off the front lines of the battle near the Somme in World War 1. They were industrious and so helpful as they provided necessities and medical care to women and children left behind in war torn villages. I enjoyed their banter and the personalities portrayed by Willig as these women bonded and truly became a Band of Sisters. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.. I received a written copy as well as audiobook formats. The narration was fantastic and helped keep the characters straight.

Kate Moran, a Smith College alumnus and former scholarship student, has graduated and is trying to earn her living when she is contacted by her best friend Emmeline Van Alden. She is asked to join a group of Smith alumni who are going to help French civilians during World War I. She can't imagine being able to go, but when she is asked to take the place of a girl who dropped out, she agrees. The Smith group meets a scene of devastation far worse than they ever imagined, but they pitch in and do their best to help. Along they way, they are shelled by the enemy and hampered by bureaucracy at every turn. Kate and the others learn to face and beat these challenges and more. But Kate's biggest challenge may be learning to trust her fellow Smithies and rising beyond the label of "scholarship girl."

This is a well written novel based on the true story of the Smith College Relief Fund and their work in France during World War I. Each chapter starts with an actual letter from one of the alumni. Some of the events described in these letters are incorporated into the book. The characters are well developed and interesting The concept of class in the midst of war is fascinating. Will the privileged hang on to their prejudices while people are suffering and the Kaiser is trying to kill them all? Willig expertly, through her well-crafted characters, shows the conflicts between classes and shows that people are not always as they seem. In many different ways, Willig reveals Kate’s struggles to see the truth about herself through her own eyes and not her perceptions of what others might be thinking. A little humor and a love story are also threaded nto this captivating tale, which fans of historical fiction and World War I fiction will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book from William Morrow and Custom House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! Even though I have finished, the story and the characters have stayed with me and I think of it often. A tale of courage, adventure and self discovery, Band of Sisters is a must read. Based on a little known true story, and told from the point of view of Kate and Emmie, it is character heavy at first but it doesn't take long to get everyone sorted. While it started a bit slow for me but I was quickly caught up in their adventures, trials and triumphs. Their bravery, working just miles from the front of WWI in France, was amazing and inspiring.

This was the first book I've read by Lauren Willig and it won't be the last.

Band of Sisters is a remarkable story of the devastating destruction in France during World War One and how a resilient group of American women assisted in rebuilding their war-ravaged communities. The story opens as an energetic group of 18 young women, Smith College Grads from the Classes of 1888 – 1914, have joined the Smith College Relief Unit in 1917. Its leader called for dedication and enthusiasm. In only a month from her appeal, the women set sail to France, all dressed in their staunch grey uniforms of many pockets. Their mission is to make a difference for humanity, helping children and women in the recovery efforts. From September 1917 until March 1918, the unit made its headquarters in Grécourt, a village in the Somme valley recently evacuated by the German army. They assisted many surrounding villages throughout the Somme Region. While there, they built a library, a school, a hospital, a store to sell needed items at subsided cost; planted trees and gardens; and provided medical services. As Germany returned to again destroy this area, in March 1918, the unit was forced to leave. Readers will be on the edge of their chair, as they read of the heroic efforts these women made to evacuate the villagers to safety, with bombs and shelling all around. Time and time again, they were forced to evacuate as the Germans came closer to them. The suspense was overwhelming, and it was hard to put the book down! After Armistice, many of the Smith College Relief Unit returned to Grecourt to help the French villagers again rebuild. The story has a good ending.

Through their struggles together, this group of different women with definitely different personalities slowly begins to form a tight circle of friendship and thus, Band of Sisters. Lauren Willig, historian and brilliant author, did extensive research to write this beautiful novel. Characters are based on real-life people, and the events are based on fact. Being a war story, there are several parts of this book that are grueling to read. This book reminds us of the ugliness of war.

Lauren states in the author's notes, that she was steadfast in meeting demanding publisher's deadlines, as the Covid 19 began to shut down everything! But she made it, and her brilliant novel will have readers wanting to learn more about the Smith College Relief Unit and its members. At this time in history, the Women's Suffrage Movement was in strong force. Mostly, women were expected to stay at home, keep house, feed, and care for the family. Therefore, a group of women heading out to help in the war reform movement was a plus for the suffrage movement!

Being a form of an epistolary novel, each chapter begins with a dated letter written home by one of the Band of Sisters or from someone to them. This allows readers to see what the women in the unit, its leaders, and others are thinking. I highly recommend this suspenseful book to lovers of history!

As icing on the cake, the audiobook is incredibly narrated by award-winning Julia Whelan. She has done a remarkable job, as the voice of the many different women, leaders, military personnel, and children in the story! She handles the French language, geography, and dialect exquisitely!

Lauren Willig has skillfully written such an amazing story that I could have travelled in a time machine back to WWI and watched this group of young women become a Band of Sisters as they joined together and shared skills and resources to bring assistance, both physical and mental, to French citizens whose communities have been destroyed by the German war machine. Based on the real life Smith College Relief Unit that deployed 18 young women to a town near Somme that has been leveled leaving the people with no resources. These women would face conditions that would test us today, yet managed to provide the necessities with no access to any but the most basic communications and medical resources.

This book will pull you into the story. You will see these young women face the ravages of war before and after they arrive in France. You'll watch them grow from individuals into a team.....a band of sisters.

Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig is an amazing historical fiction book which features the real life Smith College Relief Unit. It is well researched and brings you into the life of eighteen heroines who dropped everything they had going on to become workers in France during 1917. Those who love this genre will appreciate that this is a World War ONE book, instead of the more frequently told stories of World War II.

I loved every minute of it, and did not want it to end. It is told in multiple voices with excerpts of the real letters found in the archives of Smith College as chapter headings. However, three main fictionalized heroines are featured. Emmie Van Alden is a heiress who has a heritage of social work, Kate Moran a scholarship girl who has work ethic and organizational skills in spades, and Julia Pruyn a doctor who is also Emmie’s cousin but is not independently wealthy. The other members of the unit are based on real life figures and are quite the varied cast of characters.

We are transported into life on the far outskirts of Paris in the French countryside near Somme, the book covers the period during 1917 and 1918. The women are literally just outside two invading armies and they have made it their mission to help restore normalcy and order to those impoverished by the circumstances of the war. They set up shelters, schools, gardening endeavors, Christmas drives, religious celebrations, blanket distributions, daily milk and egg deliveries and so much more.

I personally was floored at the idea of well to do recently graduated college women in 1917 being given a big box of truck parts with the expectation to assemble it and then trust their assembled truck to drive all over rutted roads back and forth to give aid. These women of refinement did not expect to leave the dirty work to others, they actually paid their own way to do this, A group of strangers was changed into a band of sisters.

The mission of helping others and the fight for giving back at all costs was made real. I was especially struck by the idea that all the women shared was that they owed the world much in exchange for the great gifts and opportunities they had been given, They took this mantra to heart and translated it into action. They not only did more than was expected; they also did it with an unfailing courage, a sense of determination, a warm heart, and a sense of humor.

These characters will become real to you, too. You will learn much, but more importantly be inspired by the strength of these strong women. Despite their many challenges they found ways to defy the societal bounds to enact meaningful change. They were not looking for glory, just a chance to do something that was decent and worthwhile. What a legacy they left, you will be better after reading it. Their strength and determination should not be forgotten.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Harper Collins Publishers in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

WWI, 1917. We are introduced to a group of women from Smith College. For the most part, they come from wealthy families, except one. That would be Kate who went to Smith on a full scholarship. This group of women have joined The Smith College Relief Unit, going to France to help those whose lives have been turned upside down by the Germans. The towns they go to have been destroyed out of recognition, the people, old, young and in-between are barely hanging on. It is their mission to bring relief in the form of aid...food, medicine and medical care and whatever it takes to bring some order and normalcy (if possible) to their lives. To make matters worse, these women are not far from the frontlines of war. They are privileged young women from wealthy homes who have much to learn and to experience. All the while they also learn about each other.

Lauren Willig never disappoints, neither did this book. Although this is a fictional story, it was based on true facts. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Willig's newest title is a true tour de force. This book is so different from her other works but yet Willig ensures that several characters have all the humor and sass that one would expect. Readers will experience a roller coaster of emotions with this one. Willig captures and relates the essence of what it feels like when you don't quite fit in. She masterfully transcribes how relationships formed in school continually influence each individual throughout their lives. So many women had to redefine their roles during the war and the group from Smith College was no different. What was remarkable is that they weren't content with the status quo, They wanted to ensure that they weren't simply addressing a momentary need but were creating ways for people to rebuild and sustain themselves after their losses. There were women of the group who weren't able to adapt and there were those who blossomed in the new and stressful environment. Relationships were redefined and strengthened. Acceptance of oneself and love for others is a resounding theme. The sacrifices of all of those who volunteered is exemplified within the pages of this book. A beautifully well written story.

Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig lifted up my spirits, not easy to do in the waning days of 2020 and with a story set in wartime. But Band of Sisters delivers on all fronts: fascinating historical details about World War 1 and an intrepid group of American college women; complex fictional female characters that ground the story and genuinely develop; succinct observations on how class, religion, and education shape relationships; and finally, that true sisterhood is messy but lasting. Lauren Willig creates a compelling narrative based on the true story of a group of Smith graduates who arrived in France in the middle of the war to do good works for the people of France, not the American troops. I loved diving into this little-known story about a war that doesn't get equal shelf space to World War II. Will be recommending on Satellite Sisters. An excellent book club choice.

Lauren Willig is a masterful hf writer, and BAND OF SISTERS is her best novel yet! Based on a true but little-known story of Smith College women who join forces to help during WWI. They form the Smith College Relief Unit, sail to France in 1917, bringing supplies and money and two female doctors, only to find themselves in ... HELL!

Shells fly, smoke rises from ruins, terror grows as the Germans draw nearer. War in all its horrors, made worse by French red tape, British distrust, and group infighting.

You’ll cheer as the Smith women overcome these obstacles to bring hope and succor to destitute villagers, saving lives as they fight for their own, becoming a fierce BAND OF SISTERS. A must-read for hf lovers intrigued by WWI and courageous women. I loved it!

5 of 5 Stars

Thanks to the author, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021
#BandofSisters #NetGalley

I really loved this book. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because it took me a little while to really get invested in the characters. By the end though, I was rooting for them and audibly gasped a few different times. The author really gave a voice to each individual character.

I found this to be a lovely book of sisterhood and it made me very interested to look into other books about the aid work that was done by civilian women in both WWI and WWII.

Sometimes you get the perfect book at the perfect time.
I have been in such a reading slump lately. Then, the literary goddesses smile on you and you get a book like BAND OF SISTERS by the Lauren Willig. Thanks to my current slump, I picked it up with trepidation, but ended up finishing it in one setting. It has been ages since I have done that but this book deserves the attention.
Following the United States' entry into World War I, Smith alum and all around super woman, Harriet Boyd Hawes organized a group of Smith alumnae to provide aid to the war ravaged French countryside. With tons of support from many Smithies, the women were sent to a rural area of France, establishing their base at Grecourt, and applying their formidable skills to helping the villagers with food, medicine, supplies, and emotional support in order to help them rebuild all that the German armies had destroyed. The fact that this disparate and unlikely group succeeded makes for an amazingly compelling true story. Put this into the hands of a super talented writer like Lauren Willig, and the story becomes absolutely enthralling.
The characters in this book are unforgettable. The story is gripping and action packed, and, maybe even more importantly, it reminds us that during the darkest of times there will always be those who try to help. This book celebrates the human spirit in a such a moving way. By telling the tale of these women who gave so much, it reminds us of the best of humanity and what it means to care about something bigger than ones self. This is a book about compassion, courage, and community, and it is exactly the book I needed to read right now. I can't wait to share this with readers. This has potential to be an excellent group read!

A beautifully crafted story with wonderfully developed characters that pull you in from the start. A lovely story to get lost in! Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

The author reports becoming engrossed by the true story of the Smith College Relief Unit, a group of American college women formed in 1917 who went to the Somme to give aid and assistance to French citizens during World War I. Willig used the vast collection of letters and journals by Unit Members still housed at Smith College to form her own story, using the women’s actual experiences to provide the story for her fictional characters.

Thus we read about Kate Moran and seventeen other alumnae who sailed to France with money, supplies, and high ideals.

Of course when they arrived, nothing was what they expected. The inn where they were to stay was mostly a big pile of ruins. They had no vehicles. They had no experience with the farm animals that were to feed them. Dangers increased when an invasion by Germany became imminent. By that time, they were committed to the villagers, and helped them evacuate instead of running themselves.

All of these brave hard-working women from the Smith College Relief Unit survived the war and helped many of the French villagers to survive as well, becoming heroines in a story not well known (up to now) about Americans overseas during World War I.

Willig is to be commended for bringing this story to light with her meticulous research and good plotting and pacing. It’s a story you won’t soon forget!

Read if you: Want an engrossing, heartbreaking, and mesmerizing story of young college women (from Smith) who performed needed and sometimes dangerous relief work in France during World War I.

Librarians/booksellers: Your historical fiction fans will love this. A must read for anyone who loves historical fiction about strong women.

Many thanks to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.