4.5 stars

When you see in the book's description: "Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own," it is no lie.

I give this book 5 stars for its historical accuracy, 5 stars for the compelling storyline, and, although interesting, only 3.5 stars for all of the football/soccer (I'm not a huge fan of soccer). I found it interesting to read the Author's notes on women's Soccer in Britain through the years and how sexist it all was compared to how it is now.

The work in these munitions plants is hair-raising, and I don't think I could do it even for the good of my country. Thank goodness we've invented machines to do jobs such as these. The horror these strong women face by being canary girls is amazing. It's bad enough to worry about being blown to bits, but add in the fact that none of the women complained about their yellowing skin, bleached and yellowing hair, or even the fact that the women were dying from working with TNT. It was not like it would be today.

I love history mixed with my fiction, and this book was perfect for me. I love learning about new things while being entertained by a good story. The stories of April, Helen, Lucy, and Marjorie were heartwarming. There were the expected tragedies...aren't there always s tragedies during wartime? But there was happiness also.

Perfect!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher William Morrow & Company, the author, and NetGalley.

A deep immersion into 1914 London and a munitions factory where the female workers are called Canary Girls because the chemicals they work with turn them yellow and also give them disease. The setting and time period are more the subject of the book than the girls themselves.

This book shares the hardship of women munition workers in England during World War I.

Historical fiction is my usual jam, but by the halfway mark of this book I found my attention to be wandering. While it was interesting to learn about the Canary Girls, I didn't connect with the characters and the football matches were a bit too many for my personal taste. Perhaps a sports fan would appreciate the football scenes more than I did.

I received a free copy of the book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I began reading Chiaverini when she was writing the Elm Creek Quilts books, and have enjoyed her move into historical fiction The Canary Girls is a World War I book focusing on the home front, and particuarly on the effects of the women at home in the work force. The opportunity to work in an ammunition factory provided a much better wage for women than working as a servant in upper class homes. Never mind that the materials they worked with had the affect of coloring their skin yellow--blessidly today, that would never be allowed, but times were different. The book also gives a picture of the class system and English futbol. It was accepted for women to play during World War I, but after the was was over, it was considered to be unseemly. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and was under no pressure for a positive review.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini

It is always a pleasure to recommend an historical novel by Jennifer Chiaverini, and Canary Girls is no exception. When it hits the bookshops, it will be a joy to discuss it with book browsers.

Set in World War I in England, the focus is on three major female leads: Helen, the wife of a munitions factory owner; April, a domestic servant who signs on to work the TNT line, the most dangerous position where bullets are filled; and Lucy, the wife of an elite football (soccer) player who leaves with his team for the war front. The lives of these women along with so many others will intertwine as "Canary Girls" nicknamed as such because of the change in the color of their skin as they continue to work with TNT do their part to support the war effort.

This historical novel deals with the struggles during war, the constant fear of a disaster at the factory and the opportunity to form friendships through sports as the young women form a football team and begin to play other England teams. These extraordinary women come to rely on each other for so much more than support on the field.

Chiaverini has provided in-depth resources for further reading. World War I was so much more than male troops fighting in Belgium and France and this author has created such a detailed world of how war affects everyone.

"Every shell they made hastened the end of the war, speeding the return of their absent loved ones. And for the grieving widows and sisters and mothers, every shell was a blow for vengeance, smoldering and bitter and full of anguish and spite."

Canary Girls was an excellent read! My heart was with all of these women and their real-life counterparts as they risked their lives for the war effort, for their men, for the money for themselves and their families, for a variety of reason as Ms. Chiaverini showed all too clearly. I also had no idea about the women's football teams in the UK, so I learned a lot here! Canary Girls makes you feel like you're right there with these brave women, and I absolutely recommend this title.

Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A fascinating story about female munition workers during WWI who also played football (soccer); they were called the Canary girls. There are three POVs and they are all compelling. April is young and joins the factory for better hours and pay then being in service. Lucy’s husband is a soldier and she works to be able to keep their home and meet the bills. She will also do anything to bring her husband home and hopes her contribution makes a difference. Helen’s father was German and she’s a suffragette. She marries Mr. Purcell whose father owns several factories. One of which is converted to munitions. The TNT in the bombs turns the women’s skin yellow and bleached the color from their hair. Some munitionettes even died from blood poisoning. The characters and their lives are fascinating. The author truly brings this time period and these incredible women to life. A must read for all historical fiction fans. Don’t miss the author’s notes at the end. They are fascinating!

A great read-alike: The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh.

Available August 8, 2023!
#CanaryGirls #JenniferChiaverini #HistoricalFiction #WWI #BookRecommendation

Excellent historical fiction set in WW1 London.
This book is well-researched. Before reading this, I had never heard of "canary girls". I learned something from this very entertaining novel. The characters, situation, and setting were beautifully developed. I got to know all of these women and enjoyed their relationships with each other. The author successfully created the atmosphere of WW1 London. I felt that I was there and could picture the scenes as I read. In my opinion, this would make a great movie.
The author seamlessly wove the different aspects of the characters' lives together with their role as amateur footballers playing a major part. I found the day-to-day lives of the canary girls fascinating. The narrative allowed me to experience their emotions and exhaustion along with them.
I have read Chiaverini before and like her work. I feel this is an excellent example of her work. I would recommend it to anyone interested in WW1, early 20th century history (fic or nonfic), women's fic, and history of women's sports.
Very enjoyable, engrossing novel.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Chiaverini has done it again ...written an excellent historical fiction novel and given me a bit of a history lesson on the side! I loved this story of these women who put their lives on the line to work in the munitions field to help with the war effort.

Canary Girls
Jennifer Chiaverini
August 8, 2022
Harper Collins
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is a very interesting book based on struggles of the women who worked in munitions factories in Great Britain during WW I.
My only complaint is the book is a bit dry and didn’t hold my attention.
3 stars

I have enjoyed all of Jennifer Chiaverini's historical fiction books, and I am glad to have read her newest one here. I look forward to recommending it to our library patrons later this year. I am always happy to find novels that are set during the First World War, and this is one of those. From reading previous books by this author, I know that she does her research and that her novels are historically accurate. This is a story, mostly set in London, about the different women who meet working at a munitions factory during the war. The character development is excellent, and the writing is top notch. Highly recommended !

The Canary Girls is set in London during WWII, and focuses on the Munitionettes. They are women who worked in the munitions factories during the war, producing ammunition for all of England's forces. All of the jobs are difficult, exhausting, and tedious, but the "Danger Building" employees face the greatest risk of all. They actually pack the chemical powder into the bombs while breathing in the powder and living among the all-encompassing dust. Unbeknownst to them initially, this powder is poisonous. As they form friendships despite a variety of home and life situations, and become a close knit group, they start to notice similar symptoms among workers who've been there the longest. As the group gels, symptoms get worse, and the war intensifies (nights in bomb shelters, little sleep, rationed food, etc) but this doesn't stop them from forming a soccer team. Their team, "The Canary Girls" is so named because the powder that they work with turns their skin yellow. It also makes their hair white/thin, causes them to cough and lose weight, so their appearances are drastically altered. As the war winds down and their lives include the fallout, the soccer team is what keeps them going. Wonderful story! It will keep you reading (and cheering for the characters).

I received a copy of this book from net galley, the thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I’ve been reading Jennifer Chiaverini books for a long time. I started with the Elm creek quilters and moved onto the historical fiction (which have turned out to be my favorites). And if I’m being completely honest I have certain time frames that interest me more than others. World War 1 holds a special interest for me- so this was all right up my alley.
One of the things I like about her books are the multi person point of view. There are 3 main characters so each chapter is a different view point that advances the story and you can see where they all intersect and where everyone came from. I also like that each character has a different background (one was a wife and mother , one came from domestic service, one was a scholar’s secretary …) In canary girls they all come together to make munitions for the war. It’s not just how the war changed their lives, but also working with the dangerous chemicals (TNT) that changed their health and their friendships, but also brought them altogether on the pitch.
I also liked that this one came out on the heels of the switch board soldiers and woman’s march. This book is just more pieces to what all was going on leading up to WW1 and the duration of the war. You can see all these things come together and play out. For me this one read a little like downton abbey meets bomb girls. I liked it , and would recommend it- it was a quick easy historical read

I really enjoy Jennifer Chiaverini's historical fiction novels, and this one did not disappoint. I always learn about a time or event in history that I didn't know about. What a joy to read and learn at the same time! This book focused on the "munitionettes", the brave women who worked in the arsenals in London during WW1. They worked with deadly chemicals like TNT, making bullets for the men fighting in continental Europe. This was a dangerous job, and between the possibility of explosions and the toll it took on their health- this work was a massive sacrifice of the part of these women. The title, "Canary Girls", comes from the fact that working with the TNT turned their skin yellow and even changed the color of their hair.
The novel moves between three women: Helen, married to the owner of the arsenal, April, who takes the job to escape the poor pay and drudgery of being a maid, and Lucy, married to a footballer serving in the British forces. I highly recommend this book. I truly admire these brave women who served in their own way during WW1.

I learned so much about " munitionettes" and their dedication to helping their country during WW1.
Many of these women felt an obligation to help manufactor arsenal for the military since their sons, brothers and husbands were on the front lines fighting the German soldiers. They assumed if they kept "the boys" flush in bullets they could win the war quickly and thus, get their men home sooner.
Working long hours together, these ladies became like family for one another. They even spent non-working hours together. one of the most note worthy past times became football (soccer for us Americans). There was even a "Munitionettes Cup" in 1918.
Their hard work and dedication - even when work became detrimental to their health- changed the way society veiwed them. This garnered them greater freedom and fostered a strong backing for a woman's right to vote.

There is value in this novel due to it's rich historical content, but for me the storyline that was to propel the timeline of the novel fell a bit flat. I found myself skimming pages containing no dialogue. Some of the novel became bogged down with soccer matches and other non-essential information that just didn't seem necessary or significant to give the story any real value.

While not a "bad" read it is not a book I would readily recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Another wonderful book by Jennifer Chiaverini! The characters were very engaging and the setting was very interesting. I loved learning about this part of the world during WWI! Another must read from this author!

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley.com, and in exchange for a fair review. I am a fan of Jennifer Chiaverini, and I had high hopes for this new novel after reading "Switchboard Soldiers" last year, which was exceptional. However, this novel was not as engaging as I was hoping it would be. The protagonists weren't compelling enough, despite consistently reading the first 20% of the novel, it kept losing my attention and although I wanted to like these women, they weren't as captivating as I would have liked.

I read more than 50% of this novel, and although it definitely improved as the plot shifted the characters to working at the manufacturing facility for shells, but I personally preferred the "Switchboard Soldiers" to this one. I rate this novel 3 stars out of 5.

I absolutely love historical novels. It’s one of my favorite genres to read because I always learn something new. I had never heard of the canary girls from World War I before reading this book, and I loved learning about the contributions they made to the war effort and the many sacrifices they endured for their country. I also enjoyed learning about the women football leagues and how they defied the gender bias of that era. This was my first time reading a Jennifer Chiaverini novel, and it reminded me a lot of Kristin Harmel’s work. You can easily tell a ton of research went into writing this story, and I admire that. The only thing I didn’t particularly care for was some of the dialogue, especially from Helen and Arthur. It was very prim and proper and felt out of place. (Words like “shan’t” and “jolly” were used quite often). Perhaps this is just how middle and upper-class British people talk, but either way it was annoying. Overall, though, I would gladly recommend this book to everyone because it has a wonderful plot and is full of interesting historical facts. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer Chiaverini‘s work in the near future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harpers publishing for this early copy of Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini. I couldn’t put this book down! I have never heard of f the Canary Girls who worked at the arsenal plants before. In order to survive these women went to work in the arsenal plants while their husbands went to war. Because of the chemicals in the bombs the women got a yellow tinge and some became very sick. So brave! Their one relaxing moment was playing womens football , can you imagine? Read all the details in this marvelous historical novel!