“The Liberty Scarf” was extremely well written and tied the three stories together in a way that I was not expecting for the ending. Hearing the emotions of the narrators and the experiences that they were having as a result of their careers and the impact of the war on those careers pulled me into their stories as a participant and not just an observer. The historical side of the novel brought into the limelight parts of the war that I had never considered - the role of operators, the impact of designers, and the army’s musical groups.

I would prefer simply not to comment on a book rather than to leave a negative review; however, I received access to this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, so here it is:

I really did not care for this book. It’s made up of three novellas; the first one, and even the second, kept my interest well enough…but, unfortunately, by the time I made it to the third (which was highly repetitive), I found myself eagerly anticipating this book’s end.

There were several aspects I appreciated:
• the intention of the authors to showcase how seemingly ordinary things bring beauty and hope even in dark times (friendship, art, music, even fashion)
• the WWI setting
• the cover 🤷🏻‍♀️
• that the three stories tied together at the end

If you enjoy history, clean romance, and have an appreciation for the smaller things in life, you might enjoy this book! Ultimately, it just wasn’t for me.

Title: The Liberty Scarf
Author: Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillian
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld
Publisher: Harper Muse
Length: Approximately 9 hours and 58 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and Harper Muse as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank you!

Do you like to wear scarves? Do you have a favorite one? I liked the wearing scarves trend of last decade, but now I only wear a scarf when it’s cold with my jacket. I have a soft red one that is my favorite.

The Liberty Scarf is three wonderful stories set during WWI that are all tied together by a scarf. The first story is set in London. Iris works for Liberty Scarfs and dreams of being able to design scarves of her own. Captain Rex Conrad is a wounded soldier back in London to raise funds for the war effort. His friends bet him to ask out the first women who enters the door and that woman is Iris. They start a relationship, but when Rex is called back to serve on the front, they make plans to meet again. When he is wounded again, will they be able to reunite?

The second story is of Genevieve Tremblay. She is dating the wealthy Peter, but his family does not approve of her as she is from the wrong side of town as a Canadian immigrant living in Lewiston, Maine. She is a telegraph operator and she enlists in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. On her way to France, she has a brief stopover in London and meets a dashing French captain named Maxime. Maxime and Genevieve start to correspond, and he sends her a scarf that Iris designed. But with Peter still in the background, will Genevieve and Maxime’s friendship be able to turn to romance?

Clara Janssens is a nurse in Brussels where she meets violinist Roman. They bond over their shared love of music and continue to write to each other when Roman returns to the front. His letters take a turn and Clara wonders, will their love still be the same when the war is over?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This novel is made up of three separate novellas and one epilogue.

• Many parts of these stories take place during the Christmas season. I loved reading this leading up to Christmas in real time.

• The audiobook was wonderful. I enjoyed the different narrators for the different parts of the story. For example, the first story was narrated alternatively by Rex or Iris, or by two different voice actors.

• I liked the comparison of two designers in the first story. Iris wanted to design scarfs while Rex was an architect who wanted to design buildings.

• I enjoyed how the Liberty scarf was woven throughout all three stories. "Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul."

• I really loved the strength of the characters in each of the stories and how they are trying to make it through the long and bloody war. Their romance stories were also delightful.

• I greatly enjoyed the epilogue which not only tied up all the ends of these stories, but also linked them even more together.

• I learned a lot of new things in this novel about WWI, for example about General Pershing’s Hello Girls.

• Many parts of the story were told through the letters passed between the main characters.

• The authors' notes at the end were fantastic and each author described the inspirations for her story.

• There are also discussion questions at the end of the novel as well. I think this would be a great book club selection to discuss, particularly around the Christmas and winter seasons.

Overall, The Liberty Scarf is a beautiful story of three different women and their journey through WWI. The connection via one special scarf, characters, and plots were all very interesting. I highly recommend this novel to any historical fiction lover.

I really enjoyed this story and thought that the audio was well done. I liked how the scarf ultimately connected all of the characters.

This is a beautifully written book about finding hope in the darkness of war. Three women from different places trying to find their way during World War I. As they face the horrors of war they find love and when it is threatened they find the strength to have hope. Tying the stories together is a beautiful Liberty of London scarf with the Emily Dickenson quote "Hope is the thing with feathers" embroidered into it. The characters and their stories were compelling and I did not want to stop reading until I knew the outcome. I highly recommend this book for readers that enjoy historical fiction about strong women.

The narrators did a good job of giving the characters a voice. I found myself immersed in the story.

THE LIBERTY SCARF by Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan is a work of historical fiction set on both sides of the Atlantic during WWI. This novel has three parts and they all share the connection of a beautiful Liberty scarf. Thoughts of Liberty fabrics and the main store's gorgeous building in London were some of the reasons I so liked this book. The heroines were strong women and self-reliant. In the first section, readers meet Iris who aspires to be a designer for Liberty, and Rex, a wounded soldier/architect. The second part is my favorite and features Geneviève Tremblay. Jenny, as she is called, is a telephone operator who faces prejudice in the States because of being a French Canadian. Ironically, it is her native language (and operator skills) which makes her especially valuable in the war effort in Europe where she meets Maxim, a vintner. The third part of the novel tells the story of Clara, a nurse, and Roman, a violinist. The three stories connect eventually in December 2018 and combine romance and history; as the publisher says, THE LIBERTY SCARF is "a testament to the resilience of women and the enduring power of hope and unity in the harshest of times." Emily Dickinson's "'Hope' is the thing with Feathers" is an oft-quoted reference and there is reflection about having faith and courage to find a new path. The authors' notes further explain their writing to celebrate unsung heroines like the telephone operators. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ann Marie Gideon; Gary Furlong; Caroline Hewitt; and Saskia Maarleveld; I would definitely recommend. 4.5 stars

The Liberty Scarf: A Story of Three Women, and a Scarf That Binds Them Together was written by three talented authors, Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan. It took place during World War I during 1917-1918. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated extremely well by Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt and Saskia Maarleveld. It was about three very brave, ambitious and caring women, the men who came to mean everything to them and a scarf that connected all of them in a beautiful way. The Liberty Scarf took place in London, Lewiston, Maine, France and Belgium.

Iris Braxton was employed at Liberty Company in London as a painter. Her true aspiration was to be given the opportunity to be a pattern designer. Unfortunately, back in the early 1900’s only men were considered worthy of such positions. A female pattern designer was unheard of. Iris never lost hope or sight of her desire. One day her talents would be recognized. Therefore, Iris never ventured far without her sketch pad. She never knew when an idea would come to her. Then one day Iris made the acquaintance of Captain Conrad Jones. Their acquaintance began as a dare but soon materialized into a mutual attraction and respect for one another. Conrad supported and encouraged Iris’s ambitions. Their feelings for one another grew stronger as time passed.

Genevieve Tremblay was the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. They had settled in Lewiston, Maine. Genevieve, her younger brother and her parents lived in a poorer neighborhood in Lewiston. She had a job as a telephone operator. Genevieve’s boyfriend Peter’s family were much more affluent and better connected than her own family. There were times when Genevieve wondered if Peter was embarrassed by her French-Canadian origins and where she lived. When Genevieve learned that the US Army Signal Corps was looking for telephone operators or “hello girls” that were fluent in French she felt that this was her opportunity to improve her status in Peter’s eyes. Once in France, Genevieve met Captain Maxime Auvray one day by chance. There was an instant connection between the two but Genevieve was quick to mention her relationship with Peter. She had no intention of betraying Peter’s trust. For now, Genevieve would settle for being friends with Maxime. Maxime’s family produced wine in France and that was Maxime’s passion.

The third brave, passionate and dedicated woman was named Clara Janssens. She lived in Belgium with her father. When Clara’s mother died, Clara assumed the role of taking care of her father. Clara had trained to be a nurse. Her father finally convinced Clara to go where she was needed. One night, Clara was attending a concert given by fellow soldier musicians to boost the morale of their fellow soldiers when there was an enemy attack and lots of casualties. Clara was at the sight of all the casualties and then at a converted palace that served as a hospital. It was there that Clara began caring for a patient named Roman Allaire. There was something about Roman Allaire that drew Clara to him and allowed Clara to speak candidly to him. She noticed his beautiful violin near his bed. When Roman finally gained consciousness, Clara learned that he was from Strausbourg, France. Roman shared his passion for his violin and music with Clara. It was evident that both Roman and Clara had developed feelings for each other.

A beautifully designed scarf connected these brave women and the men they fell in love with. I enjoyed how the women all discovered each other by the end by recognizing the scarf that had special meanings to each one of them. I think that Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan wrote a very memorable book together about three very strong women. It was interesting how limited women were in their opportunities during this time period. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Liberty Scarf and highly recommend it.

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Liberty Scarf: A Story of Three Women, One War, and a Scarf That Bonds Them Together by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley and excited to start listening to the Liberty Scarf. The description made it sound so interesting and something I’d gravitate towards. I really really wanted to like it more than I did. But… it was very slow going. I was expecting the stories to be intertwined and more depth throughout. Each story abruptly ended before starting on a completely different story. Typically these kind of books draw on my emotions but this was very surface level. I did like that it was WWI as it’s not as represented as WWII. The 3 women were each strong and inserted themselves to make a difference during an oppressive time. The scarf connects them.

The Liberty Scarf is a collection of 3 novellas based in WWI. Each story follows a different woman and her experience during the winter of 1918.

1- Iris live in London and works for the Liberty Scarf Co.
2- Genevieve is a French-Canadian immigrant in Maine that is going to France to serve as a bilingual phone operator at the front.
3- Clara is a war nurse from Belgium serving in France.

I really liked all 3 stories. At first, I didn't know it was 3 stories by 3 different authors, but the way the stories connect through a scarf was interesting. I was totally hooked on these stories and loved the writing. The book tells stories of love, romance, and finding hope during war. Really a beautifully written book with lovely characters. I listened to the audiobook, and it is very well done with wonderful narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook for review.

I have enjoyed historical fiction stories for as long as I can remember. This was a fun one to read! This had everything you could want in a story - compelling characters, different plots and a great storyline.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts!

After joining forces on their 2023 novel, The Castle Keepers, authors Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan are back with another collaborative book, The Liberty Scarf. Mainly set during the final year of World War I, we follow three different women working within the war, finding love along the way, and united by a recurring theme of hope via a special scarf. Though I don’t read much war fiction these days, I enjoyed this book quite a lot!

The Liberty Scarf is set up like an anthology of three novellas. First there is Iris, a woman who works at Liberty in London and aspires to design her own scarf. She meets Rex, a wounded soldier, who helps in her career ambitions. Then there is Geneviève, a French Canadian woman living in Maine who joins the US Army Signal Corps to work as a bilingual operator. She comes from a working class background, is more or less engaged to the wealthy Peter, and is finding friendship with a French man, Maxime. And finally there is Clara, a Belgian woman working as a nurse in Brussels but who is drawn to life’s stories. She tends to a violinist named Roman, quickly developing a fleeting romance limited to his time in her hospital. But as war continues to tear through Europe, will these six characters find lasting happiness?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
• Three novellas as one full-length novel
• Partially epistolary
• Recurring scarf and poem motifs
• Third-person POV (Iris; Rex; Geneviève; Clara; Roman)

What I Liked:

• Loosely interconnected stories. Though the stories feel rather distinct from one another, with possibly no overlapping characters (for a while!), they do having recurring themes that glue them together. Iris, Geneviève, and Clara are connected by a Liberty scarf that holds special value to each. And while all three women are contributing to the war effort in some way, they also each find love with a soldier. Each of their stories ends on a cliffhanger… until the epilogue!

• Letters! All three sections have correspondence as a central portion of the characters’ relationship arcs. When Rex is called back to the frontlines, he and Iris write letters about their respective career wins. Geneviève and Maxime become friends while in France, and grow their friendship via letters, even as Geneviève worries about her relationship with her would-be fiancé, Peter. Clara and Roman fall in love when she tends to him as a nurse, bonding over their shared affinity for the arts. But letters are the only thing keeping them together after being driven apart.

• “Hope is the thing with feathers.” While the scarf is a recurring motif that the characters wear and cherish, the Emily Dickinson quote that inspired it is also an important theme that comes up again and again. As hopeless as war can feel, these characters cling to this poem and this quote as a guiding light amidst a dark time.

Audiobook
The audio version of The Liberty Scarf is narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, and Saskia Maarleveld. Each has an inviting speaking style and cadence, allowing listeners to get comfortable yet keeping interest alive throughout. I enjoyed the different accents used to make each character—whether English or French or Belgian—feel more authentic and vibrant. With a European setting, I loved hearing the different languages and accents from the myriad countries involved in the war.

Final Thoughts
The Liberty Scarf is a novel of hope, strength, and love no matter how dark the times become. I loved the format of three interrelated stories sharing recurring motifs and a hint of character connection at the end. Even as wars rage on today, this book offers some hope and love despite it all.

This was such an enjoyable one! Three couples are connected during the Great War by a Liberty of London scarf. The story is set in the winter of 1917 and is divided into three parts. Each part features a couple's story, and then the three threads connect in the epilogue. I enjoyed this format instead of having to juggle three story lines at once. I love this trend of writing collaborations in historical fiction, especially when the writing is as seamless and as well done as in this book.

After finishing the book, I had to peruse Liberty scarves online, and it was easy to see why the authors took inspiration from these beautiful works of art.

Great historical fiction book. I love the passion & dedication presented by the characters. Will definitely recommend to friends.

“I think liberty is as lovely a word as hope.”

This is easily one of the most memorable historical fiction novels I’ve read this year.

The way the liberty scarf tied together each story was truly remarkable. Every tale stood out, each offering something unique. One introduced me to the history behind the Liberty scarf, its iconic storefront, and the origin of the term “blighty.” Another delved into the contributions of the U.S. Army Signal Corps and the “Hello Girls” under General Pershing. The third illuminated Pieter Bruegel’s The Blind Leading the Blind and the orchestra that uplifted soldiers’ morale on the frontlines.

Every character was a joy to follow, but The Feathered Hope will linger with me the longest. The epilogue beautifully wrapped up the narratives, giving readers a sense of closure and satisfaction.

That said, I wish the cover’s scarf better represented the Liberty scarf described in the book—it felt disconnected from the rich history it embodies.

“Everything tastes sweeter when served with a heaping spoonful of nostalgia.”

Many thanks to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for gifting me a copy. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

The Liberty Scarf
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a Beautiful story for December & Christmas. The Authors collaboration together is perfect. I loved it! A beautiful Scarf connects three different woman in the Winter of 1917. It was really enjoyable. I loved hearing & learning about more history through the story. Truly a great treat. It made me look & feel my scarfs. LOL The Audio was great!!
Thank you NetGalley!

This was a lovely read. Great sense of atmosphere, well researched, and very well written. Even though each of the three stories felt like they ended abruptly it does wrap up nicely in the end. I must admit there was a certain amount of story change fatigue for me by the 3rd story because I am still living in the two previous worlds. The 3rd chance felt more like work to get through because I'm still thinking about the last two stories.

In The Liberty Scarf by Aimie Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachael McMillan, we are given an insight into the lives of three quite different but resolute women. There is Iris trying to get her talent seen and accepted. She is also attempting to decide her feelings for Rex. Clara is a nurse helping wounded men during World War I. Roman a young man drawn to music instead of his father’s profession. Genevieve was responsible for phone communications during the war. She is drawn to Maxime, whose world is so different from hers. All six of these people are drawn together by a horrific war and a beautiful scarf whose design is meant to inspire hope. A sweet novel.

War is hard and all three authors in the book bring this out. Beautifully crafted, we have three couples (I liked each one of them) who have hope, dreams and love to give. They lives are intertwined and we get to see how in the end. I was almost not going to read this book but decided to continue. What a mistake it would have been if I had not read it! Lovely, poignant and romantic.

#netgalley #TheLibertyScarf

The Liberty Scarf AUDIO by Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan is an enjoyable story taking place toward the end of World War I and is vignettes about three different couples, separated by war. The thread that binds their stories is an expensive art scarf, sold exclusively at Liberty department store in London. The first story is Iris who paints other people’s designs on the scarves. She longs to design them. She meets a man, Captain Rex Conrad, before he is shipped off. The next story is Genevieve, a telephone operator from Maine, although she she is French-Quebequois. Her beau is local, but from a different strata of society and key in the telephone business in Lewiston. They have an informal understanding. She meets a French officer called Maximillian and writes to him after he leaves. The third is a Belgian nurse who meets a violinist when he is under her care after being wounded. Only Genevieve is disappointed by her “fiance” and struggles to locate Max.

This is a wonderful listen, full of strong personalities and interesting stories. War is difficult at best, and keeping in contact nearly impossible. Genevieve has managed to retain her post in Europe, although moving to Strasbourg. She is worried about her family who need her income to survive. She is worried her former beau may cut her out of her job. One asks if any of these romances will continue to fruition. Well, remember this is a romance. It is full of drama, mostly because of the war. It encounters death and mutilation and as well as interesting situations and background on what serving the in war was like. It was excellent. I loved it. It proves love goes beyond physical limitations.

It was narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt and Saskia Maarleveld who brought the story to life in an extraordinary way. They did the appropriate accents well, not too pronounced, but enough. It was so easy to get caught up in their renditions of this excellent book.

I was invited to listen to The Liberty Scarf by Harper Collins Focus. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #HarperCollinsFocus #AimieKRunyan #JnellCiesieliski #RachelMcMillan #AnnMarieGideon #GaryFurlong #CarolineHewitt #SaskiaMaarleveld #TheLibertyScarf

The Liberty Scarf, a collaborative work of three authors, presents an interesting perspective on life during WWI. I love Liberty fabrics and was intrigued by the character of Iris, who works for the company and yearns to design brightly-colored scarves as a sign of hope, during the dark days of the war. She and Genevieve were my favorite characters in this story of three couples who meet—and are separated—during the war. I found the stories a bit uneven, perhaps due to the collaborative writing, but the scarf that provides the main thread of the story is fascinating. I couldn’t wait for the moment when the three stories were tied together (pun intended) and it was very good, although it seemed brief and rushed. I really enjoyed this on audiobook, and I thank the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to share this honest review.