I really enjoyed reading The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir! I felt as if I was living right there in Chilbury. This story takes place in England in 1940 during World War II. It is a story mostly about Mrs. Tilling, Mrs. Brampton Boyd, Ms. Paltry, Mrs. Winthrop, and Mrs. Quail, and their families. It is told through journal entries, diary entries, and letters, but it reads like a story. I often forgot whose words I was reading as I read through the pages. The story has a dark, solemn undertone with the war going on and the events that occur because of the war. Daily, they have to deal with food rationing, blackouts, air raids, and the very real possibility of their loved ones’ deaths. The formation of the choir and the singing help to lessen this dark war atmosphere. The ladies begin to gain strength and learn to stand together. Don’t think this book is just about the ladies’ choir! There are many surprises along the way that will keep your emotions going up and down. There was one particular moment in the story where I was laughing out loud and couldn’t stop laughing! If you like historical books or books about small towns, you will love this book!

This is the story of the townspeople of Chilsbury during the beginning of World War II. It was a bit unusual that the story was told entirely in first person, by a cast of different characters through journals and letters. The journals and letters did not overlap except in a very few instances, so the entire story was not covered by one point of view in its entirety. The unreliability of some of the narrators brought a sense of incompleteness to the story. Overall, only a few of the characters were truly well-defined, because of the style of exposition did not lend itself to anything but self-evaluation, and few people are capable of doing so with accuracy.

Still, I enjoyed this story, and seeing how participation in the Chilsbury Ladies Choir touched each woman's life - some superficially and some profoundly. It was a gentle read, with a suitably upbeat yet open ending.

At the start of World War II, the women of the small village of Chilbury take the bold move of forming an all-women choir after the men have gone off to war. This novel tells their stories through journal entries and letters as they learn how to survive and even grow with the aid of their music and friendship. From the widow who faces the possible loss of her only son and the young Jewish refugee whose parents and baby brother remain under Nazi threat, to the beautiful, rebellious daughter of an abusive brigadier general and the unscrupulous midwife who will go to extremes to change her life, Jennifer Ryan deftly crafts her novel with unexpected twists that will keep the readers turning pages to find out what happens to these and other characters until the very last page. Furthermore, when readers turn that final page, they may well feel they are leaving old friends. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir is Ryan’s debut novel, and readers will hope more are to follow.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is a charming and moving story about ladies' Choir in Chilbury, England, all set against the backdrop of World War II. I think that the characters are believable and the dialogue is real. This book was a little bit slow at first, but towards the end it became interesting. I enjoyed the book for its lovable story. I also love the relationship and bond the girls have developed.

A copy of this ebook was generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After all the super intense books I've been reading lately, I was in some pretty desperate need for something light and fluffy. And while war is never exactly fluffy...stories about it can be kept light and romantic. That's how The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is--some big action written into a lovely easy read that would be welcome alongside a cozy fire or on a sandy beach.

There are some interesting characters in this book, for sure--and as with most WWII novels, some pretty strong women. There's a few men around, but mostly the ladies run the show and all are incredibly unique. That said, there isn't much actual diversity in this book, which is disappointing. The only attempt at a diverse character is one homosexual soldier, whose only real role is to further the moral curiosity of one of the leads. I liked that soldier...but he wasn't in the book enough to really count as more than a diverse prop--not what we are going for, authors.

That's really the only criticism I can give, and while that is a big one, I did enjoy reading the book. It was a nice, pleasant read. I'm not bouncing off the walls wanting to hand this to everyone, but it was a good way to spend two days. I feel refreshed and ready for something that requires more digging.

This historical novel, set in the tiny English town of Chilbury in the early days of WW II, is a heart-warming tale whose edges, perhaps, have some resonance today as ordinary people feel helpless and anxious in the face of political madmen who are obviously quite willing to spend other lives than their own.

The storyline is the establishment of a female-only choir, as the men are all gone off to war or employed in support work, and it’s told in a series of diary entries and letters.

I confess to being a little surprised at the fuss the characters made over the idea of an all female choir—surely the more educated among the denizens would have heard girls’ choirs at boarding school, or nuns’ choirs if they attended services at an abbey served by female orders. Likewise, more humble villagers who recollected the days before radio surely would have been used to glees made up of whoever could be got to gather around the piano and sing. Which, according to letters and diaries I’ve read over the years, was predominately female.

Respectable women performing on stage was a different prospect then, but this is a tiny quibble. There is so much else going on, with the grim general determined that his wife bear another son as the first was killed, and black marketeers tramp through the woods, and teenagers try to find romance where they can.

The first half of the story, as we get to know the villagers from high to low degree, and catch a glimpse of their secrets, evokes some of the mid-century English writers such as Barbara Pym, G.B. Stern, and perhaps D.E. Stevenson in Miss Buncle’s Book, though gradually as the war begins to touch their lives and violence becomes a possibility, a tonal shift toward drama and more conventional plotting moves the tale away from humor and satire in a more earnest direction.

The book will be accessible for the American reader in particular, as the language is a mixture of English and distinctively modern American language and idioms (such as “guilt” used as a verb, and “stepping up her game”, “doing my own thing,”etc). Some of the plot devices might seem a tad generic if one has been reading a lot of British writers of the war era, but no less heart-felt. And there were some nifty moments, like a nod to E.F. Benson’s Lucia characters as the choir of Riseholme performs in a local choir competition.

Even if some aspects of the story were predictable, and others a tad convenient, I enjoyed how it all came together, with one character getting an ending that made me laugh out loud, startling the dog.

Altogether a pleasant, warmly human story, a fine escape for those who’ve had enough grimdark and horror either in fiction or the news.

The Chilbury Ladies Choir is an endearing story of the residents of a small village in England during World War II. This is a perfect book for readers who loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and The Summer Before the War.

The story is told from several viewpoints through letters and journal entries. The women of Chilbury were told that dealing with the stress of war might be easier if they kept a journal, so readers are privy to a few of the private thoughts of some of the members of the ladies choir. My favorite chapters were of letters the scandalous Mrs. Paltry wrote to her sister.

At the start of the story many of the women were disappointed that they no longer had a choir due to all the men going off to war. With the local vicar’s permission, the ladies were able to form a choir of their own and in the process formed a support system that would prove to be a blessing in the months ahead.

As England becomes deeper entrenched in war, readers watch the choir members grow up, grow in character and grow in compassion for others. There were some sad events, but mostly the book was uplifting and light-hearted.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Chilbury Ladies Choir and would like to thank Net-Galley and Crown Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The characters in this WWII-era novel use letters to tell us their stories, set in a small village in England. The Ladies Choir in Chilbury, formed when most of the men went off to fight, is the glue that holds the story together, giving them a purpose and a strength to overcome a number of difficult situations. WWII was a time of great social change in England. The centuries-old aristocracy/commoner dichotomy was in the process of breaking down, as was the subservient role of women to men in general. Ryan does a good job of showing these changes through the personal stories of her characters. Some suspension of disbelief is required with one of the major plot points, but I won't disclose it. I enjoyed this book, the author's first novel, very much, and am looking forward to seeing more from Jennifer Ryan. I read it as a pre-publication galley through NetGalley.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Crown Publishing. Thank you.

Author Jennifer Ryan made some fine choices for the points of view expressed by a wide range of characters in this epistolary style novel covering about seven months in 1940 as the fighting was beginning to truly commence in World War II. I like that there is such a variety of characters represented: a thirteen year old girl and her eighteen year old sister, a nurse, a midwife, an RAF pilot, and a ten year old Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia. The setting is the small village of Chilbury in Kent where the men are either gone or preparing to go to fight against Nazi German forces who seem to be steamrollering over Europe as they please.

Women once again were being left behind to carry on with their lives as best they can, but then the local Vicar declared the church choir was disbanded until the end of the war. It didn't take long for the women to realize that they were having to take on roles normally seen as being appropriate only for men so why couldn't they sing with only women's voices? People have been urged to keep journals of their lives during these hard times so some of the story is told through those entries. Other parts are told through letters, but through a combination of both sources we are given the opportunity to watch village life continue through this harrowing time with adjustments being made by everyone and sacrifices a regular occurrence.

It would be hard for me to chose a favorite character, but the combining of their experiences told a poignant story of ordinary people trying to live through a situation they had not chosen and often didn't understand. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir was a constant linking thread to keep each family in touch and communicating. I enjoyed this novel a great deal and can't help but wonder if there will be more books coming. Goodness knows there is certainly a lot of war and hardship yet to come for these resolute souls.

This book is an easy good read, a story of how women supported each other during WWII. Some of the characters aren't well developed and the story too formulaic, but it's a great book for the beach, where I read it.

Reminding me of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, this book is written as a series of letters, journal or diary entries. As opposed to a single writer, here we have a variety of writers of all ages and stripes. Starting at the beginning of WWII, the village is dealing with the absence of most of its men. The vicar disbands the choir as it lacks the necessary tenors and basses. But here comes a new music instructor to the nearby University and she forms The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. “It is time for us women to do what we can as a group to support each other and keep our spirits up.” As someone who has sung for years in a choir, it's a true sentiment. There is something uplifting about making music with others. In fact, she is spot on about all things involved in singing- that moment before coming in on a note when singing a capella, the fear of the solo or the community from singing together.

Ryan does a great job of fleshing out each character. And there are some real characters here. Kitty’s writing does seem very grownup for a thirteen year old but that's a minor quibble especially because Ryan does capture the girl’s crush on Henry perfectly.

This novel manages to blend humor, warmth, sorrow and depth all within its pages. The book is based on her grandmother’s stories of a choir she sung in during WWII and the freedoms women had because of the war.

For those who enjoyed The Summer Before the War or the tv series Land Girls or Home Fires, I would recommend this novel. A full five stars!

My thanks to netgalley and Crown Publishing Group for an advance copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It addresses the harshness of war through the characters in a ladies choir thus taking a serious subject and allowing the reader to understand the lives of those left behind. In spite of the gossip and arguments amongst the members of this choir, the author shows us how women support each other when needed. I will definitely recommend this book for my book clubs.

Jennifer Ryan’s The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir tells the story of the young girls and women who form an all-women’s choir after their village and choir are depleted of men by the declaration of war against Germany. Chilbury is just seven miles from Dover, twenty miles from the Nazis whose presence across the Channel is an omnipresent and immediate threat.

Through letters and journals the girls and women of the choir tell their stories, stories of transformation. There almost-14 year old Kitty who is transformed by music and her sister Venetia who at 19 is vain and shallow but transformed by love. There’s Sylvie, ten and a Jewish evacuee from Czechoslovakia transformed by tragedy. There’s Mrs. Paltry, the venal, amoral midwife transformed by mercy and Mrs. Trilling, a meek widow who becomes quite formidable, transformed by war and the obvious immediacy of death it brings.

Chilbury may be a quiet English village, but it has baby-swapping, black markets, Nazi spies, extortion, bombing, violence and death. In retrospect, it is amazing how The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir retains its country charm despite having as much action as a noir thriller. It is a triumph of mood.

I enjoyed The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir quite a bit. I could see it becoming a fabulous Masterpiece Theatre series with continuing stories following the characters through the war, introducing new ones as older ones marry, die, or move away, each episode with a coda from the choir, a song that captures the theme of that particular week’s story.

The music is an important element in the story. Prim, the choirmaster, succeeds in getting the women to feel the music, and that emotion brings them together so they find strength and support through their many challenges.

The conceit of telling the story through letters and journals gives us a sense of immediacy, we are right there with the women in the moment, but I think the letter writers reveal more than real letter-writers would. No “burn this letter” instructions would counter the damage if Mrs. Paltry’s letters were intercepted. Venetia confides secrets in her letters to her best friend that she has no foundation for trusting her friend to keep silent. Her letters only make sense if they were letters unsent. Kitty’s journal is a bit too mature for her age, not in the emotion, but in the descriptive capacity. She writes like a writer, describing her life as a patchwork of colors and shapes stitched together to make “an uncomfortable, badly fitting whole.”

Truly, all the women write far too well. However, more authentic voices would not be as engaging or as revelatory. We would read more about how many cans of beans were put up and how tiresome it is to make the bed rather than this grand story of how a group of women came together to sing and in singing, created a sense of community that sustains them though everything.

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir will be released on February 14, 2017. I was given an advance e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

★★★★

Thanks Crown Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

Amazing to read how a community can come together in a crisis! Loved the different story lines melding as one- it makes the suspense delicious. If you like historical fiction, this will blow you away.

This was a lovely story about so much more than the ladies' Choir in Chilbury, England. It is set in 1940, from spring to fall. The lives of the women of this choir are told through letters and diaries.
It is a village in the southeast of England dealing with war--bombs, rationing, men gone off to war, etc.
There are stories of unrequited love, schoolgirl crushes, unwanted pregnancies and more. The characters are believable--
a scheming midwife willing to arrange abortions
a precocious 12 year old girl with fantasies of true love
a widow still grieving over her husband, dead for several years
a flirtatious teen about to become a woman
the local lord of the manor, a nasty bully
and the new music teacher, choirmaster

All interact so well that I read this book in 3 days, reading the last 200 pages in one day.

Some quotes:
Funeral service "At the front, the Winthrops and their aristocrat friends were sitting all plumed and groomed like a row of black swans."
Kitty, precocious 12 years old girl's diary "I like to see people as colors, a kind of aura or halo surrounding them, shading their outsides with the various flavors of their insides."
On starting a ladies only choir because all the men are gone "What will God think? one of the Sewing ladies piped up. He couldn't have intended women to sing on their own."
I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars(rounded up to 5).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book.

The men have all gone to war and it's up to the women to maintain without them. That means even defying the church vicar, who has decided to disband the choir for lack of men, and filling the church choir with women. This is unheard of - a woman's choir? Never! But the vicar is no match for a village full of women and so the choir takes shape under the direction of Miss Primrose Trent who moved to town from London and immediately established the Chilbury Ladies' Choir. It's not that she had an easy time of it, but the women want and need the companionship, support and music and so they prove to be unstoppable.
There are five women who carry this story. The widow Mrs. Tilling, the village nurse has a son just off to war, sisters, eighteen-year-old Venetia and thirteen-year-old Kitty are daughters of Brigadier Winthrop, head of Chilbury Manor, a tyranical and abusive man, in need of an heir, Edwina Paltry a self styled midwife up to scheming, Silvie, the young Chech refugee sent to England by her family and who sees everything from an unattached point of view. It is through their journals and letters we learn about life during war, resilience during resistance, love's heartbreak and endurance and healing through music.
There are many books written about the home front and how the families of our soldiers maintained a life while living in fear for their men. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is a wonderful, rich story of people coming together during the worst of times with humor, love, resilience, and community.

In Jennifer Ryan's debut novel, the fictional town of Chilbury in Kent, is adjusting to what life will be like in England during the early years of World War II. With many of the male residents gone to war, the Vicar of the village church cannot imagine a choir with no bass or tenor voices, so he disbands the choir. With the guidance and encouragement of music professor Primrose Trent, the Chilbury Ladies' Choir is formed to brighten the hearts of the participants and those whose lives they touch with their music during these troubling times. The story is told in an epistolary style through posted notices, letters, and diary entries, and through the voices of five main characters including: Kitty, who is only 13 years old, her beautiful older sister Venetia who falls in love with a mysterious artist and works at a nearby military headquarters full of secret gongs on, Mrs. Tilling who is a widow who has carved out a life for herself and her son as a nurse and who is worried about her son at the front, Sylvie who is a young Jewish evacuee from Czechoslovakia separated from her family who has been left behind, and Edwina Paltry who is the town midwife and one of the villains of the story. On Ryan's website, she mentions a grandmother who was a young woman in Kent during World War II who shared her "exciting and often scandalous stories" with her. And the characters in the book come across as real and behave in real and scandalous ways. There are dark characters and ugly situations. But there are also characters who become a shining light to those around them despite the horrors of war and the tough times going on around them--like Mrs. Tilling whose story is my favorite. This is not the most compelling, soul searching World War II novel that I have ever read, but it was quite good and I did not want to stop reading. I loved the musical references in the portions of the book that the choir featured in and always stopped if I had time to search out and listen to the pieces mentioned. It added a whole dimension to the book. I also loved the premise of the story being told through the voices of women, both young and old, who had to survive and keep everything going during wartime when a lot of the men were away.

"The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" is an epistolary novel providing a snapshot of the experiences of a group of mostly women during World War II over the time period from March-September 1940. Able bodied men have joined the war effort and the Vicar has decided to disband the choir saying that only a mixed chorus will do! Enter Primrose Trent, music professor. Prim restructures the choral music for women's voices only, the Vicar concedes defeat, and The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is born. Music is the salve that helps the town cope with loss of friends,spouses and the pain of unrequited love.

Through the use of journal entries, letters, and occasional notices, the lives of several residents are highlighted. Mrs. Tilling, a nurse with a quiet demeanor, finds her true voice while the misdeeds of unethical midwife Edwina Paltry play out. The antics of Venetia, a self absorbed older sister and those of awkward thirteen year old Kitty, a budding singer, are vividly portrayed as they share their thoughts and dreams through the written word. Mrs. B. a control freak and gossip, testy to all, will have to cooperate with the ladies since The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is determined to enter a choral competition. The choir provides a support system for these women. They raise their voices in mournful prayer, when needed, but sing of hope and recovery.

Stylistic use of documents and letters provides excellent character studies of the residents in this town near Dover. We view the growth of Mrs. Tilling and Venetia as well as the demise of Edwina Paltry. We applaud their successes and are tearful for their losses. "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" by Jennifer Ryan was a most enjoyable read.

Thank you Crown Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir".

If you enjoyed "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", you will probably really like this book. The only thing that might keep you from loving it wholeheartedly is a niggling feeling that you've read this book before -- probably because it is so very like "Guernsey Literary" that you'd confuse the two.

To be fair, Ryan is a solid author. The characters' voices become increasingly distinct (important in an epistolary novel where the POV changes frequently), the plot moves quickly, and is perfectly heartwarming. Much like its read-alike, it's like curling up with a cup of tea and a blanket -- delightfully cozy.

I wanted to love it, but I didn't. The characters felt flat and plodding. Good premise. I've never read a book by this author, but feel the author has promise.