My favourite book of 2021, a beautiful bittersweet story of family, lost love and motherhood. A truly special book that I can see myself universally recommending for years to come.

A short but excellent read. Well researched. What were women supposed to do in these situations. The stigma and shame on families and by society of pregnancy out of wedlock would have been unthinkable. A no-win situation for anyone in such a position. Is society any different a hundred years on?

It’s a lovely book that is an easy read and set in the time after the First World War. It is a story of coming to terms with mistakes and helping to fix them. It’s a short book without too much detail into the characters And their backgrounds but enough to make it an interesting and concise read.

This is such a sensitve book, it covers so many ideas without every tipping into didacticism or moralising and asks us to all walk in each other's shoes before making snap decisions.
I particularly liked the portrayal of the younger generation trying to come to terms with WW1 and their experiences whilst also trying to fit back in to their previous world.

This was a nicely written YA historical fiction story which addresses how teenage pregnancy was treated in the past, and a girl’s feelings about her son being raised as her brother. It was pleasant enough to read but was quite slow and not very memorable.

“The Silent Stars Go By” is set just after the First World War and tells the story of Margot, a young woman grappling with a heart breaking secret. During the war, she met and fell in love with Harry who, shortly after joining the army was reported as missing. She finds out during this time that she is pregnant and is persuaded by her parents to pretend that her child is her new baby brother and they bring him up as their own. But at the end of the war, with Harry alive and well, Margot questions whether her decision was the right one.

This is a book which wonderfully captures some of the realities that must have faced young people at that time in our history. I found that Margot, as a character, wasn’t particularly likeable but I don’t think she’s supposed to be. She’s still so young and often comes across as selfish but who can really claim not to have been selfish at some point, especially at that time of life. I did feel that her decision at the end of the book came about rather quickly without enough justification but I thought it was very sweetly put.

I also feel it’s a shame there wasn’t more said about her brother Stephen - I can understand this as the focus was on women, children and the issue of adoption and that focus on other characters would’ve taken away from it. But I think another book to look at his story would be welcomed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but felt a bit more description would’ve given it more depth. The author should be commended for shining a light on this subject though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I didn't realise this was a YA book when I requested it and I don't think I would have requested it if I had known. I'm always on the look out for a good Christmas book but they always disappoint - predictable and samey. This one was slightly different but very short and whilst the issues raised were interesting, it was never going to be a surprising read. It just wasn't my thing really but it was well written and it would be enjoyable for many. It's my own fault - I should have learnt by now!

I loved the gentle descriptions of a world now lost that form the backbone of this story. The setting of a country vicarage at Christmas was enough for me to request this book and it didn't disappoint. It's difficult for us to imagine the social conventions of this time but we gain a good insight into what was expected and acceptable. It's not a long book and I think it would be perfect to read by the fire at holiday time to soothe the stresses of a modern Christmas!

This is a short, bittersweet story narrated by Margot. She is the daughter of a vicar who has a teenage love affair with Harry, just before he goes off to fight in WW1. It is a story which unfolded many times in wartime when she discovers she is pregnant. It completely paints a picture of life in rural England in wartime, and the characters are beautifully portrayed.

I’m not sure what I was looking for when I picked up this book, and I’m not completely sure I found it.

I’ll start with what I liked. I liked the characters, I thought that they were well written with believable flaws. Margot as a narrator gave the reader insight to the plights of an unwed mother and the anguish she felt around her son pulled the heartstrings.

It’s not that I didn’t like this novel, I just felt like nothing really happened. The plot was very simple and wrapped up quickly. Margot being the narrator meant that we the reader were given all the details of the plot almost straight away. Even Harry’s reaction was predictable because all of the other characters had alluded to the fact that he would be.

I’m not sure I’d reach for it again. It was a quick read and explored some interesting feminist views juxtaposed against a very unfeminist time period, but it didn’t captivate me.

Lovely read! Reminded me of the old classics set in times gone by. Although there is less stigma, surrounding childbirth out of wedlock, the story is still relatable to for many. Warming and somewhat sad, but altogether a good read!

I absolutely loved Middle Grade Victorian romp 'A Christmas In Time' and for the slightly older audience, Sally once again conjures up Christmas magic from a bygone era. The Silent Stars Go By is without a doubt a Christmas Classic; a bittersweet, totally unputdownable period drama of loss, love & longing.

It’s 1919 & Britain is returning to normal after WW1. Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar’s daughter & madly in love with her sweet-heart Harry. But when Harry marches off to war, her idylic life is shattered.

Harry is reported Missing in Action from the Western Front & soon after, Margot realises she is expecting his child. Keeping up appearances is vital & there is only one solution she & her family could think of in order to keep their respectability: give up James, her baby son, to be adopted by her parents & brought up as her younger brother.

Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the vicarage for Christmas. It’s heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James, unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he’s come home and wants answers. Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters?

Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?

This was an emotional & beautiful one-sitting read for me, I was utterly enchanted and the 240 pages just flew by effortlessly. I marvelled throughout at the consequences of having a child out of wedlock just over 100 years ago and how far society has come in that time. Harry is such a charismatic character - I would be lying if I said I didn't fall ever so slightly in love with him! The tension Nicholls creates between he & Margot is palpable – all the way through the reader is left wondering ‘will they or won’t they!’ The Silent Stars Go By is a poignant period treat this Christmas.

'The Silent Stars Go By' is a simple but sweet insight into post-WW1 life. This may be right after the war, with soldiers in the main character cast, but Sally Nicholls chooses to focus her novel on family relationships, in particular the prejudicial views of unmarried mothers. Margot fell pregnant at the age of sixteen, just as her fiancé, Harry, was shipped off to the front and subsequently went missing in action. Margot now has to deal with watching her baby be raised as her brother and we gain an insight into her mental struggles as she seeks happiness within her restricted worldview.

Nicholls does an excellent job of getting the reader to side with Margot as she details the anguish of forced adoption and the turmoil this causes. Her blurred role as both James' mother but also his older sister is painful to watch and we are consistently hoping Margot finds peace with the decisions made for her two years prior. Harry returns to the scene on page one with little fanfare. I love him and Margot as a couple but a little surprise or peril would have ramped up the emotional tension here slightly.

Overall, this is a brief read, beautifully written but underdeveloped. I would have happily read a book about these characters double the size, allowing us to find resolution with also some of our more minor characters like Jocelyn, Mary and Stephen. A warm afternoon read - 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book to curl up with. It's a sad story and one which will have happened to many women at the time and continued to. A baby out of wedlock was felt to be the ultimate disgrace which in this time seems strange but society has changed.

‘The Silent Stars Go By’ Sally Nicholls was a pleasant and easy read especially reading it in the run up to Christmas as I did. The main character Martha, however, did irritate me somewhat. I can’t quite put my finger on why!

Having read the book and looked at the acknowledgements at the end I found Noel Streatfield's "Vicarage Family" was cited as being used for research. I did not realise this as I read the book but now recognise some influences as "Vicarage Family" was probably the first biography I read and I did reread it probably more than once when I was young.

Margot is seen as the rebellious one of five children or is it six? The mystery surrounding the sixth child is at the core of the book. It is the discussion of the rights and wrongs of the situation which is dealt with in an interesting way throughout. The characters are all well drawn and their reactions to events are understandable and heartbreaking at the same time.

The subject matter of the book is just as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. It could be used as a cautionary tale for teenagers. Think about the implications and do not assume that everything will turn out happily for everyone. A definite tearjerker.

What a lovely read.

Margot is the daughter of the local vicar. When Harry Singer moves to the village, they spend lots of time together before Harry leaves to go to war. Finding herself pregnant, Margot is sent to a house for unmarried woman. After baby James is born, her parents adopt him and she leaves to work as a typist in a school. However, she has felt that indescribable, unconditional love for James. Harry was presumed dead, but two years later he comes back into Margot's life and she struggles to decide whether to tell him he has a son.

I loved the way this was written. It would make a lovely drama on screen.

Thanks indeed to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Margot was only 15 when she became engaged to Harry, and 16 when he was reported as missing from the Western Front. In the intervening three years, she has come to terms with his loss and faced an even deeper one. So when, at Christmas 1919, she returns home to a letter from him asking to meet, it will require her to confront both losses.

With Sally NIcholls' typically astute eye to period detail - the drafty village parsonage being especially well realised - this makes a bittersweet Christmas read. The themes would be suitable for readers age 12+

This is so lovely (spoiler alert) having been adopted myself, I could relate to the aspects of this book that touch your heart. It’s very well written and will appeal to different generations. Sad and poignant but also full of love and hope. Enjoy!

Just beautiful!
Margot, having found herself in a situation unbecoming to a young lady of the time and with her fiancé missing presumed dead on the front line, is forced into living a lie to conceal her fall from grace.
When Harry miraculously returns and seeks out a rekindling of their romance Margot has to decide on when, how and if to tell him the truth.
Full of great period descriptions of life during conflict this book draws you in to Margot's world and provides a glimpse into what many women went through as a result of WW1- most movingly perhaps the declaration of several women to know themselves to be "a spare woman" in the face of such great loss of young men of the time.