"The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" by Jennifer Ryan is a heart-warming and emotionally intelligent debut novel set in Kent during World War II. As the men in the village leave to fight in the war, the Vicar decides to close the choir until their return, causing heartbreak among the women left behind. But when the new resident, Miss Primrose Trent, arrives with her fighting spirit and musical talent, the choir is reborn. For some, the choir is a chance to forget their troubles, while others see it as an opportunity to shine. However, for one villager, the choir is the perfect cover to destroy Chilbury's newfound harmony. The writing is atmospheric and moving, and the characters are fully realized and relatable. This novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and stories of the resilience of the human spirit.

A feel good summer read. The book brings together characters forming a choir during the war. Written in an interesting way, through diary entries and letters. However, this style is somewhat confusing to begin with, making it difficult to get to know the characters. All in all an enjoyable easy read.

Very funny, I laughed a lot reading this, I could really imagine all the characters as real people and the period setting was good.

A simple story, easy to read and put down without worrying about the characters fate. Rather timely for our currant season when choirs are once more bringing people together.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

An uplifting story, with members of the newly formed Ladies Choir at it's heart. Told via letters and diary entries it offers a nostalgic look at village life during WW2. As the war progresses, alliances are formed, barriers broken, friendships forged and secrets revealed. A perfect anytime read.

Letters, journals and diary entries are the format of this original WW2 village story. War brings out the extremes of human behaviour and this story illustrates that this applies to those left behind.
Chilbury's ladies have to get used to a new way of life, rationing, no men, working outside the home and no choir. Events conspire to allow the village choir to reconvene with many humorous, poignant and shocking moments. The village characters are well written and have many flaws. Community spirit triumphs and provides a satisfactory ending to this unusual story.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wonderful. The writing reflected the realities of women during the war.
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Really enjoyed this book, a delightful read, I will definitely read other books by this author.

What a delight of a book! The characters, a genuine motley crew thrown together by circumstances, are a fascination from the outset and the plot keeps us nicely involved throughout the book. Our narrator with all her foibles and prejudices is on the right side of believable and her childish views of the older characters can be very amusing.

I was eager to read this book after seeing it compared to The Guernsey Literary and Potato-Peel Pie Society, which is one of my favourite books. Unfortunately, this meant that I was constantly comparing the two books and I initially found it hard to immerse myself in the novel. After 50 pages, however, I was completely swept away by this delightful tale exploring the strength of women during wartime and how they eventually find their voices.

I have a weakness for epistolary novels and was delighted to discover this book took the form of letters, diaries, and town notices. Jennifer Ryan was apparently inspired by the Mass Observation project, which was set up to encourage ordinary people to keep diaries and journals of their wartime life. These were then sent to the Mass Observation society in monthly instalments and archived. You can find out more about the project here: http://www.massobs.org.uk.

The story takes place over six months in 1940 and features five main characters. Thirteen-year-old Kitty wants to be a singer, her older sister Venetia desires romance, Silvie is a young Jewish evacuee trying to adapt to her new surroundings, Edwina Paltry is a morally dubious midwife, and Mrs Tilling is a nurse with a son away fighting. Despite the relatively short time period, the war has created such an intense environment that the characters undergo quite a rapid amount of personal growth. I especially enjoyed the development of Venetia and Mrs Tilling, as they explored their identities and what they wanted out of life.

I can’t wait to read further books by debut-author Jennifer Ryan. I loved the beautiful relationships and friendships Jennifer explored, and the strength the characters found in each other and themselves.

This is a stunning novel, about a village community during World War II.The local vicr decides to close down the church choir as the men have all gone to war. However he hadn't reckoned on the strong ladies of the village, who decide to form women only choir.
There are many reconisable characters in this book: the stalwart of the WRVS, the local midwife, district nurse, two sisters with an irascible father, an evacuee from Czechoslovaki, and other interesting people. The chapters of are of letters to relatives, entries in diaries, and other comments on what is happening. All well that ends well. Many thanks to the Publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to read this superb novel.

Written through diary entries and letters, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir tells the story of the women of the village of Chilbury in the first months of WWII as they defy convention (and their vicar) to form a Ladies' Choir. The choir members are strong, wonderful women and the novel charts their growth as a force in the village. The midwife, Miss Paltry, attempts to make her fortune through unsavoury means while the two Winthrop girls find growing up and finding love more complicated than they thought. Mrs Tilling goes from being dependable to a force to be reckoned with. This an absolutely delightful novel. You will love the four main characters and the depiction of the strength and humour of the women and girls during 1940's England. Thanks to NetGalley for the AC.

I'm really sorry I just couldn't get into this book although I know many have loved it..

This is a really pleasant story. Great for a vacation.

This sounds one of those charming quirky books along the lines of Letters from Sky or the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. I was looking forward to reading it but the charm soon wore off as I realised the author had decided to go for whimsicality. It is in epistolary style, as are the two books I have just mentioned, and is a style I like very much. We are introduced to all the stock characters, wicked squire, dodgy midwife (what she gets up to stretches the bounds of credulity), two sisters one sweet the other a vamp, a downtrodden widow, a bossy lady in charge of the WI etc. They are all there.

You can tell what is going to happen to all of them as soon as you start reading. The bad punished, the downtrodden find strength and happiness, the vamp falls in love, the baddies seen the light and achieve redemption and so on and so on.

The author tries just a little bit too hard and it shows

Charming book, easy read. A little slow starting but once you get into the chatacters it makes for an easier read.

I wondered at first if I would get into this book. It's told through diaries and letters and at first it was difficult to get a grip on who was speaking and their standpoint. But I got hooked and adored it. It was a delightful mix of emotions: funny, but also sad at times - while conveying what I was like to hold the home front together during WWI. In fact, you could consider it like the TV series 'Home Fires', but with more laughs! Heart-warming.

I loved this book-it's funny,poignant and entertaining in equal measure,with a real sense of the time in which it.'s set.Great characters and plot-I can imagine it as a TV series.I hope there will be a follow up,as there seems to be a lot more to say about the Chilbury Ladies' Choir!

also reviewed as below in TVs book club face book sorry unable to get a link.


What a refreshing book, thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is told through journal entries and letters to friends by several of the key characters. Based during the Second World War in the sleepy village of Chilbury, it is a story about the woman who are left to keep the community ticking along while their menfolk are off to war. This is the first book by Jennifer Ryan and I can't wait for her next book. 5 stars from me.