This is a nice book covering the war years and the strength of women. The characters are good but the the book lacked some knitting together, in particular i was left feeling that some of the story lines lacked a satisfactory conclusion. It may that it just wasn't my thing, it was out of my usual genre. Notwithstanding, this i'm sure it will appeal to a range of readers and the strength in adversity theme is a good message.

This was a lovely old fashioned story of a country community in wartime. I liked the way it was told through letters and journals so that you heard different viewpoints. I especially enjoyed Kitty's sections and she seemed to be a mixture of precocious and naive. In some ways the book made me think of the TV series "Home Fires" which was unaccountably axed. Recommended.

I found this a very easy book to read, the style of each chapter being a journal entry kept me reading another chapter when I should have been doing other things. Some of the plot was very convenient which was hard to believe, but if I ignored that I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would read another by the author. It would make good Sunday evening TV..

The Chilbury Ladies Choir.

When I set forth on the adventure of this wartime story, I expected a story of plucky women keeping the home fires burning, but what I got was a book of some considerable depth and some rather skilfully crafted characters, a plot of many strands and at times some really dark places.

Written as a collection of letters and diary entries, a number of women, some world weary and bereaved, others innocent and childlike, some manipulative and calculating, others on the cusp of adulthood and learning that playing games have consequences. All are facing harsh realities , learning that the halcyon days of old cannot be regained, particularly when the world is in chaos and that changes have to be made to survive the ravages of war.

This is no cosy tale of amassed women gaining succour from voices joined in song, this is no Dad’s army in a dress! Let there be no mistake, this is a story of Jealousy,Betrayal and Sibling Rivalry. Petty grievances vie with acts of conniving, Greed and artifice.

I was gripped from start to finish and the diverse voices of these women were clear to me from the page, each woman’s motivations, weaknesses and strengths were clearly defined and whilst some familiar archetypes were present when considering this is a heart a village tale, they were never stale, even the vilest were believable.

The language is apt for the time and the sequences describing the power of music were beautifully rendered. I was invested in every person, even if at times I did not like some one little bit. A truly absorbing tale of courage and resilience, expressed in the small acts and stoicism that only women possess.

A solid four stars.

An absolutely wonderful book, could not put it down.

The book opens with the news that the village choir is being dissolved due to their being no men left to sing, along comes music Professor, Prim Trent, who decides music is good for the morale of the villagers who have been left behind while the menfolk go off to war.

The story is told through journals and letters and flows beautifully, the characters are engaging and through the book shows how they evolve as War reaches this village in Kent. The description of Chilbury is quintessentially English and is a joy to read.

The choir becomes a place for the women to gather and gain strength from each other, there is hope and also tragedy. You grow with Mrs Tiling, who from being a timid person in the opening chapter becomes a stalwart of the village, Venetia, who I disliked at the beginning, changed and grew up. Kitty saw too much for a 12 year old.

Loved it and recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is a fantastic novel, more than just a feel good read, it wraps you in a warm embrace. At first I thought there were too many characters, but I quickly got to know them all, as if they were real people. The descriptions are so life like, that reading it during grey February days, made me long for sunshine with its vivid depictions of Summer. The various plots were not at all predictable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and eagerly await the next from this author.

This was a great book. It had kind of a slow start, but hit the ground running a few pages in and I was hooked.

With bombs, babies, kidnaps and other exciting moments this book is quite feel good in a way. I really enjoyed it.

A wonderful book set in the Second World War, showing a completely different view on life compared to what we now expect. Despite all the chaos and uncertainty the war brought, people rallied round and made the best of things, dealing with whatever came their way with a positive attitude. Something we could certainly learn from in today's busy world. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

This is a lovely read, told by four different voices through letters and journals. Though the book is set during the second world war it's not a sad book. I could almost here the choir through the beautiful descriptive writing.

This book was a delight to read. I feel as though I've had an insight into what many English villages must have been like during the war. A lot of gutsy, mainly females, carrying on and trying to maintain a semblance of normality during an awful time in history. It was funny, sad, poignant and many other emotions all packed into this wartime story. I loved it and would like a post war sequel of how their lives continued.

Review as posted on Goodreads:

This book is set in a fictional village in Kent. However the settings seem to have such a sense of reality. The timescale and events on which the story is based relate well to real events in history..

I liked the way in which the novel is crafted, being told through a combination of diary entries and letters, written by a varied cast of villagers and visitors to the area..

The characterisation is keenly observed and provides a interesting mix between dramatic and humorous events. This helps the story to flow.

I enjoyed the mixture of home-front issues and social class and gender issues around which book is written.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and The Borough Press for a copy in exchange for this review.

This is a very easy to read book that depicts life in a small village during the war. It is in the format of journal entries and letters which could make it very disjointed but the author has brought all the little stories together to make one entrancing story. The characters are so well described that the reader can almost picture them as living close by. The story begins simply by a notice saying that no men – no choir and this progresses through as a newcomer to the village, is a music teacher and she gets together a ladies choir. The story describes the lives of the main protagonists who live in the village and also are in the choir, each description written by the individuals from their perspective and how it involved others. There are many negative sides to some of the characters but as explained by some of the characters - in a time of war where tomorrow is not promised life does change a person’s perspective on life. The author has not only tied these short parts together but she has managed to bring happiness throughout and finishes with happy endings.
I have to say that I normally would not attempt to read a book in this format but I have been so lucky that I was given it to review by NetGalley. I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like a good laugh at life. I would also have loved to have met the author’s Grandmother who told so many stories of life in the war. For anyone who liked The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling this is a must to read.

The Chilbury ladies choir is an absolute delight to read, capturing the true essence of the resilience and bravery of the ladies left at home during the second world war. The book is full of wonderfully lifelike individuals each writing letters or journals to friends and family about the life, love and goings on in Chilbury which cleverly don't feel disjointed, the whole book just flowed. This was a wonderful glimpse into 1940's England and very reminiscent of books like call the midwife and Father Brown and I sincerely hope this isn't the last of the Chilbury ladies. ENCORE x

This is book is a treat! A lighthearted story of life on the Home Front during 1940. The ladies of Chilbury decide to form a ladies choir to keep their spirits up, after most of the men have gone off to war. Told in the form of letters and diaries of village members, which brings a real intimacy and warmth to the writing, we follow the ladies through village events.
The bad tempered and bullying brigadier, desperate for a son, prepared to go to any lengths to make sure he gets one. The sly midwife who's prepared to assist the brigadier.....but at a cost.
The young lady, breaking hearts wherever she goes, who finally really falls in love. But is he worthy of her?
The Czech evacuee, carrying her fears with her, afraid of what will happen next.
The young, the lonely, the good and the bad are all included.
And then the war arrives in the village with a bang! Things suddenly become much less lighthearted and far more serious.
This is a warm and delightful novel, that keeps you reading. I couldn't put it down, and sincerely hope that this is not the last of 'The Chilbury Ladies Choir'. Highly recommended!

Although I love reading novels set on the Home Front in the Second World War, I was rather disappointed with this one because, for me, it did not capture the feel or nature of the period. It seems rather modern in its tone and has the effect of making everything seem either melodramatic or slight - even the war itself. I felt the diary, journal and letter form of the book, which had worked so brilliantly in 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer, lets the writing down, as all the characters seem to have a similar voice and the style is overloaded with adjectives, similes and somewhat purple prose, which is regularly out of keeping with the voice or the character portrayed. This is a shame as the idea and setting have much potential - as the great array of similar novels have shown recently - but the treatment of such a loved and well documented period needs careful and genuine handling if it is to resonate with readers well-versed (and still just about within living memory) in this era.

From the title and cover of this book you know exactly what to expect and I was not let down. Jennifer Ryan has captured the heart and soul of a rural village in wartime Britain. You could probably identify characters with actual people of the period. Written in a gossipy style which resounds in an entertaining read. Much enjoyed.

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan
Set in 1940 this book illustrates the effect of the war on a Kent village where the women are left to cope while the men of the village are away at the war. The absence of the male members of the choir was the catalyst for the formation of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.
The choir, where women and girls from different backgrounds, class and ideologies come together, serves as a common ground where singing helps to provide hope, comfort and strength to help the women establish a strong, supportive community.
Jennifer Ryan has used the letters and journals of four women for the narrative. These four women are completely different in character which is reflected in the various voices and experiences. Each letter, diary or journal entry reveals the reality of the life of the women ranging from births and deaths, unwanted pregnancies, loneliness, worry about their husbands and sons at the war. In the background is the constant factor of rationing (and the black market), fear of German invasion, bombing raids, air raid shelters, air raid warnings, and the suspicion of others, are they spies, Nazis or criminals.
I was somewhat seduced by this book. I was a bit muddled at the beginning but as I became familiar with the different voices I really began to enjoy it. I loved each and every one of them; Miss Tilling who initially came across as a bit frosty; Edwina Paltry who from the start was clearly hiding something; Venetia Winthrop the vain, beautiful girl and her younger sister, Kitty who amused with her clearly child-like views. I was enchanted by the singing – and whilst reading could feel the joy associated with the music, and I could hear the different hymns and songs resonating in my mind.
This is a deceptively gentle book, peaceful despite the background of war, but this is not a simple book, it is a complex study of the time and place, the writing is confident and beautiful and all in all has left me feeling very satisfied.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
Jennifer Ryan

Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This book is written as a set of letters and journal entries. It's based around the Chilbury ladies' choir in world war 2. It has a fictional English setting near Kent. It is full of gossip, love stories and crazy going on's of a small village.

I've just had a baby. Therefore, parts of this book sit a little uneasy with me. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who has just given birth due to unethical midwife practices. Or maybe it's me and my hormones.

This book had its moments and made me smile in places. It's charming and moving. If you are looking for something different, like gossips and meddling women, this is the book for you. It has a bit of everything and some interesting characters.

The men are going to war, and the choir is singing its final number. There can't possibly be a choir without men. The book is set in a time when men dominated the world but the women are starting to gain more responsibility, and something is needed to boost moral. Professor Primrose Trent is a newcomer to the village and a music enthusiast. She wants to bring the women together and start an all-female singing group. The vicar isn't the most open man, but she isn't a pushover. She works her charms, and The Chilbury ladies' choir is formed. This is their stories. It has scandal, romance, heartbreak and so much more.

If you want a fictional historical diverse read, this book is for you. Each character has their own story intertwined into one book. Some you will love and some you with loathe.

Overall I have mixed feelings about this book however that can be what makes a book so good. I've decided to rate this book 4 stars out of 5.

*I was gifted this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


Hardcover £9.99, 384 pages
Expected publication: February 14th, 2017

This is a hugely enjoyable novel delivered through the medium of letters and journals. It is a quintessentially British story set in Kent about a community of women contributing to the war effort, trying to survive and live life whilst the world as they know it is crumbling around them. Helping them to cope with the grief and loss is the Chilbury Ladies Choir set up by incomer Primrose, despite the opposition of Mrs B. who thinks its a scandal to have a choir without men. Women are having to step in and do what men have done, they have no choice. The choir becomes important in providing a channel to keep their spirits up, channel emotional distress, provide support and personal development.

With warmth, wit and humour, the author gives us a wide range of characters with all the petty resentments, falling in love, tragedies and intrigue that beset any community. Mrs Tilling is a midwife, who finds herself digging deep into her emotional reserves to support others, expands her world view as she comes to see the humanity in others even when their actions may not appear to deserve it. The lightweight and flirty Venetia comes to be a revelation as her personal circumstances become dire. New relationships are cemented through billeting as with Colonel Mallard. The emotional intensity of the young can be seen through the eyes of the young, such as thirteen year old Kitty. We get a glimpse of the class system where characters like the Brigadier and the Viscount find their established power being undermined. We see what is happening in Europe through Sylvie, a young Jewish evacuee. Edwina struggles to keep her unsavoury secrets and keep her ill gotten gains. All the action takes place where there is a real and tangible fear that Britain might come under Nazi rule.

I became totally engaged with the characters and the pressures they are living under. I particularly loved Mrs Tilling and Prim, women who come to realise they have nothing to lose and can be exactly who they are and so becoming role models for others. In a sense, this is true to varying degrees for all the women. It is through the prism of loss that the women come to understand this and therefore learn to challenge traditional norms. This novel celebrates all that women did during the war and the role that music and the choir provide in inspiring, a route to express grief and providing succour. I think anyone who reads this will enjoy it. Highly recommended. Thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

This book is a really nice read regarding the ladies in England during WW11. The book is a series of letters and journal entries. I was surprised to read that some of the issues this book touched on is still happening today. It was a very enjoyable read.