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.

Oh wow...I was not sure what to expect of this book, However just keep reading, as you get to know the characters and their little quirks it's like watching an episode of Coronation Street or EastEnders, just because you expect them to be a little bit straight-laced, doesn't mean to say they are. I LOVED IT. Just the right amount of sex, drugs and rock n roll 1940's style to make this a fantastic novel.

This book is set in a village in Kent in 1940. It is set out as a series of diary entries and letters from several of the characters within the book.

From the title I perhaps thought there was going to be more made of the actual ladies choir. However this does not detract from the book as the storylines are really interesting.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I first started but it oh so quickly, within a page, it had totally won me over! It is a delightful story, told from four different points of view, set in the village of Chilbury in Kent. It is 1940 and most of the local men have gone off to war - indeed it starts with the funeral service for Edmund Winthrop, the son of the local big wig and a vicious bully killed in a torpedoed submarine. It is at the Church that the notice that this is the last time the choir will sing together is posted by the vicar. This causes uproar and the arrival of a music professor, Primrose Trent, is enough to turn things round as she sets up the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

Escape into this village to discover the intrigue, schemes, plots and mischief which abound and find out just what life was like in this community during the Second World War through the diaries, journals and letters of four women living there at that time - all of whom are members of the choir. This is a lovely read, with so much going on at such a traumatic time when the ladies really start to play a significant role in the war effort.

It is well written and witty, taking the reader in to the historical situations, has brilliantly portrayed characters and a healthy dose of melodrama, bribery, suspense, music and even romance, too! Read it to find the pressures war imposes on the various members of the community and how they coped with it. This is a book I have no hesitation in highly recommending - and warn any readers to get ready for an enthralling, humorous and engaging, enjoyable read!

Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.

Thank you Harpercollins, Netgalley and Jennifer Ryan for this ARC for an honest review.

Sometimes, just sometimes the simplest tales are the best ones. The tales that are about love and loss, that can transport us to another place and time. This is one of those stories. Jennifer Ryan has woven a story around the simplest of premises. A group of women, joined together in a shared past time that helps them through a rough patch. Of course there are many books like this, chocolate lovers, book clubs etc etc but this one is set among the toughest time for all of us, during war and the last time in living memory that our little island was caught in the direct crossfire. And it's a choir, and I defy anyone (even the most tone deaf of us....i.e. me) to say that they don't enjoy the occasional sing song. So with this back drop we meet the residents of Chilbury and through their own words learn about their lives, their hopes and fears, and the events in Chilbury in the spring and summer of 1940. The novel is told with a mixture of letters and diary entries, told mainly by Venetia and Kitty Winthrop, daughters of local brigadier, Mrs Tilling, a widower whose son is off to war, and Edwina Paltry, the local midwife and Silvie, a young Jewish girl that has been evacuated and is staying with the Winthrops.
There is a distinct change in tone and voice between each letter and diary entry and so it does feel that you're reading the words of different people rather than just one person telling different versions of a story. I have only one criticism here though in that sometimes the author does revert back to a more literary style instead of it been one person relating a story to a friend or diary. I don't know anyone that would write in a letter "‘But it’s next door to Miss Paltry, the midwife!’ she
exclaimed, inexplicable joy on her pretty face,". That's a writer writing not a teenage girl relating local gossip to her friend. But it's a small thing, that just occasionally pulled me out of the story but nowhere near enough to make this anything other than a five star effort. At different times this story made me laugh and cry and gasp in surprise at the fates of some of the characters.

This is a beautifully written book that brings a time gone by back to life in the most wonderful way.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is not only about a choir, it is about the intertwining lives of the ladies of Chilbury during WWII and the realisation that without men in the mix they need to step up, roll their sleeves up and make decisions for themselves.
This novel differs from the usual tale of domestic life during the second world war in that I feel this isn't as sugar coated. I suspect it's nearer the truth than most, showing the good and the bad sides of women from all walks of life muddling on alongside each other and definitely making the best of things.
A thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read, and one which I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending.

The Chilbury Ladies Choir is a wonderful story told through the letters and diary's of the main characters .giving us an insight as to what it was like to be at war living in a small community.I loved the characters who are drawn together to form the Ladies Choir against opposition as all the men are at war ..I really enjoyed this book and was sad when it ended .

A delightful novel set in wartime England and revolves around the Chilbury Parish Choir, the Manor and its inhabitants plus the village. The eldest daughter of the Manor leads the local men signing up a merry dance before falling for a completed stranger who seems to be involved in intrigue. Kitty the youngest daughter plus Sylvie the rescued Jewish girl get involved in various escapades and the quiet Mrs Tilling begins to blossom when Prim a music professor restarts the Choir. It is a great representation of how women coped with all that was thrown at them whilst there are twists and turns in the story cause by the midwife'sactions. A romping good read!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so realistic and I loved the interplay between the social classes within the traditional village and how the hierarchy interact. I really liked the way that the book was set out in terms of letters, diary entries, notices etc. and found it really lent itself well to the telling of the story. All the way through I couldn't help but think how it would make a great film or TV series. It is well written and I think gives a very realistic view of village life and how ordinary people coped with change thrust upon them by the times they lived in. This gives a great representation of women and how they get on and cope when in many ways, men find it more difficult. A sequel would be great - just saying!

Beautiful, heartwarming and full of joy and sorrow. This book beautifully brings to life a small village in England during the war, when most of the men have gone to war. The story has many narrators, giving like to the story. I highly recommend this book, it deserves to be a best seller.