The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir: A Novel

“First they whisk our men away to fight, then they force us women into work, then they ration food, and now they’re closing our choir. By the time the Nazis get here there’ll be nothing left except a bunch of drab women ready to surrender.” The women of Chilbury decide they have had enough of being told what to do, and they defy the Vicar by starting the Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, led by the spirited Primrose Trent. Told through the letters and diaries of five very different and engaging ladies, the small but important stories of women facing WWII in small towns across Europe are illuminated in rich detail. Each woman faces individual crises and life-changing situations, but the choir is their one constant source of normalcy and support. In turns charming, humorous, and truly heart breaking, this exquisitely crafted novel touches on topics such as politics, greed, homosexuality, and abortion. The reader is immediately drawn into the story from the first journal entry and will want to read it all in one sitting.
For the reader who loved novels like The Postmistress and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Jennifer Ryan’s The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir will be another gem to add to their bookshelf.