The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan
I added this book to my to-read list after seeing the summary in Bookpages. Then, I saw it was available for request from the publisher. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. I’ve seen a lot of good reviews of the book lately and thought it would be more fun to read it along with you, so it’s April’s online book club choice.
Here is the Goodreads summary:
As England enters World War II’s dark early days, spirited music professor Primrose Trent, recently arrived to the village of Chilbury, emboldens the women of the town to defy the Vicar’s stuffy edict to shutter the church’s choir in the absence of men and instead ‘carry on singing.’ Resurrecting themselves as “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir,” the women of this small village soon use their joint song to lift up themselves, and the community, as the war tears through their lives.
Told through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir moves seamlessly from budding romances to village intrigues to heartbreaking matters of life and death. As we come to know the struggles of the charismatic members of this unforgettable outfit — a timid widow worried over her son at the front; the town beauty drawn to a rakish artist; her younger sister nursing an impossible crush and dabbling in politics she doesn’t understand; a young Jewish refugee hiding secrets about her family, and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past — we come to see how the strength each finds in the choir’s collective voice reverberates in her individual life.
Plan to join us in the discussion of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir on April 26 here on the blog and on Facebook.