The Chilbury Ladies' Choir : A Novel
Jennifer Ryan
Crown Pub Inc
9781101906750
1-101-90675-8
NATIONAL BESTSELLERA delightful debut.PeopleFor readers of Lilac Girls and The Nightingale, The Chilbury Ladies' Choirunfolds the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of a village choir during World War II.As England becomes enmeshed in the early days of World War II and the men are away fighting, the women of Chilbury village forge an uncommon bond. They defy the Vicars stuffy edict to close the choir and instead carry on singing, resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies Choir. We come to know the home-front struggles of five unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret; and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past. An enchanting ensemble story that shuttles from village intrigue to romance to the heartbreaking matters of life and death, Jennifer Ryans debut novel thrillingly illuminates the true strength of the women on the home front in a village of indomitable spirit.