About The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Crown (February 14, 2017)
“Just because the men have gone to war, why do we have to close the choir? And precisely when we need it most!”
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. In turns funny, charming and heart-wrenching, this lovingly executed ensemble novel will charm and inspire, illuminating the true spirit of the women on the homefront, in a village of indomitable spirit, at the dawn of a most terrible conflict.
“There’s so much happening in Chilbury: intrigue, romance and an unforgettable cast of characters who aren’t always as they appear. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir is a charming slice of English wartime life that warms the soul like a hot toddy.”
— Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls
“Lyrical, poetic, emotional, funny, endearing, surprising – it is a masterpiece.”
— Veronica Henry, author of An Eligible Bachelor
“The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir sinks you deep inside the rich, intricate atmosphere of an English village in the middle of war, when quiet lives are upended and secrets unravel. With her unforgettable characters and vivid narrative, Jennifer Ryan creates the kind of wartime novel that plays out over the intimate territory of the human heart—full of soul, full of hope. You’ll be thinking about this book long after the last page turns.”
— Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers and The Secret Life of Violet Grant
“World War II in an English village seen through the eyes of the most delicious cast of characters you’ll ever meet—The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir is a masterpiece of secrets, misdirection, village gossip, and gleeful disregard for anything but the main chance, as the Home Front learns to carry on. Seldom do you find a writer with such a deft touch—Jennifer Ryan sweeps the reader along to the very last page in a remarkable debut. “
— Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge series
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Purchase Links
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About Jennifer Ryan
Jennifer Ryan lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband and their two children. Originally from Kent and then London, she was previously a nonfiction book editor.
Connect with Jennifer
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Jennifer Ryan’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, February 13th: Dwell in Possibility
Tuesday, February 14th: Building Bookshelves
Thursday, February 16th: Reading Reality
Monday, February 20th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, February 21st: Laura’s Reviews
Thursday, February 23rd: BookNAround
Friday, February 24th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Monday, February 27th: A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, March 2nd: Savvy Verse and Wit
Monday, March 6th: Bibliotica
Tuesday, March 7th: West Metro Mommy Reads
Thursday, March 9th: Joyfully Retired
Friday, March 10th: View from the Birdhouse
Monday, March 13th: Books and Bindings
Tuesday, March 14th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Wednesday, March 15th: Kahakai Kitchen
Thursday, March 16th: Just One More Chapter
Friday, March 17th: Art @ Home
Monday, March 20th: Diary of an Eccentric
Wednesday, March 22nd: A Literary Vacation