The Chilbury Ladies' Choir in Crazy Challenge Connection

Sep 17, 2018 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, audio, england, concierge, strong-women, library, friendship, world-war-ii

Digital audiobook performed by Gabrielle Glaster, Laura Kirman, Imogen Wilde, Adjoa Andoh, Tom Clegg, and Mike Grady.
3.5*** (rounded up)

Among the many novels about World War II, this one stands out for its focus on the women left behind. Set in an English village, where most of the men are off to the fight, and the women have stepped up to the task of keeping things going, Ryan gives us a rich cast of characters, some of whom are not what they seem.

It begins when the vicar decides to suspend th ...more

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Oct 02, 2017 Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo rated it really liked it

Shelves: womens-fiction, historical, literary-fiction, fall-2017

What a delightful and lovely debut novel. I enjoy epistolary novels immensely, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan is no exception.

In the Southern English village of Chilbury the men (mostly) have left to fight in the war. It is Spring 1940. The Vicar has dismantled the choir because there are no men. But the new choir-mistress sees nothing wrong with an all ladies choir and 13 women are drawn together. They will bond, find strength among each other, and comfort each other thru the mont ...more

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Mar 25, 2017 Sam rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, books-of-2017

I'm a sucker for a good epistolary novel, and I love different takes on life during WWII. This book was right up my alley and does a fantastic job of showing the lives of these small town British women at the start of WWII.

The novel is entirely made up of diary entries and letters. This gives a deep and personal look at each woman's life, her feelings, her fears. They all felt like such unique and well-rounded characters, because the format allows the reader to get to know them so well.

This sto ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Chris rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, audiobook, united-kingdom, war, world-war-ii, england

I'm having a difficult time deciding how to rate this book. I have to start with the fact that I enjoyed it tremendously. I got caught up in the characters and cared about what happened to them. At the same time, this is Peyton Place set in an English village in 1940. With the epistolary style, I was hoping for something akin to The Guernsey Literary and Potato-Peel Pie Society.
With all the men gone off to war, the vicar wants to shut down the church choir for the duration. Instead, the new cho I'm having a difficult time deciding how to rate this book. I have to start with the fact that I enjoyed it tremendously. I got caught up in the characters and cared about what happened to them. At the same time, this is Peyton Place set in an English village in 1940. With the epistolary style, I was hoping for something akin to The Guernsey Literary and Potato-Peel Pie Society.
With all the men gone off to war, the vicar wants to shut down the church choir for the duration. Instead, the new choir mistress decides to continue on with all women. Some of the choir members are dubious at first, but they slowly gel into a rather good musical group. What's more they find strength in their music as the war slowly begins to affect more and more of them while others face their own crises.
The main character, known almost throughout the book as Mrs. Tillings, never Margaret, is the one who changes the most. She begins as a shy somewhat cowed widow. I dare any mother of a teenage son to not tear up as she reads the description of Mrs. Tillings watching her 18-year-old son going down the front path on his way to the army. By the end of the book Mrs. Tillings has made it through triumph and tragedy and emerged a much stronger woman for it.
Venetia is the femme fatale of the village. Every young man is madly in love with her and she plays them all. Until a newcomer to the town turns the tables. Her younger sister, Kitty, is madly in love with the boy who has eyes only for Venetia.
The main problem with the book is that most of the characters are such stereotypes that they're almost buffoonish. Mrs. B is so loud and overbearing that I don't believe we ever learned if there still was a Mr. B around. The Brigadier is ridiculous. You've seen this type in multiple British dramas. Here he all but chews the scenery. And finally there's Mrs. Paltry, our would-be villainess who is too much of a screw-up to be really detestable, even if her actions are. There is just no depth to any of these characters.
Finally, the ladies' stories are told either through journal entries or letters. I thought they all tended to write in similar tones. Mrs. Paltry writes far too well for someone of her station (not to mention no one would have put down on paper what she did). Venetia writes with amazing insight and brilliant descriptions - something that seems totally out of character for a girl who seems to self-absorbed.
The author notes she was trying to show how women came into their own during the war, finding their voices in many different ways. And that is certainly true. I will say I did like everyone's final feelings toward Henry, who I think acted in a way that was exactly what I would have expected under the circumstances.
And yet, I loved how their stories came together, how they run into and out of each other's lives with both wonderful and terrible consequences. So if you're in the mood for something like that, this may be the book for you.
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Dec 23, 2022 Catsalive rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2022

An amusing read if not quite what I expected. It was all very dramatic rather than a small community just making do & getting on with it. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, although Mrs Tilling & Colonel Mallard were sympathique. The singing 'sounded' like it was fantastic & I wished that I could actually hear it. ...more

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Apr 17, 2025 Kim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: housing, 5-star, historical-fiction, epistolary, wartime, war, women-friends, sisters, europe

The village of Chilbury, in Kent, England is trying to find their way, as World War II begins, and their young men are called off to fight. The women step up, and as women do, carry on and create a new normal. When there are no men to sing in the choir, they decide to create a Ladies choir, when someone needs help, others extend a hand.
I thought I had read this a long time ago, but I was thinking of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, another WWII book that I loved.
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