December 12

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir (2017)
By Jennifer Ryan

This story begins with the funeral of Edmund Winthrop, the town of Chilbury's first casualty of World War II.  Edmund was a bully, and even his sisters don't seem overly upset, but their father is another story.  "The Brigadier" has lost his only son and heir, and thus faces the prospect of losing the family estate.  Fortunately, his wife is expecting a baby very soon; as long as she gives birth to a boy, all will be well.  Just to be on the safe side, the Brigadier corners the somewhat shady midwife Edwina Paltry at his son's collation.  Since several women in Chilbury are due to give birth at about the same time; Edwina agrees to guarantee a male heir.  Surely at least one of the babies will be a male - hopefully, the Winthrops'.  But if not, Edwina will just arrange a clandestine swap.

Set during the spring and summer of 1940, the town of Chilbury is well within the sights of Luftwaffe bombers.  The war affects the residents of this small town in many ways.  Lots of soldiers and naval officers are serving, leaving the choir without male voices.  The ladies decide to persevere, anyway, and they find camaraderie and support as they rehearse and perform together.  Told through letters and journal and diary entries, we meet the two Winthrop sisters, Venetia, 17, and Kitty, almost 14.  Venetia falls in love with a somewhat eccentric young artist whom she suspects of black marketeering and possibly spying for the enemy.  Kitty's life revolves mostly around the choir and she takes private lessons from Prim, its new leader.  Sylvie, a Czech Jewish refugee, is temporarily lodging with the Winthrops as well.  Mrs Margaret Tilling, a widowed nurse, is truly in the thick of the war.  Her only son, David, has just enlisted and she is stuck with doing her part for the war effort, resentfully billeting a soldier, Col Mallard, in David's room.  Mrs Tilling is often called upon to care for the wounded and also serves as a midwife; she is puzzled by the circumstances surrounding the birth of Rose Lovell, her neighbor's baby, and Lawrence Winthrop.

Reminiscent of the recent Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, another epistolary novel set during the War, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is peopled with likable characters who noticeably change and grow as their circumstances become more difficult.  While the southeast corner of England was not occupied as the Channel Islands were, it was still a dangerous place.  War can bring out the best and worst in people, and author Ryan has surely brought out some of the best in this wonderful novel.

Note: I read the audio version and found the narrations to be excellent, particularly Edwina Paltry