I absolutely loved The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan. I listened to an audio version, and really enjoyed the different voices of the various characters--all were excellently done.
The setting is a small village in Kent in the opening year of WWII--the men have gone off to war, leaving the vicar to disband the church choir because apparently in England the notion of a women's choir was unthinkable. I thought that a bit of a stretch, but nonetheless, the women, lead by the indomitable Prim, reform the choir, and use the music as a way of bonding with each other, grieving, celebrating, hoping, and surviving through the dark days and grim nights.
I really liked the variety of the main characters--my favorites were the two upper-crust sisters, Kitty and Venetia, the mousy Mrs. Tilling who learns to roar, and the devious Edwina Paltry. I thought the plot line interesting and poignant, and I really hated saying goodbye to the villagers at the end of the book.
I loved reading about life on the homefront during the war, and felt a surge of pride as the women stepped up and did things they never thought they could do...because they had to.
It's a story of resiliency, fortitude, and sisterhood.
Definitely a book I would recommend.
