The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, by Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan put together a wonderful variety of women that were all equally interesting and thought provoking. That might be hard to do with 5+ voices to carry out and make unique, but she handled it marvelously, the different stories and methods for their communication weaving together very nicely throughout the book. While I may have wished for a little less from Mrs. Tilling, I enjoyed reading every character's journal entries, letters, and diaries.

As for criticism, I can't find a lot. Sometimes I wished to hear what the recipients of those letters wrote in return, or have some indication of what their correspondent thought of their last letter. I also wished for some sort of resolution at the very end regarding the war, perhaps Kitty 5, 15, 25 years later, with where they are now, and what they've made of their lives post-war.

I even found myself tearful during parts of the book, particularly the funeral of Hattie, when the priest fretfully told the ladies that there were no men to carry the coffin. When all the women stood together to bear their friend, it was so heartwarming and sad, to know that this most likely happened on many occasions.

Overall, this book captivated me, and I loved getting involved in the lives of a small village in England. Very well written, 4.5 stars!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.