The Wartime Sisters: A Novel
The Wartime Sisters: A Novel book cover

The Wartime Sisters: A Novel

Paperback – March 10, 2020

Price
$12.88
Format
Paperback
Pages
336
Publisher
St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1250140715
Dimensions
5.56 x 0.9 x 8.21 inches
Weight
9.6 ounces

Description

“ The Wartime Sisters is a heartfelt and poignant portrait of the complex bond between sisters, how our childhood roles define us as adults, and what dire consequences that can have, especially in times of war. The Wartime Sisters shows the strength of women on the home front: to endure, to fight, and to help each other survive.” ―Jenna Blum, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Lost Family and Those Who Save Us “Fresh off her stunning debut The Two Family House , Lynda Cohen Loigman returns with The Wartime Sisters , an evocative home front tale set against the backdrop of the Springfield Armory during World War II. Through stoic, stubborn Ruth and her beautiful younger sister Millie, Loigman skillfully chronicles the complex sibling bonds and rivalries, the secrets we keep and truths that set us free. Loigman’s strong voice and artful prose earn her a place in the company of Alice Hoffman and Anita Diamant, whose readers should flock to this wondrous new book.” ―Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale “A riveting tale of sibling rivalry and the magnetic dissonance of family, filled with heart-stopping truths that are both tender and wise. One of my favorite books of the year.” ―Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece “In her latest novel, Loigman once again deftly explores the complexities, heartbreaks, and fierce endurance of family bonds. Even amid the great tension and fears of the Second World War, The Wartime Sisters reminds the reader that the harshest battles are often fought here at home, with those we love and are meant to trust most. A stirring tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the consequences of long-buried secrets.” ―Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Edge of Lost and Sold on a Monday “Complex and intricately woven, The Wartime Sisters is truly everything I love in a novel. Beautifully written, rich in historical detail, and anchored by two strong women who must reconcile their past―and their secrets―in order to survive. Loigman is a master storyteller and this novel had me from its very first page.” ―Alyson Richman, international bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours “ The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a powerful and moving story of secrets, friendship, and sisterhood. In Ruth and Millie, whom we follow from their childhood in Brooklyn to their entwined lives as young mothers at a wartime armory in Springfield, Loigman masterfully portrays the complicated sister relationship. Beautifully written, emotionally charged, and rich with historical detail, this novel, and these sisters, will stay with me long after I turned the last page.” ―Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Lost Letter "With a perceptive lens on the challenges of whittling away grievances that have built up over years, The Wartime Sisters is a powerful pressure cooker of a family drama."― Booklist “With measured, lucid prose, Loigman tells a moving story of women coming together in the face of difficulties, both personal and global, and doing anything to succeed.” - Publishers Weekly Lynda Cohen Loigman is the author of The Wartime Sisters and The Two-Family House . She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She grew up in Longmeadow, MA, and now lives in Chappaqua, NY.

Features & Highlights

  • For fans of
  • Lilac Girls
  • , the next powerful novel from the author of Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist
  • The Two-Family House
  • about two sisters working in a WWII armory, each with a deep secret.
  • "
  • Loigman’s strong voice and artful prose earn her a place in the company of Alice Hoffman and Anita Diamant, whose readers should flock to this wondrous new book."
  • ―Pam Jenoff,
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of
  • The Orphan’s Tale
  • "The Wartime Sisters
  • shows the strength of women on the home front: to endure, to fight, and to help each other survive.” ―Jenna Blum,
  • New York Times
  • and international bestselling author of
  • The Lost Family
  • and
  • Those Who Save Us
  • Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(357)
★★★★
25%
(297)
★★★
15%
(178)
★★
7%
(83)
23%
(274)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Recommend

Dynamic book about more than just the war— but about family. I found myself drawn and empathetic to both sisters, highlighting the strength of the author.

The setting of the book was honest yet inviting for the imagination— the parties, social gatherings, etc.

Great, easy read!
✓ Verified Purchase

Great read

Well written story that keeps reader captivated
✓ Verified Purchase

Excellent and fast read.

Loved this book. Very entertaining. We read it for book club and I think everyone enjoyed it!
✓ Verified Purchase

Relationships, friendships, and secrets

The Wartime Sisters is primarily about Ruth and Millie who were sisters. Millie was the prettier sister with personality to match. Plain Ruth was jealous of her sister, and their relationship is strained at best. Their mother favored Millie because of her beauty and had dreams of grandeur for her. Life did not, however, reward those wishes.

Later in the story sisters in spirit, Lillian and Arietta, entered the picture. Ruth, Millie, and Arietta worked at the Springfield Armory assembling military equipment for the war (WWII) effort, and Lillian was the commanding officer’s wife on the base. We get a glimpse of life during those times.

This is a story of relationships, friendships, and secrets that come to light. It’s a quick, light read with a little bit of a love story thrown in. I enjoyed Ms. Loigman’s writing style.
✓ Verified Purchase

not recommended

I thought it was boring.
✓ Verified Purchase

Good book

I liked the book, it was an easy and relaxing rrad
✓ Verified Purchase

Sibling dynamics and a fascinating look into homefront life during WWII

It is always so gratifying to read a historical novel that has been meticulously researched. The rewards are two-fold. You get to read a compelling story AND you learn something in the process. I learned not only about the history of the Springfield Armory during WWII, but I also learned a bit about Jewish traditions and the Jewish way of life.

The sisters in this story were very 'human' with all the flaws that the word represents. The story was well-paced and incorporated the history in an entertaining way.

The Springfield Armory was like a city within a city. It had a strong sense of community, with its inhabitants working toward a common goal.

How discrepancies in the way children are treated by their parents has such a profound affect on their adult personalities - and how it shapes their adult lives - is the primary focus of the narrative.

Family secrets, sibling dynamics, and an interesting peek behind the scenes of life stateside during WWII, this story held me spellbound throughout.

Anyone who enjoys women's fiction with a strong historical base will be sure to delight in "The Wartime Sisters".

4.5 stars rounded up
✓ Verified Purchase

GREAT READ!

First time reader for this author......will read every book she writes....GREAT READING.....GREAT attention to detail...
✓ Verified Purchase

A lovely page turner

Wartime Sisters was a book I needed and didn’t even know it. The complicated relationship between Ruth and Millie many sisters can relate to. Lillian and Arietta bring refreshing narrative into the book. I believe many of us can see different parts of ourselves in each of these women. Being a military spouse myself I found it easy to understand the dedication that Ruth and Lillian had to their positions. I loved the elegance in the flow of the writing. The historical references in the book were spot on. This will be a treasured book in my collection.