The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman – 304 pages
ARC from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review: 4 stars
The Wartime Sisters was a book that allowed me to learn something new, while keeping me engrossed in the tumultuous relationship between sisters. It wasn’t a long book but it packed a lot of emotional drama. And what a cover – I just loved it!
I was totally intrigued by the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, which I never knew existed. The descriptions of the design, the gardens, the daycare and shops were so well done. I easily pictured it in my mind. The workers were so important to the war effort and hiring so many women was a key attribute. It was evident that the Armory was well-researched.
Aside from the historical setting is a story that will tug at your heartstrings. Two sisters are raised and treated quite differently from one another since a very young age. Friends, chores, boys and study hours differed for the girls based on rules their mother set in place. This caused more than just a fissure in their relationship. The author did a great job at showing this rather than telling about it and I loved that the title had a double entendre.
After a long estrangement, circumstances bring them back together, each holding secrets from one another. Here we see how their inner thoughts don’t match what comes out of their mouths, because being honest is just too hard. Loved the minor characters in the book. All were developed just enough to make them interesting.
Overall, it’s an easy book to read that will keep you interested and engaged.
Quotes I liked:
Ruth’s mother wore her anxiety like some women wore the wrong color lipstick– it was far too loud, and took forever to wear off.”
– “Small children don’t let you sleep; big children don’t let you rest.”
– “It’s easier to guard a sack of fleas than a girl in love.”
-“Love is sweet, but it tastes better with bread.”
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