Hard to put down novel that transports you completely back in time. It was extremely easy to get lost in this novel. The character development was great, and as a reader you were able to really feel the all the emotions associated with the often difficult relationships.

This is actually a 3.5 - I chose to round down a bit, rather than up. This is probably my own bias because I’ve been reading so many books set in the WWII timeframe. I have enjoyed almost every one of them, but I’m tired of them, too. Not sure if that makes sense...

This book touches on family relationships, women in the workforce during WWII, and the way the Springfield Armory was important to the area. It was a good, enjoyable read; very well done. I really appreciated the author's research, and the way she worked a very real aspect of WWII into enjoyable women's fiction.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This multi-faceted historical novel examines relationships among people. As the title indicates, the main characters are two sisters growing up in pre-WWII Brooklyn, NY. They could not be more different: one is beautiful and popular, the other is plain but highly intelligent. Their mother sets them up for a lifetime of strife.

The story shifts to WWII at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Women were an important part of the war effort in this facility that manufactured M-1 rifles for our fighting men overseas. Both sisters eventually live there. Their lives and status on base were very different.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the sisters and learned much about how important the Springfield Armory was to the war effort.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me a copy of this page-turner historical fiction novel! Ruth and Millie are sisters with parents who are strict and a mother who has high expectations from responsible Ruth, the elder, and unrealistic dreams for beautiful Millie, the younger sister, which only creates a gulf between the sisters that expands almost beyond repair when their parents are unexpectedly wiped from their lives.

This story digs deeper than just their relationship. I loved the wartime threads that were the intricate part of the story, including things like the Springfield Armory and its importance during the war-something I'd never heard about before.

There were many interesting characters in this story filled with strong women, heart, suspense, mistrust, and family all during the horrors of war. I highly recommend this book!

I Loved this book! 2 things I love to read about! Sisters and war! I was such an amazing story right from the start! Highly recommend! #negalley#wartimesisters

This was a very interesting book! The sibling rivalry was intense and neither understood that it was their mother who seemed to like to continue it. I liked to learn about the Armory and the work it did during the war. The social status and the gossip was also interesting. I was rooting for the characters and hoped for the best outcome for each!

This book is a journey about relationships and how they impact families and friends. Two sisters, one beautiful and the other smart. Two situations; a sister with a loving secure life and the other with a relationship of fear, distrust and anxiety. The final situation is secrets and lies and how those things impact the sisters and people who care about them.

I loved how the book allowed you to understand these characters and become part of their loves. The friends who surrounded them gave it an extra dimensions. For me it was an emotional story.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman was provided to me by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an honest interview. Thank you for this novel.

The Wartime Sisters follows two sisters, who like many sisters don't get along. There is the beautiful Millie, who is treated like a princess and the plain Ruth, who is the scholar. They are both hiding secrets and after the death of their parents go on to live separate lives. But WWII brings them together once again. Their relationship is strained, secrets are still being kept, but would revealing those secrets bring them closer together?

A slow start to this book had me wondering if I would finish it, but I am so happy that I perservered! A thoughtful, intelligent novel about families and relationships...and the damage that they can do.

Another World War II novel, this one set in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the Springfield Armory. The author grew up in the area and has done a thorough job of researching the armory's history and physical setting. She has read all of the old armory newsletters, knows how the officers and their families lived, and understands how work in the munitions factories went. Still, I have a hard time thinking of this as historical fiction, for the story that is told could be set anywhere, any time. The armory and World War II simply provide an interesting (and currently popular) environment.

Two sisters have been estranged for most of their lives. Ruth, the serious one, has always resented her younger sister's beauty and active social life. Everyone notices Millie; Ruth is invisible. They go their separate ways as adults, but then circumstances throw them back together when Millie shows up at Ruth's door with a two-year-old and a husband who is MIA.

Ruth is happily married. Her husband is an officer stationed at the armory, and she has young twin daughters. Still, she is reserved and unsure of herself in social settings, and when Millie comes back into her life, old resentments flare. She relives every petty conflict and every perceived slight from their youth. Millie, meanwhile, is struggling to make ends meet and to take care of her child. She takes an armory job making triggers. But instead of endearing her to Ruth, their reversed social status only seems to make things worse. Ruth finds Millie a burden she must endure. Millie longs to get away from her bossy older sister.

The blurb for the novel refers to "deep secrets" that each sister carries, but they weren't that deep nor were they a big surprise. There is some tension, a fleeting moment or two of danger, but any dangerous situations are quickly resolved. In short, there's not a lot of new stuff here. As for the era, other than some name-dropping and a rare reference to a restaurant or club where Jews are not allowed, we're not overly aware of the times. The war doesn't really influence our protagonists' daily lives beyond the fact that the armory makes arms and there's a shortage of sensible shoes. The working class goes to work, and the haughty officers' wives could be high society matrons anywhere.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it! This is the story of two sisters raised in Brooklyn, but reunited to work at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. The older sister has always resented the younger sister because she was prettier and seemed to have an easier life. When tragedy strikes the younger sister, they are forced to life and work together. They are both hiding a big secret. When a mysterious stranger from the past enters the story, they are both forced to reveal their secret. Even though both secrets are life changing, it seems to bring a new understanding to both sisters and bring them closer to each other. I recommend this book to all readers who like Historical Fiction.

I consider this book Historical Fiction at its finest. Ruth, a plain, studious, stubborn girl has a younger sister Millie who is beautiful and the source of constant attention and sibling rivalry. The story starts out as they are growing up in Brooklyn, NY, 1919-1932. The girls both marry, Ruth to an Army scientist and Millie to a handsome guy with no ambition. Then the story then goes to the WWII Armory in Springfield, MA where Ruth and her husband Arthur live. Circumstances force Millie and her son to move to Springfield to live with Ruth and her family in 1942 after WWII has begun. The story goes back and forth between the two time periods but not in a confusing way. There are a number of very solid likable characters in this book who add a lot to this complex story line. The girls both have secrets and there are twists and turns in this fascinating book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Historical Fiction. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A tale of two sisters, Ruth the studious sister and Millie the younger prettier sister. Everyone eyes concentrate on Millie when she enters the room, Millie seems to get all the attention especially from her mother who is determined that Millie will marry a prince and they will ride off into the sunset together. Ruth is always in Millie's shadow and although she doesn't show it, it is wearing her down.
Ruth's husband accepts a job in Springfield MA at the Armory and Ruth is excited to start a new life without her sister. We learn more of what life was like for women working during the war and Armory life outside of working hours. Ruth leaves behind her life in Millie's shadow and starts a new journey at the Armory but when secrets are kept they will eventually come out. Tragic events bring Millie and Ruth together again but will their relationship ever change?

This was an easy read but I felt that things didn't really get interesting until the end.



Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy!

This is the story of two sisters, Millie and Ruth, as different in looks as in personality. Ruth is the smart and serious sister, jealous of younger sister Millie, the beautiful and popular one. Brought up in Brooklyn, Ruth marries and moves to the Springfield Armory in the midst of World War II. A different take on life during the war, with a compelling description of the sisters’ relationship. I recommend for lovers of historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

It is one of those novels I highly recommend. I found it hard to put aside because of the story that takes you back into the 30s and 40s. Two sisters who couldn't be more different in characters and their lives. The book is very emotional and gripping and I kind of regretted when it finally ended. One would love to continue reading. I will definitely recommend it to all my customers, family and friends.

“ The Wartime Sisters” by Linda Cohen Loigman was a novel that met my expectations. I was unprepared for the depth of feelings shown by the two sisters. They never seem to reconcile their differences in a logical way. The authors handling of their relationship was very well thought out. In the end the resolution of their differences leaves the reader satisfied. A novel I would highly recommend for young adult readers as well as mature book clubs. There is plenty to discuss.

This lovely historical novel explores the troubled relationship between two sisters who grew up in Brooklyn and then both work at the Springfield (MA) Armory during World War II. Loigman writes sympathetically about these two women who have felt at odds with one another most of their lives, and she captures the energy of wartime New England beautifully. I live and work near Springfield, and this novel has inspired me to begin planning my first trip to the Armory.

I love historical fiction, especially WWII era fiction, and this book was especially interesting because it was set in the US instead of in Europe. It tells the story of two sisters, both who end up working at an armory in Springfield, MA. I was fascinated by the world this book showed me and I highly recommend reading it.

The story of the sisters and the other women in the armory around them kept me reading well into the night. It's hard to imagine how hard these women worked during the war only to have to give up their jobs when the war was over. I'm not going to recap the plot, only say again that this book was excellent.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be an easy read. It flowed smoothly between the chapters, the past and the present. It wasn't the best story in this genre that I've read, but it did cover the subject of the armory and the US role in weapons manufacturing (although more on a surface level rather than a deeper understanding) that is not usually the backdrop of any books in this historical fiction genre.

The main plot was not the war, nor its effects on their lives, but rather the dynamic relationship between two sisters who were raised very differently because of their personalities and appearances, by a mother who unknowingly drove a wedge between the sisters that would have a profound effect on the choices the sisters will make throughout their lives.

I would rate this as 3.5 out of 5 if possible.

Thank you #netgalley and #stmartins press for the eARC.

Two Jewish sisters from Brooklyn, New York could not possibly be any more different in stature or personality. Ruth the oldest by three years, has always sought but never truly obtained her mother’s love or approval. Ruth is the steady one who can be counted on and though she is no beauty, she eventually lands Arthur for a husband. Ruth’s little sister, Millie is the outgoing and vivacious beauty of the family. Their mother has high hopes that her beloved daughter will marry well above her station. Unfortunately, her mother was wrong.

The discrepancy between the sisters’ treatment shaped Ruth’s adulthood and how she perceives her sister. The two haven’t been close, well ever. But when major life events happen, the sisters are forced to confront their past, their perspectives and endeavor to move forward in the midst of the war and family drama.

This was an unputdownable book. I could not stop until I got to the last page and when It was over, I wanted to know what else happened to the main characters. This novel is so different than anything I have read in a very long time. I highly recommend it.

I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley and all of the opinions are my own.

Genre: Historical Fiction.
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: Jan. 22, 2019

I didn’t become a history buff until I became a book reviewer. Actually, although I am a baby boomer, I did not know much about WWII, other than the basics that one learns in school and from the movies. Now I am hooked on the genre. However, I was not the target audience for this one. This is probably, because “The Wartime Sisters” is really a women’s fiction tale that is marketed as a historical fiction. I find that often women’s fiction can be a bit sappy, usually sad, and often with unrealistic happy endings. I am not always critical of the genre. If it is well blended with other genres, I can enjoy good women’s fiction read. For example, I very much enjoyed “The Light Between Oceans,” which is historical women’s fiction. However, I do not feel that this book accomplishes such a blending. There is no history in this historical fiction— the location simply takes place at the famous Springfield, Massachusetts, Armory.

What you will read about is the lives of the four main female protagonists. Two estranged Jewish sisters, one busy on the assembly line that produces guns and the other with office duties. The armory’s Italian Catholic cook is really a singer, and the Captain’s privileged wife (guessing her character is White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), who is unofficially in charge of the female workers. All women are hurting from their own secrets. Then there is another character, a villainous officer’s wife who despises all four and tries to bring them down. In the end, the four band-up together to unselfishly save each other (told you, women’s fiction.) Expect one-sided characters. There is no wondering who is the good guy or gal in this case. To be fair, the reader will get a decent representation of the women who chipped in to help the war efforts. Still, one picture of Rosie the Riveter does it better. I do not think the book is marketed correctly for its own best interest in regard to sales there may be a larger audience for women’s fiction than historical. Though this book is not for me, I can think of many friends that would gobble it right up.