What a great start to my 2019 reading!

As an only child whose husband brought four daughters to the marriage, I am fascinated by sibling dynamics. How can those with the same set of genes and family setting turn out so different? So kudos to Loigman for doing such a great job of capturing the dynamics and sibling rivalries. Also for capturing how the way we are treated by parents works to harden our opinions of siblings and affects our own future family dynamics.

Within pages, Ruth had captured my heart. She seemed like my twin. Steady, disciplined and composed, happiest with a book in her hand. “The more responsible Ruth proved to be, the more it was held against her.” Her sister, Millie, on the other hand, is forgiven all her faults because of her beauty and “sensitive nature”.

So, it was interesting when the next chapter switched to Millie’s POV and I found her equally sympathetic. Loigman doesn't play favorites, she wants you to understand and appreciate both.

In addition to Ruth and Millie, we meet Arietta and Lillian. Each character is fully fleshed out. The women all have secrets. The book keeps your interest as it moves from one to the other of the four women. Loigman captures the times, the social chasms and the prejudices perfectly. Set during WWII, you totally feel the time and place. Make sure to read the Author’s Note, which does a wonderful job explaining the historical significance of the Springfield Armory. An enjoyable read that I can recommend.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Ruth and Millie grow up in a Jewish household in Brooklyn. They are very different and the household dynamics haunt them into adulthood. After tragic circumstances in Millie's life, she and her toddler come to live with Ruth and family at the Springfield Armory. Millie takes a job on the line and we learn about life on the base through the eyes of Ruth, Millie, Lillian (the wife of the base commander) and Arietta (a cook on the base who used to sing professionally). I found myself feeling more interest in Lillian's story than in Ruth and Millie despite the additional backstory provided on the sister's relationship. Taking one star off for the somewhat clunky way the past was inserted into the narrative.

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for the digital ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Wartime Sisters is a compelling mix of family drama and historical fiction. We are taken back to Brooklyn in the 1930’s and to an armory in Massachusetts during wartime. The author does a great job of putting us right into the scenes with her vivid descriptions of life in those places during two very turbulent eras. The relationship between the two sisters, Ruth and Millie, drives the story, giving it heart and drama...a relationship fraught with conflict, jealousy, and secrets.

An interesting story about sister relationships and miscommunication. The setting is Brooklyn and then Springfield MA. It’s interesting to read about the culture and temperament of the 30s and 40s from the perspective of two sisters. One is beautiful, the other is smart. War tends to level the playing field.

Two sisters, Ruth and Millie, grow up in a Jewish Brooklyn household before WW2. Their mother does not give bright, plain Ruth her due, but instead focuses her unrealistic fantasies on beautiful Millie, everyone's darling. No wonder that Ruth grows up resenting her younger sister, who has her own insecurities. After their parents are killed in an accident, Millie, left with no one to guide her, makes a grave mistake that affects her life. The sisters' lives intertwine again in MA, where they both work in the Springfield Armory. Bogged down by secrets, they become more estranged until the near death of one of them enables them to grow close and value one another.
A page turner with many wonderful characters!

I will mention this book in my newsletter

Sometimes I feel sorry for writers that hit it big the first time they publish a novel, because then the expectations are raised for everything they write thereafter, and so I wondered whether Loigman, the author of A Two Family House, would be able to match the standard she has set for herself. I needn’t have worried, because if anything, The Wartime Sisters is even more absorbing. I was invited to read and review, and my thanks go to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press. This excellent novel will be available to the public January 22, 2019.

The setting is an armory not far from where the author grew up, one that was an important manufacturing site during World War II. The characters are what drive the story, but Loigman’s intimate understanding of the period’s social mores and the economic impact the war had on women on the home front make it far more resonant. Rather than rely on pop-cultural references to set the tone, she conveys unmistakably what American women were expected to do—and to never do--in this unusual yet unliberated time period.

Ruth and Millie are sisters, and yet in some ways they don’t really know each other. Each has built up a personal narrative full of grievances and assumptions about the other over the course of their lives; they are estranged, with Millie back home in Brooklyn and Ruth in Springfield, Massachusetts. Both are married, and both of their husbands have decided to enlist, but otherwise their circumstances are vastly different. Ruth has married well, but when Millie’s husband Lenny is gone and their parents are dead, she has no one to turn to. She has a small child to consider, and during this time period it was unusual for a mother to leave a young child in the care of others. Men worked; women stayed home. And so although she dreads doing it, Millie writes to her older sister Ruth; Ruth doesn’t want to take Millie in, but she does.

Both sisters carry a lot of guilt, and each is holding onto a terrible secret.

The story alternates time periods and points of view, and the reader will want to pay close attention to the chapter headings, which tell us not only which woman’s perspective is featured, but also what year it is. At the outset we have the present time alternating with their childhoods, and gradually the two time periods are brought together.

In addition, we see the viewpoints of two other women that are introduced later in the story. One is Lillian, the wife of a commanding officer; she befriends Ruth and later, Millie. The second is Arietta, the cook that feeds the armory personnel and also sings for them. Although these women’s backgrounds are provided as separate narratives, their main role is to provide the reader with an objective view of Ruth and Millie.

I generally have several books going at a time, but I paused my other reading for this one, because I felt a personal obligation to Ruth and to Millie. Family is family, and while I read this story, they were my sisters. You can’t just walk away.

Loigman joins women’s fiction and World War II historical fiction masterfully, and if this work reminds me of any other writer, it would be the great Marge Piercy. This book is highly recommended to those that cherish excellent writing.

The Wartime Sisters are two sisters in WW Two who lead very different lives through the war. One is a wartime widow and the other is a war wife doing her part to help. We follow the two Sisters throughout their struggles and Joy's. Thank you to Netgalley for an honest review

4.5 Stars

Although The Wartime Sisters is a World War II novel set during the early 1930s and early 1940s, it's more than anything a story about two very different sisters who have been waging their own personal wars against each other since they were young children. They've been estranged for several years but are suddenly forced together because of traumatic events in one of their lives. It's also a novel of female relationships and friendships forged under the unusual circumstances of war where women from different parts of life, religion, and class worked to hold the homefront together for the boys and men fighting overseas during WWII.

Lynda Cohen Loigman does a magnificent job telling the story through the use of multiple POVs: the sisters, Ruth and Millie, Arietta, a former vaudeville singer now a cook in the armory's cafeteria, and Lillian, wife of the commanding officer of the Springfield Armory.

The plot focuses primarily on Millie and Ruth, two Jewish sisters from Brooklyn. With a timeline that goes back and forth seamlessly from the past to the present, the story of why the two siblings became estranged unfolds, as well as secrets each is keeping from the other are revealed that make for an unexpectedly suspenseful part of the plot that shocked me in a good way because it was so well-done.

Ruth, the older, extremely smart sister has never felt she could compare to her younger sister Millie, who has always been doted on for her tremendous beauty and charm and could do no wrong in her parent's eyes. Loigman's portrayal of the sister's rivalry, hurt, guilt, and blame is outstandingly done as she captures the feelings of each sister--the hurt of the older sister who is overlooked, especially by their mother, the sensitivity of the younger sister who doesn't understand her older sister's resentment, as well as the pain and guilt both feel when they have no relationship and no loving sisterly bond.

Lillian and Arietta are probably my favorite characters in the entire book! If you read the novel, I think you will see why. They are excellent friends to Ruth and Millie and are able to provide them with the friendship and support they each need when they eventually reach out to one another. I think everyone needs a friend like Lillian and Arietta (and I could definitely use some of Arietta's lasagna in my life!).

I've rarely, (if ever that I remember!), read a novel that takes place in the United States during WWII that shows the historic and extremely pivotal roles women played during wartime when they filled the positions in manufacturing and factories left open when husbands, fathers, and brothers went to fight overseas. So I loved the extremely well-researched and accurate portrayal Loigman gave of life for women on the homefront during the war years and how Ruth, Millie, Arietta, Lillian, and the various other women who lived on the military base lived, went to work, helped with each other's childcare, and played such a huge role in the war effort. It is a quite different type of WWII novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed! 

If you've read my blog long enough, you know that I love historical fiction and WWII fiction is one of my favorites. The Wartime Sisters is one WWII historical fiction novel that I certainly recommend you read. It's a meticulously researched, well-written, character-driven story full of secrets, sisterly bonds, and strong female characters that will keep you turning pages long into the night! It publishes on January 22, 2019 so be sure to pick up a copy as soon as you can!

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC to read in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

I loved Loigman’s debut novel, The Two Family House, so was very excited to read this second novel by this author.  Like many historical fiction novels, this story covers two different timelines. What is unique to this story is it is two different timelines for the same two sisters and the timelines are only a few years apart.  I really enjoyed that perspective. Loigman excels at realistically portraying real relationships with all of the misunderstandings and imperfections and secrets kept.

The Wartime Sisters is about two sisters.  Ruth is the older and considered more responsible sister.  She has married and left home to move with her husband to a military base.  Millie is the younger sister. Before the story begins, Millie is involved with an inappropriate loser type man.  The death of the girls’ parents sets in motion events that bring the sisters together again. Exploring their rocky relationship is the main conflict of the novel.

I really enjoyed this book and hesitate to tell more and spoil things for others who may decide to read.  I hope they do. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.

Loved the book!! I loved the story, characters and writing style. I enjoyed how the story alternated between the characters. I felt like I got to know Millie, Ruth, Lillian and Arietta. The book centered around the woman in Massachusetts at the Springfield Armory during WWII and also Millie and Ruth growing up in Brooklyn. Ruth was a hard person to like. I definitely felt sorry for her, especially when her mom showed favoritism to Millie. Ruth resented Millie for all the attention she received from their mother and for being beautiful, both of which Millie couldn't help. Both of the sisters were keeping secrets from each other, which strained their relationship even more. By the end I warmed up to Ruth. I loved how she finally stood up to Grace. Millie also realized she had to help out and not always leave Ruth to handle everything. Lillian and Arietta ended up being my favorite characters.

I definitely recommend the book. The book took place during WWII, but it didn't center around the battles or what was going on over seas. It centered around family relationships, the good and the bad. The book definitely held my attention, I felt like I was right there with Millie and Ruth. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author, Lynda Cohen Loigman, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Wow just wow as I really loved The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman as her book seems to authentically reflect the World War II era. Sisters Ruth and Millie are about as different as night and day. Ruth is the older sister who is bit bookish while her sister Millie is a flaming beauty. Both have to deal with situations that revolve around their appearance, intelligence and life circumstances especially so as Millie was expected to marry well based on her beauty. Things didn't quite turn out as planned and both sisters end up supporting the war effort when they work at the Springfield Armory.

You can tell Loigman researched her book well as she truly reflects how the military complex is built and operates.

If you like World War historical novels, you will love this book.

Highly recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

I can very easily seeing The Wartime Sisters being a favorite of many readers in 2019. I wholly enjoyed this novel and applaud how Lynda's research enriched the armory setting and the storyline, both refreshingly unique to recent wartime stories.

This started book out slow for me, but once I got into it I enjoyed the book and the complicated sister relationship.

I think the author did a wonderful job of portraying how relationships change and that you can't hold a grudge. I loved the armory setting and reading about that part of their lives.

Loigman takes us back to the years of WWII to tell the complex story of the relationship of two troubled sisters, each with much to give but each carrying the guilt and shame of their previous actions. She does a particularly good job of brining the reader into the Springfield Armory. One can forgive her for the more stereotypical descriptions of some of the secondary characters because of the force with which she portrays the two sisters.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

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.

This book probably should have been categorized under Women's Fiction vs Historical Fiction. Though set during WW 2, the actual war never made an appearance in the book. It was an okay book, the writing was okay, everything was just okay.

3☆

THE WARTIME SISTERS by Lynda Cohen Loigman is reading time really well spent. The novel is about two sisters but it’s difficult to describe the plot without giving away too many reveals. In this book, the sisters’ relationship is complicated by the fact that one is considered intelligent and plain while the other is considered attractive and not very smart. Ruth is so jealous of Millie’s impact on all the boys around them that she grows bitter and makes a decision that will change the course of all of their lives in a way she couldn’t have imagined. However, Millie is carrying around her own secret when she lands back on Ruth’s doorstep in Springfield during WWII.

While telling a really good story, the author also manages to capture all of the intricacies that come with having a sister and the impact of the war on every relationship. There was never a part of this book that made me wish it was written differently or any people in the book that I didn’t feel like I knew. I loved how the backstories of Ruth and Millie, but also Lillian and Arietta. Even Grace landed as one of my favorite characters because there are plenty of people like her in every era. I appreciated how the author wove Jewish culture into this novel, especially the commentary from the parents when it came to Lenny and their daughters. You just fall in love with this book – the characters, the story, the descriptions, all of it. When this book comes out in January, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Especially if you have a sister.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Two sisters who have had a troubled past end up in the same home again as adults and the dramas of the past are going to come boiling up and may just explode. Ruth and Millie are two sisters that are complete opposites and they have been battling since their childhood.

Ruth is living in Massachusetts and Millie needs to escape New York and with nowhere else to go, Millie retreats to Ruth's house. Yes this book is titled The Wartime Sisters, but I would say this book is mostly about the sister relationship that just so happens to take place during a war. Bring a sister is such an interesting and complicated relationship and this book showed that relationship to a T. It was so accurate it was scary!

Loigman's writing was so easy to read. I read this book in the middle of December in the middle of the holidays and it was just the right book to curl up with a few times over a weekend. It was easy to pick up and put down and get in and out of this book. There were a few moments where the author repeated something and I was confused that I had heard that detail before, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

If you are a reader who doesn't tend to read historical fiction, I would challenge you to try this one, there is more plot that could have taken place at any time in history then there was historical details. Don't get me wrong, it is obvious that this takes place in the 1930s and 1940s and those moments I enjoyed, but this book really focuses on sisters and family.

Wow!!! This book is a very superbly written courtroom drama that will evoke feelings of empathy and leave you spinning. Trust me, this is one you don't want to miss—it's going to be huge! Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy.

One of the best books I've read in a while. Good plot, nice characters, but not TOO nice. Just a good homey read.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

If you have a sister who's prettier than you, you can relate to this story. Ruth is 3 years older than her sister Millie. Millie gets all of the attention. Ruth is the responsible one. Millie is expected to marry well. It is hoped that Ruth will marry. But things don't always work out the way people think.