This was a really good book that had a little bit of everything.. 

New and interesting historical facts weaved into the story?   Check
Strong women without manufactured angst?  Check
Alternating timelines - one of my favorite points of view..     Check 
Story of friendship?  Check.  
Needing to know what happened next?  Check 

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC.  This did not impact my review of this wonderful story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gave you an idea not only the struggles that people who had German descendants who left Germany struggled after the war broke out. But how the women who worked during this time had to put up with the same prejudices only worse than the ones that women of today in the workforce. To have to lie to protect yourself and your family had to be extremely stressful. I can’t imagine living in that era! Thank you Julia for writing such a great book!

Julia Kelly is fast becoming a talented historical fiction author. It had Downton-esque overtones, so I enjoyed that aspect. Superb characterization and writing as well. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters, but I loved their loyalty to one another

A story about what humans are capable of when mass hysteria arises.
Alternating timeline novels appeal to me and I rather enjoyed The Whispers of War.  The story takes you from the 1939/1940 era to current day.
 A story of 3 strong woman trying to find their way in a time that woman really had no power.  They were expected to get married and have children.  Working outside the home or being a older single lady was frowned upon.
I found this historical WWII historical novel to be quite interesting....full of of history I really wasn’t aware of.  I did not know England had internment camps for foreign born citizens during WWII.
A beautiful, heartfelt historical fiction you should take the time to read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I read and enjoyed Kelly's other novel, The Light Over London which was about a young woman's journey in the ATS and being a Gunner Girl.  The Whispers of War also focuses more on characters than the war itself, which I like. It's about 3 women who have been friends since childhood. As Britain heads towards WWII with Germany, their friendship is testes. The author does a good jog creating realistic characters struggling to survive in a horrifically difficult and terrifying time. Not a classic but a decent read.

The Whispers of War was such a great read Julia Kelly has a way of keeping her readers interested through the whole book. This novel takes place in the past and present day, during the present day we meet Samantha who is living in Chicago when her grandmother passes away she finds a will that is left. In this will her grandmother asks that she  travels to England to meet her grandmothers best friend Nora to hand deliver a package. The book then moves to the past were we meet Nora, Marie and Hazel who all meet up each Friday night. When their are rumors of the war and others being sent to interment camps the three friends brace themselves and try to keep a normal life. I absolutely love Julia Kelly and her way of story telling I also appreciate the amazing imagery that is created in this book.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this books. This is a great story of friendship, love and sacrifice that takes place at the beginning of WWII. Nora, Hazel and Marie have been friends for a long time-they met in boarding school. When the war breaks out, Marie is threatened with interment by the British government because of her German heritage. Despite the risks, her friends help her. I really liked this story and the details of their friendship. It was very well-written and I would recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers!

Nora, Marie, and Hazel are three friends living in London on the precipice of the beginning of WWII. Nora is working for the Home Office, but also juggles trying increasingly to find ways to help Germans in England as the war breaks out. She finds this especially difficult, not only due to her position, but also her class. Hazel is in the market of matchmaking, having found hers she thinks in Nathaniel. When things transpire that link them more so, that seems even truer. Marie is a German born who has lived most of her life in London and faces the threat of deportation on the outbreak of war. Modern day takes us to Samantha --Marie's granddaughter--who is desperately trying to learn more of her beloved grandma's past by going to London and meeting her best friend, Nora. 

After reading her highly enjoyable "Lights over London", I was so excited to see that Kelly had another historical fiction novel coming out. I loved her last one and was ready to take up the reigns again. This story starts out a little differently. We're automatically pulled into pre-WWII and our focus stays with 3 different women instead of one. With the split time narrative, this automatically threw up a red flag for me. Granted, I mainly kept up with everyone's story arcs and what was going on just fine. But it threw in way too many 'main' characters. You had four instead of 2. And don't even really get a good conclusion with Hazel. I know some might agree that actually it was the three from the 1940's that were the main characters and Samantha was just a vehicle--but then it's lazy writing. Samantha's story was nowhere near as intriguing either. We got so little of her and her worth that she did end up feeling like a trope and not a character. It's too bad--because properly fleshed out, she could have been so much more. 

Good things: I did really enjoy getting to see the perspective Marie brought of a German in England during the war. You don't see it often and it was a refreshing perspective. The characterization we did get to see was mainly enjoyable. I had hoped for more with Samantha, but that may have been a purposeful omission. I was so intrigued  to see a woman working in a matchmaking services during this time period! I know these services have been around for a while, but it was eye opening to see Hazel doing something beyond the normative secretarial work. I think it's phenomenal that Samantha has someone she could talk to about her grandmother and learn more about her earlier life. We should all be so lucky.

Otherwise, I just found myself kind of bummed with the missed potential of this story. Lights over London just seemed like a more cohesive story overall. Maybe the next one will be better?

Three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. Erstwhile socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. This is a page turner that I was not putting down until I was finished. I bought the paperback and am not sorry that I did. I recommend this book.

“Whispers of War” by Julia Kelly is a wonderful book about the pre-war problems in Britain before WW II.  I enjoyed the back story of the preparations for war by the British almost as much as I did the story of the three girls’ friendships and hardships during this time.  We begin the novel in the present.  Samantha has been tasked, after her grandmother’s death to deliver a parcel to an old lady in Britain.  She doesn’t know what it contains, only that as her grandmother’s executor, she is bound to take care of this task.

The novel continues with the story of three girls who have been friends since prep school.  Socialite Nora wants to do her part for the war effort by joining the Air Raid Precautions Department.  Hazel is a matchmaker, who tries to partner lonely men and women together, in spite of her own unhappy marriage.  Marie is an expat from Germany, born there, but has spent her whole life in Britain.  As war looms, the three girls gather each month for dinner, gossip and laughter.  As things become tenser, the plight of Marie is a matter of great worry to all three girls.   Marie will surely be termed an enemy alien and would be transported to a detention camp in Britain or turned back to Germany.  The story follows these girls as they try to send Marie to America.  

I truly felt the fear and determination of each girl as the path to war became more precarious.  I was unable to put this book down and finished reading it in record time.  I highly recommend Ms. Kelly’s novels.  She has also written “The Light Over London”.  Her knowledge of the country, the cities, and the habits of the British at this time made the story very real to me.  I got lost in it.

I loved this story. The characters were rich & the plot was fascinating. This is a perfect example of historical fiction done right. I didn’t know a lot about internment camps in Britain during WWII, & I thought this was an excellent way to give some life to this story without it being dull & boring like a history text. Marie, Nora, & Hazel represent strong women in a time that made it hard to be a strong woman, & they did so with grace & intelligence. I also liked how it went between the past & the present day in a logical & easy to follow manner. I highly recommend reading this book!

Following the 2019 release of her tremendously popular book, THE LIGHT OVER LONDON, Julia Kelly returns with THE WHISPERS OF WAR, a work of historical fiction focusing on the lives of three young women living in London during the start of World War II. Bound by a deep, lasting friendship and their sense of loyalty to one another and their country, they fight for their freedom as the world is thrown into disarray.

Beginning in the present day, the novel introduces readers to Samantha, who has recently lost her beloved grandmother, Marie. In addition to her inheritance, she receives a very specific letter demanding that she travel to England to hand-deliver a special package to her grandmother’s lifelong friend, Nora. Upon arriving in the eccentric old woman’s home, Samantha learns that there was so much more to her grandmother than snuggles and bedtime stories. Marie had to fight for her freedom during the start of World War II, and it is largely due to her friendship with Nora that she survived. Settling in with lots of tea and a bit of jetlag, Samantha readies herself to hear Marie’s tale, as told by Nora.

The year is 1939, and all of Britain is watching carefully as Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, threatens to attack Poland, thereby forcing the world into another war to end wars. In London, three young women are paying particularly close attention --- for one of them is German-born, with a distinct accent that she worries will turn her into a scapegoat for her neighbors who remember all too well the lives they lost the last time England went to war with Germany. Former debutante and current happily single homeowner and independent woman Nora works in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, where she dreams up solutions to some of the country’s biggest and most unsolvable problems, facing intense pushback from her male superiors. Married matchmaker Hazel has a keen eye for characterizing the people she meets, but she is holding secrets of her own that threaten her eternal optimism. And then there’s Marie, a German expat residing with her beloved aunt and uncle --- and their insufferable son, Henrik. Marie remembers Germany well enough and has found work in the German Department at a local school, but her heart lies in England, where she has found best friends, purpose and maybe even love.

As England declares war on Germany, Kelly whisks her readers along as rations become scarce, gas masks become necessities, and long-simmering prejudices and discriminations become all too obvious. Though Marie holds an esteemed position at her job and has done good work in the past, her entire life is thrown into the spotlight when one of the men she assists is declared a Nazi sympathizer after fleeing in the night. Marie knows nothing about his personal life --- it is even revealed that he kept a separate planner hidden away from her --- but this does not matter to the Home Office and their sergeants. As the lead detective begins to breathe down Marie’s neck, she worries not only for her own safety, but for the safety of her aunt and uncle, who fled an impossible situation in Germany and are endlessly grateful for the security they have found in England.

Of course, as the Home Office digs into Marie’s past, they also dip into the histories of Nora and Hazel --- one of whom has some suspicious ties of her own to Nazi sympathizers and British informants.

Kelly tracks the girls’ lives from August 1939 to June 1940 --- a seemingly impossibly short time for entire lives to be upended, but such is the nature of war. As Marie goes from a respected and sought-after young woman to an unemployed scapegoat for British prejudices, Nora and Hazel are changed too. Nora, always stubborn and independent, takes her love and loyalty to the next level, even giving up her beloved career for something entirely new and challenging. Hazel, meanwhile, turns her matchmaking skills upon herself and asks whether or not she is truly happy --- or if she even deserves the happy endings she is so good at helping her clients find. Drawing upon deep and surprising research into the lives of Germans living abroad during World War II and her own tender and lyrical prose, Kelly paints a portrait not only of the world at war, but of the lives of the real citizens who experienced it and fought for their freedoms to live, love and build friendships.

Though World War II is hugely popular in historical fiction, I believe that THE WHISPERS OF WAR is unique in its representation of the experience of a young German woman in London. Marie’s journey is so satisfying, heartbreaking and inspiring that it feels both reminiscent of works like THE NIGHTINGALE and THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS and completely fresh. The women at the heart of the book are delightfully modern --- they drink sidecars with breakfast when the situation calls for it, meet at a women’s-only club, and work and support themselves like men. But Kelly writes with such a keen eye for detail that her characters never feel anachronistic; they read as strong, quirky and, well, badass. Though their friendships are of the highest importance to them, they never put aside their own ambitions and chances at happiness, which highlights Kelly’s careful character arcs and compassion for her creations.

It is difficult for me to find anything negative to say about THE WHISPERS OF WAR, but I did wish for more closure on Hazel’s story. The unique format of the book --- told in three parts with short, present-day chapters in between --- lends itself to fleshing out each of its characters, but also leaves room for greater connections between each part and the present. It is my great hope that Kelly is setting up room for a sequel or prequel, but I am equally prepared to read whatever else she has planned next. If THE WHISPERS OF WAR is any indication, it will be sweeping, emotionally resonant and highly educational.

The Whispers of War is a fantastic work of historical fiction and a strong addition to the prolific WWII canon. This is a story of the bonds of friendship and the costs of war. 

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author so was very excited to receive this e galley.  The book fully lived up to my expectations.

As seems popular in historical novels, there is a dual timeline.  In the present day, one of the relatives of a character from the past travels to England to learn more about her grandmother.  Samantha's grandmother was Marie who along with Hazel and Nora are the protagonists of this novel.

Each of these three women is well portrayed and given a clear story line, social class and backstory.  Marie, who was born in Germany, has lived in England for many years. Her life changes immeasurably when Britain goes to war.  Hazel, who is in an unhappy marriage, works for a marriage bureau while Nora works for the government.  Each has connections to what is happening as Britain goes to war. 

Marie is fearful of internment.  (I found this fascinating as, though I have read many novels set in WWII, this topic had never arisen).  She worked for a German professor who is deemed suspect.  No spoilers but readers will enjoy learning what Hazel has been doing at the marriage bureau while Nora is aware of much war work.

What will happen to these friends?  Will their close friendship survive the vagaries and tragedies of war?  Read the book to find out.


I highly recommend this novel.  I found that I kept wanting to have the time to go back and read more and what better recommendation is there than that?


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and of dual timeline novels, and I have enjoyed Julia Kelly's The Light Over London, so I was looking forward to this book. It did not disappoint.

While this is a dual timeline, the meat of the book is in the WWII timeline surrounding the friendship between Nora, Hazel, and Marie. They are three very different girls, brought together first in boarding school, and becoming fast friends. This book is set around 1939 and 1940 as Germany invades Poland. Nora and Hazel fight to find a way to protect Marie and keep her out of the prison camps while dealing with personal issues of their own. This was very much a time when women were beginning to feel more empowered and this is evident with Nora and Hazel.

One thing I really appreciate in historical fiction is learning something about history that I wasn't aware of. In Whispers of War, this bit of history is the internment of German nationals in British prison camps (during both WWI and WWII, and the conditions they faced.). Marie, while German by birth, has spent most of her life in Britain, raised by her aunt and uncle, and faces being assessed by the tribunals to determine her threat to the country. Most of what we learn is via the three main character's discussions. If anything, I would have liked to have learned more about this in the story itself, although Kelly has provided a lot of detail in the author's notes, something definitely worth reading.

I confess, as much as I love dual-timelines, I don't think this story gained much from the present day story arc. I found myself rushing through these chapters to get back to Nora, Hazel, and Marie.

This is a lovely story of friendship, family, and devotion.

What a beautiful story! I love the foundation of friendship. This novel earns its place in the genre of historical fiction.
If you’re a fan, this ones for you! Thank you NetGalley and Julia Kelly.

This is a beautifully written historical fiction novel taking place during WWII in London.  Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful story of a close friendship between, Nora, Hazel, and Marie is the heart of the historical novel. Marie is German and this is 1939 London. People are worried about Germans that live in England and want them interned. The 3 women have different personal issues, but foremost is the saving of Marie. Read about these strong women and the changing world that they live in.

WW2 books will always be cherished in my heart. This book did the same. The plot takes place in London during WWII. A life of three woman during difficult times to survive. The book was a good read , although at times it was dragging.