I absolutely loved this book!! It's an emotional, uplifting story of love, family and friendship during the early days in WWII London, and of courage and strength. Marie, Nora and Hazel met at boarding school when they were girls. Marie came from Germany when her parents sent her to live with her aunt and uncle. Nora comes from the aristocracy and Hazel has an unwed, free spirited mother. 3 misfits who formed their own loving family. After school they each found their way in the workforce, until the war threatened and the British began to inter Germans and Austrians in camps. When it looks as though Marie may be arrested and sent to one of these camps Hazel and Nora do everything they can to help her, and with help from an unexpected source! The author beautifully tells each of their stories in a series of flashbacks that seamlessly take us from 1939 to the present day.
We all know interment camps were a reality, both in Britain and the US during the war. And, sadly, we are dealing with similar issues today. I urge you to read the author's afterward after you read this book for some historical insight.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read " the Light over London" and really enjoyed Julia Kelly's style of writing I was excited to be able to read another book by her. Again she managed to transport the reader to the World War II time period in London England.
The mentality of people where emotions are still raw with the memories of World War I. The overreactions towards the German immigrants are accurately portrayed.
The author brings to life the friendship the three woman from different backgrounds have formed over the years. You feel like you got to know each one of them. Their strengths and weaknesses.
As a woman I get to appreciate the changes that have taking place in the workplace because it wasn't that long ago that woman weren't taken very seriously.

This is an excellent book. I love the interwoven time lines and the HEA in the past and the possibility of one in the present. I highly recommend this book as well as others written by Julia Kelly.

In August of 1939, three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. 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. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book I did find that it seemed to skim the surface rather than delve into the nitty gritty. I liked Nora, Hazel & Marie & whilst their characters weren’t two dimensional I didn't feel a true connection to them. I think it was because we were seeing through the eyes of Samantha, Marie’s grand daughter who was writing a eulogy for Marie & who delivered a necklace to Nora thus learning of the three friends story. An interesting entertaining read that did hold my interest all the way through. I loved the author’s notes at the end
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Samantha Morris, a school teacher in Chicago, is surprised to learn that she has been named the executrix of her grandmother's estate. Marie, who died at age 103, made a request in the will that Samantha go to London and return a piece of jewelry to one of her best friends, Nora Fowler. She also asked that Samantha give the eulogy at her memorial service. Samantha, busy with college and then a first job, had fallen out of touch with her grandmother. Prior to that, as children tend to do, she tended to focus on her own interactions with her grandmother, not thinking to ask Marie about her own life. Now she finds herself at a loss as to what to say about the woman whose life, she realizes, she knows little about.

Meeting Norah, also 103, Samantha hears the story of the marvelous friendship between Marie, Norah and Hazel, who first met each other at age 12 in a boarding school, and have been best friends since.

The Whispers of War alternates between the current day and the years of 1939 & 1940. The story is told from the POVs of Samantha, Marie, Norah and Hazel. I loved that Samantha came to know and admire her grandmother for the woman herself, not just as one particular family role that she played in her life. The main focus, however, is on Marie, Norah and Hazel.

As WWII historical fiction goes this is a good and satisfying read. I thoroughly enjoyed the richly developed characters of Marie, Norah and Hazel. These were very strong women, trying to make their way in a time and place where what women wanted or thought were rarely given a moment's pause. I also enjoyed their close friendship and loyalty to each other. I didn't know that Britain had internment camps for foreign born citizens during WWII and found that interesting, though I wish more had been said about them.

The Whispers of War gets a 3.5 star rating from me. My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

When thinking World War II, many people think of the internment camps where many Americans of Japanese and German descent were sent. Not being as familiar with British history, we often don't think about the trials that Germans living in Britain faced during this time period. The Whispers of War brings this aspect to the forefront. Author Julia Kelly sets the stage by having Samantha, the Canadian granddaughter of one of the characters, come to London to visit her grandmother's best friend and fulfill her grandmother's dying wish. Here for the first time she learns of her grandmother's story.

Three young women of very different backgrounds and social status became inseparable friends while attending boarding school in Great Britain. Their friendship continued as they participate in the work force at the outbreak of World War II. They instantly find themselves in the midst of trying circumstances as one of the three is of German descent and thus under suspicion, one works for the homeland department, and other other is a paid matchmaker. Throughout the book, they experience numerous trials that forge and even tighter bond between the women. All in all a delightful story that depicts a different aspect of World War II and demonstrates the tight bonds of friendship.

The Whispers of War is a novel of friendship between three young women that resonates with readers and shows just how strong the bond between friends can be. It opens with Samantha in the modern storyline traveling to meet her recently deceased grandmother’s friend, Nora, in England. Samantha was not sure what to expect when returning some items to Nora in person, but the story Nora told her of the women’s younger years showed Samantha a side of her grandmother she never knew.

Nora began her tale just before Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Tensions are rising as everyone prepares for a war they hope will never happen, but know is unavoidable. Socialite Nora works at the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department trying to find ways to mitigate potential disasters. Matchmaker Hazel hides a personal and professional secret from her friends. And German-born Marie works as a secretary at the Royal University. When war is declared and Marie is declared an “enemy alien” despite having lived nearly her entire life in Britain, choices must be made. How will these sisters-by-friendship protect Marie? To what ends will two British citizens go and will they succeed?

After having read Kelly’s The Light Over London last year, I was a bit hesitant to read this novel, but the summary drew me in and I’m glad I did. This sophomore historical literary fiction novel was superb. The novel addressed all I felt was lacking in the aforementioned book. Each character was fully developed, relatable, and emotionally true. In both the World War II and modern timelines, readers cannot help but to feel the emotions each character was put through-the friendship, angst, danger, etc. Then the tactic of narrating each of the three historical parts from the perspectives of each Marie, Hazel, and Nora worked brilliantly as each was able to bring a unique perspective to the overarching story while we also learned more about the character. Don’t miss this novel of deep friendship and the sacrifices of friends during wartime.

This book is an example of why I love historical fiction! I learn something new while reading interesting stories. This is the second book I read by this author and I enjoy how she writes.

I love WWII novels. So of course I requested this book and I was excited for the approval! I felt like I was really in the story and I enjoyed the characters.

Friendship and Danger in London on the Eve of WWII

Nora, Hazel, and Marie have been friends since boarding school. They are still close and meet every Friday evening on the eve of WWII. The three women are unusual for their time. Instead of having the ideal of marriage, they want to work. Nora, a socialite, works for the government in preparedness. Hazel is a match maker although her own marriage has problems. Marie is a secretary in the German Department at the university, a good fit to her fluent German.

Marie’s nationality is the basis for the action in the story. As war approaches, people of German nationality are looked on as dangerous aliens. Marie fears that she will be sent to an interment camp. When the notice of a review panel on her status arrives, the friends rally round to help her.

The story is told in two time periods. In the present, Samantha, Marie’s granddaughter, comes to London to meet Nora. Marie is dead and in her will she wants Samantha to take a package to Nora and deliver the eulogy at her funeral. I thought the inclusion of Samantha was unnecessary. The story worked very well in the WWII time period.

The women were all strong. They acted out of principle and friendship in spite of danger to themselves. The threat of the interment camp for Marie drove the action. I was disappointed that there wasn’t much information about the interment camps. I think it would have added to the book to have a description of how they were run. The author’s note at the end did give more information, and it was interesting, but it didn’t affect the story.

I received this book from Gallery Press for this review.

This book was out of my normal comfort zone, I do not usually lean towards historical fiction. But I felt like this was a great one to dive into as it was short, sweet, and easy to read. It did not dive too deep into the historical aspect, but rather gave a brief overview while focusing on the story, which was enjoyable to read.

This is a short sweet easy read, it does not get down into the trenches of the war, but it does cover some of the highlights of how three good friends help take care of each other and evade being placed on the list for deportation. It seems the British were adamant on rounding up any German sympathizers.
The author does a nice job of bringing us along with Nora, Marie and Hazel as they pave their way through the challenges of life in the early 1940’s. I can’t really say this is a book about the war but it certainly has a lot of other factors that make it worth reading and a fair amount of romance if that is what you are looking for.
I was given an advance copy from Gallery, Pocket Books through Net Galley for my honest review, this one gets 4 stars… Well worth the read.

The Whispers of War has two timelines, one current and one during the early days of WWII. Nora, Marie, and Hazel, living in England, who met in boarding school where they became best friends. Following Marie's death, her granddaughter, Samantha, returns to the UK to visit the now 103 year old Nora. It's during this visit, Samantha learns the story of her grandmother Marie, a German immigrant, during WWII. This is a lovely novel about friendship, loyalty, and female empowerment. Each of the three lead character is interesting, likable, very well developed. It's an enjoyable book and different than most of WWII fiction.

Julia Kelly is such an incredible author and I have loved every single book she’s written. Coming out next week is The Whispers of War and I don’t want you to miss this novel! Look at that beautiful cover! It captured my interest right away, not that I ever judge a book by its cover or anything…

Here’s what you need to know:

In August of 1939, as Britain watches the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany, 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.

When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labeled an enemy alien, and the three friends find themselves fighting together to keep her free at any cost.

I tend to forget how terrific historical fiction can be and then I read something like this and I am reminded that it really is a genre that I love. Most of my favorite books are historical. I absolutely love novels set during World War II and if you like them too then you will want to get this one.

The Whispers of War tells the story of three friends in their 20’s in London during WWII. It starts in modern day with Samantha traveling to London to meet her grandmother, Marie’s friend Nora. Marie has recently passed away and Samantha was tasked with giving her eulogy, but feels she does not know about her grandmother’s past. Nora tells her the story of her and Marie’s lives along with their friend Hazel during WWII in London.

The book is told in three different sections, Marie, Hazel, and Nora, and they go to the future to Samantha’s story in between each section. Marie is German born, but has lived in London with her aunt and uncle since going to school there as a child. At school she met Nora, an ex-debutant who now works in the Home Office’s Air Raids Precautions department and is trying to get her voice heard in a man’s world, and Hazel, a matchmaker who is hiding something. When Germany invades Poland and England sides with Poland, Marie is deemed an enemy alien and the three friends will band together to do anything to keep her from internment.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but this was my first novel set in London during WWII. It opened my eyes to the internment of German-born people in London which I was not aware had happened. The story was more about the friendships of these three ladies than it was of the war, but it was still a great read. I loved all three ladies, and the way they each handled the war. I do not want to give any spoilers away so I’ll leave it at that. I don’t think the storyline with Samantha was necessary to the story, and although it was sweet, it felt contrived at times. I think if you are looking for a novel about strong women this is a book for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book for lovers of historical fiction and World War II. I enjoyed the dual timelines and the epilogue. I was totally drawn in and could not put it down. I enjoyed the stories of the the three friends and the lengths they went through to protect their friend.

This novel takes place beginning in 1939, right before England and Germany were at war. Marie, a young woman, had been sent by her parents many years previous to England from Germany to get an education. Her best friends, Nora and Hazel, were her roommates and, after school, her best friends living in London. In 1939, all German immigrants were assigned a threat assessment letter. Marie, of course, was included. The bulk of the story begins there.

I had a little trouble in the first few chapters getting into the book. For what reason I really don't know. But, as I recognized the difference in the girls and got a better understanding of the plot, all that disappeared and I fell under it's spell.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery, Pocket Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Last year when I read The Light Over London I knew it wouldn't be my last novel by Julia Kelly. So I was really looking forward to reading Kelly's new WWII-set novel The Whispers of War. I'm glad I was on holiday when I started it because I couldn't put it down.

I love how authors are finding new and different stories to tell in a genre that has countless books. The Whispers of War is focused on three women who have been best friends since they were children. Though they come from different backgrounds, none of them want to be defined by it.

The story is told in two timelines. The first is present-day where Samantha is looking to fulfill her grandmother's last wish. In this effort, she meets one of her grandmother's best friends and learns who the woman her grandmother really was. Nora relates to Samantha the life of three young women in London just as the hostilities in Europe begin.

We are all aware of the Japanese internment camps in the U.S. during WWII. Little is said about Germans being interned or that other countries had internment camps. In England, persons of German or Austrian citizenship were suspect and eventually sent to internment camps. The story isn't about the internment camps, but Samantha's grandmother was German so we get to see the anxiety she faced in not knowing what would happen to her as people she had known since she was a girl saw her only as the enemy.

Young Nora bucked tradition. She came from an aristocratic family, a debutante. The expectation was for her to marry into another well-to-do family and serve on charity boards like all other well-bred women. Nora had other ideas. She wanted a career, and not just as a secretary. In today's terms, she was the business manager of the Air Raid Preparations office in the Home Office.

The third woman of their trio is Hazel whose mother wanted to live life on her own terms and had Hazel out of wedlock with a married man. Hazel had hoped to overcome her scandalous beginnings but marrying well and raising a family. Unfortunately, a hasty marriage when she found herself pregnant didn't lead to a happily ever after. She becomes a divorcee during the war; ironic for a woman who works as a matchmaker for a dating agency.

So while these women are the epitome of the modern woman that emerges after the war, the book is really about friendship and accepting who you are. It is pure chance that the three met as girls and typically their lives after school would have eventually led them apart. But they were determined to remain the best of friends. That friendship is put to the test as each must decide if their friendship is more important than their own interests. Many of the choices they made in their personal lives were unpopular, but none more than Hazel and Nora's steadfast loyalty to Marie.

I love when older people tell stories about their past. So setting up the story as Nora telling Samantha about their time during the war was totally up my alley. Nora, Hazel, and Marie are also wonderful, endearing characters. I wanted to know what happened to each of them equally.

Kelly uses the plot of Germans being sent to internment camps during WWII to comment more broadly on the danger of a "them vs us" mentality and demonizing an entire race of people because there are a few evil people of that race (what race of people don't have a few evil ones among them?). Also, she wants the reader to look beyond who we know a person as and see the whole person. To Samantha, Marie had been a kind grandmother - a woman who cleaned scrapped knees and provide a shoulder to cry on when Samantha's heart is broken. But in her own right, Marie was an incredible woman who lived an interesting life. One that Samantha regrets never learning about while her grandmother was alive.

The Whispers of War is a compelling story that is much more than just another story set during WWII. The women in the book are more than people wish we knew. Instead, they are women we wish we were. If you are a fan of WWII stories and strong women, then this book definitely needs to be added to your to-read list.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on January 11 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/01/the-whispers-of-war-by-julia-kelly.html

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the author's other books. It was a quick read that kept me entertained. The multiple points of view added to the story. The characters were well written and I liked how they added to the story.

One of the reasons I can't get enough of WWII Historical Fiction is that I am finding that I am constantly surprised by another angle that an author finds to tell the story - in The Whispers of War, Julia Kelly writes about the internment of British people with German backgrounds (immigrants, refugees, etc) during the beginning of WWII - a period of British history that I was only vaguely aware of prior to now.

I loved the four POVs (3 were in the past, one in present-day), and thought it especially interesting that the POVs all revolved around the same character's experiences. The WWII friendship and sisterhood was so moving; I loved the ways they were always there for one another, and the sacrifices they made to keep one another safe and happy.

I will say there wasn't as much as setting as I would have liked - but there was TONS of dialogue, making the book fly by as far as pacing went. There were also a few relationship things that seemed a little far fetched, but overall it didn't dampen my enjoyment of the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the gifted book and opportunity to read and review it prior to its publication date! This in no way affected my review, all opinions are my own.