One of the best books I have read

I love historical fiction and The Whispers of War really grabbed me. It was one of the best books I have read in a long time. It iw well-plotted, well-written and an overall heartwarming story. Other reviewers give valuable details of the basic plot and characters, so I will not.

I had slightly aware of the detainment of aliens during WWII, mainly the Japanese-Americans in the US. This story really opened my eyes as to the plight of Germans, mainly refugees and Jewish, during WWII in the UK. Such a valuable lesson for our times, but obviously a lesson not learned.

Thank you to the publisher who let me review a time-constrained e-arc through Netgalley with no obligation to post a review. This review is my own honest opinion. I will be looking for more books by Julia Kelly.

Happy Publication Day @juliakellywrites . Her newest novel The Whispers of War takes place during the first few months of World War Two in London. We follow three childhood friends as they are forced to deal with the perils of war right at their doorstep. One of the ladies, Marie, is a German immigrant and is classified at a level B meaning she is deemed a suspicious person. Her friends, Nora and Hazel, do everything possible to ensure their friend won’t be sent to an internment camp.
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✨REVIEW✨⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I absolutely LOVED this book! Oh my I was engrossed with every single word and I just kept reading and reading because I needed to know what was going to happen! We also get the perspective of Marie’s granddaughter and an older Nora in this book who are reflecting on this period that changed their lives. This book has strong women who recognize their importance in society and the importance of female friendship. They are loyal and loving and together they are a force to be reckoned with. This fictional story was the perfect way to encompass the very real and terrifying history of German internment camps in England during both World Wars.
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Julia Kelly is becoming my new favourite historical fiction writer and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Interesting story of a new-to-me aspect of WW2 in London. Loved the friendship between the characters, would have liked to learn more about Nora. Thanks for the copy!

There are three things I love 1) a story of incredibly strong women who persevere through impossible situations 2) Historical Fiction 3) a really great book that teaches me about the past. What a pleasure it was to read this fantastic book. Many thanks to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for approving this amazing book.

Now - Samantha a grade 3 teacher from Chicago, was very close to her grandmother, Marie. When Marie passes away, Samantha is requested to give the eulogy. But first, Samantha has accepted an invitation from one of Marie’s best friends who’s still alive and still living in England. With a notebook full of ideas to celebrate the life of Marie, but no where to really start, she flies off to England to meet the exceptional best friend, Nora. Samantha is completely unaware of her grandmother’s life before she fled England during the war, unaware of her friends, and her hardship of being a German in England when WWII erupt.

Then – Marie, Hazel, and Nora form a life long friendship when they first meet at an English boarding school in 1928. For the next 11 years, they all become strong and independent career woman. They have always supported each other through relationships, marriage, and difficult family situations. So, in 1939, when the threat of a war is looming, it is no surprise that they do what ever possible to protect Marie from being incarcerated in a British internment camp.

*My Notes- As a child, I remember having discussions with my parents about internment and POW camps here in Canada, and the thought of it was inconceivable. Being born 34 years after the outbreak of WWII, and living a town with so many different nationalities, my poor naïve brain just could not comprehend it. What Julia Kelly explains in THE WHISPERS OF WAR is that the internment camps were not just for the spies and sympathizers, but for so many men and woman who just happened to be born (in Marie’s case) in Germany. Something I did not know is that in the Author’s Notes (I highly recommend reading the Author’s Notes) Julia Kelly mentions that many of the Germans, Austrians, and Italians in the camps were actually Jewish Refugees fleeing Germany. She also touches on The Alien Restrictions Act during WWI and WWII, as well as the tribunal hearing process, which as a reader and not familiar with this process, found very helpful.

Do I think you should read this? YES. And this answer goes way beyond the incredible friendship, and the closeness between and grandmother and granddaughter; more than all of this, it’s about not forgetting the brave men and women who fought to protect us, and not forgetting the atrocities of war, and hope against hope that this may never happen again.

This is another World War II historical fiction by the author of The Light Over London. In this one Kelly tackles the subject of the threat of forced internment of German born residents living in England during the war. The story revolves around three women friends, Marie, Nora and Hazel. Marie was born in Germany but has been in the UK since she was twelve, either living at boarding school or with her aunt and uncle. When war breaks out she is required to register and worries that she may be forced into an internment camp. Knowing their friend is not a risk, Nora and Hazel go to extraordinary lengths to keep her free. The story comes complete with a touch of romance and is a good recommendation for fans of lighter historical fiction.

Phew. What an absolutely incredible book.

I always love works that shift between past and present, as well as offer up multiple POVs (think The House Girl by Tara Conklin (which is also fabulous!)) and this novel delivered it beautifully.

The Whispers of War is a strong, compelling work that focuses on the bonds of friendship and female empowerment during the tumultuous time of the outbreak of WWII. However, the one major downside (and, in fact, its downFALL) is that just as things are starting to get going, the tale ends. Now I fully recognize that the title is The Whispers of War, automatically preluding the reader to the fact that the novel shant be exploring the war itself. Nonetheless. The characters and their stories are so very compelling that the reader is desperate to continue the journey with these 3 wonderful women. I sincerely hope that the author plans to make this work into a trilogy because I definitely want to know more!

Touching, heartfelt with fantastic pacing, The Whispers of War is a sure winner.

The Whispers of War is the story of three friends and all they endure as Britain goes to war .

Their friendship is strong and as Marie is ostrasized for being German even though she has been in England for years, her friends Nora and Hazel do everything they can to protect her.

Part of the story is told from the viewpoint of Marie's granddaughter as she learns about her and all that happened to her grandmother and her friends during the war.

Whispers of War is a strong story of love , family, friendship and and endurance with history playing a strong part of the story.

I will miss these 3 ladies , I enjoyed the book very much and hated to see it end.

Please take time to read the authours notes, they add to the story.

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada , Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was a nice, fast read for me. The story line was wonderful and followed the women of war. It’s a topic I very much enjoy reading because it’s strange for me as a woman of the 21st century to imagine life as a woman during the war. During the early 1900’s in general to be honest.

3.5 stars. This story begins in present day time when we meet Samantha Morris, who has arrived in London, England to meet with her late grandmother's best friend, Nora, from the early days of WWII. Nora is a spry 103 year old woman who wants to share with Samantha stories of Marie, her grandmother. By the time I finished this book, I really felt that the present day portion could have been omitted completely. It did not add anything significant to the story.
At the root of the plot, we meet Marie, Nora, and Hazel, who have been friends since their early days at a private boarding school. Each of their stories are revealed during the course of the book. Marie, we learn, is of German background, and is looked on suspiciously by the Home Security Office. Hazel, the only one of the three who is married, works for a matchmaking agency. She is busy finding matches for those looking for love, while ignoring the fact that her own marriage is not what it seems. And then we have Nora, a socialite by status, but an outspoken working woman by choice.
As war is declared, the three friends steadfastly hold onto the friendship and support they have with each other as they battle their own troubles. While I felt this book did not go in depth into some of the things that took place during WWII, especially at the beginning, the focus remained on the three lead characters and their unending bond of friendship. I would have liked to have found out more about their lives in post-war time

Previous reviews have provided an excellent review of the plot and events in the story. In my original perusal of this book, I was intrigued to learn about an element of WWII that I had previously been ignorant of – the interment of German Nationals living in Britain. I really enjoy historical fiction that has a lot of basis on actual facts and I anticipated this book doing just that. The first third of the book did reference and discuss some true events, but I did not feel that the remainder of the book continued in this vein.

I enjoyed the emphasis on chosen family and how the details of the friendships between the women in the book developed. I appreciated how the author did develop the stories of the individual characters - the struggles of marriage, satisfaction at work, family struggles - it made the characters more believable. I also appreciated how many people were involved in the resolution of the problem. I didn’t feel that there was any one “hero” or champion in the story which I enjoyed. I really enjoyed some of the “life truths” that were stated in the book. Lessons learned during times of war that have universal truth today – the value of friendship, the need to make decisions that you may not want to make, the need to stand up for people and ideas that matter.

I enjoyed how the strong characters in the book were all female. I enjoyed their portrayal of having strong motivation, aspirations and resilience.

This was really a story about friendship that happened during a time of war. I didn’t feel that the plot was necessarily deep or had many unpredictable elements. It left me feeling that the loose ends were tied up neatly and the story concluded satisfactorily – but it wasn’t a story that I would re read or left me on the edge of my seat.

I wish to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Kelly’s latest book.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy..

This book was a light read a story of friendship between three women who go to boarding school together and how their lives are affected by World War II.

It was an enjoyable book and can be read in probably 5-6 hours.

I read this book as an ARC.
Julie Kelly has written a compelling story of a little known facet of WW2. Britain interned many individuals who were perceived as a threat to national security.
The novel weaves the lives of three women sho went to school together and then, as adults faced WW2 in Britain. One of their number had German roots and was declared an enemy of the state.
The themes of loyalty and compassion flow through the story as danger lurks. Loss and poignancy, as well as love, are here too.
Kelly has crafted a wonderful novel against the horrors of the Blitz in London as two friends endeavour to save the third from internment.
Carefully researched, and crafted with tension and pace, The Whispers of War satisfies the reader immensely.
Heartily recommended.

This is the first of Julia Kelly's novels that I have read and it didn't disappoint. The basic premise of the novel centres around three strong willed women who are trying to survive during war times but also carve out their place in the world. As readers, we learn about Nora, Hazel and Marie and the challenges they are facing for being women specifically during wartime.

There was a second present day through-line with Samantha meeting an aging Nora, but its addition felt forced and unnatural in the narrative. I agree that a present day connection to the story is needed, but I found this part of the story not entirely believable and a little too predictable.

I love how in this novel we see strong women who are determined to support one another and will do anything to ensure each other's safety. Being a woman during this time in history was definitely more restrictive than in present day, however, Kelly gives us a glimpse into how small freedoms could be achieved. The women are a part of an all women's club which gives them some freedom to just be themselves without many of the social restrictions society had placed upon them during that time. Their bond of friendship was further cemented by their shared experiences. They helped one another through difficult situations and risked their lives and careers to save each other. Kelly allows the reader to experience what life was like during this time in history and how many people's lives were saved through the benevolence of others. It is this kindness and caring for others that draws us to these moments in history, examples of humankind acting their best to support one another in the most difficult of times.

We also see some of the hardships of German citizens who saw Great Britain as their home but were made to feel like traitors by society during times of war. I know for myself, I had not previously considered some of the challenges faced by everyday citizens of different nationalities living in Great Britain why they were at war. I appreciated this perspective which opened my eyes up to the struggles many people went through just to hold onto the homes and lives they had created in Great Britain. For myself, I was not aware that many German immigrants in Great Britain had been put into camps during wartimes; I had wrongfully assumed that the only people arrested were those whom the government believed to be a threat to national security.

I really enjoyed "The Whispers of War" by Julia Kelly and it piqued my interest in finding some of her previous novels to read. I will also definitely recommend this book to my friends, especially those who enjoy wartime historical fiction. I want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review this book.

This was a pretty easy and straight forward read for me. I read, Julia Kelly's last novel, "The Light Over London" and enjoyed it very much. This one had a nice and interesting premise but fell a little flat for me.

I liked that there were 3 strong women in the story. Their friendship was honest and true. The story had a dual timeline with past and present. In the present Samantha's Grandmother has died and she needs to travel back to England to give back a box to her Grandmother's friend. Once she arrives her Grandmother's friend begins to tell the story of their friendship and what happened to them all during WWII in England.

I felt that the story lacked some depth. The present day story was only 3 chapters at the ending of each of the friend's past story. I felt like the ending needed some more closure on all the friend's lives.

Still a pretty easy book that flowed well from chapter to chapter. Just a little bit light for wartime.

I love book during WWII and the periods before and after. This book was another that hit the mark. I found the writing wonderful and the characters well developed. I loved how this little group of friends banded together to help and how the secrets were slowly unraveled.

I was disappointed with this book. It didn't engage me with the characters or the storyline. I expect a story taking place during the period of WWII to have suspense and make me emotionally involved with the characters. This book did none of that for me.

I was just starting to get sick of the inter-generational trend in historical fiction - a young person in the modern age finds a mysterious trinket or letter that leads them discover their connection to the past, to people who lived during tumultuous times. It can be a gimmick or forced but I was so happy to see how well it worked here.

This is the story of three strong women at the start of WWII: Nora who works in the Home Office; Hazel, a matchmaker; and Marie, a German expat who is a secretary at a university . It also includes Samantha, the modern day granddaughter of Marie, who has just discovered a past her grandmother never spoke of. That leads Samantha to connect with Nora and the story seamlessly spins out from there.

Having been friends since boarding school, the connection between the three women and everyone who comes into their circle is incredibly strong. It is one of the best part of this story. They are working girls from different backgrounds but they are never in competition, they know their minds and work in extremely interesting environments. These characters are so unique (for the time period) but so relatable. So when war starts and Marie is the focus of hate and in danger of being interred for being a German, the friends pull together to help.

I will say the ending is predictable only because of the inter-generational sideline but it is also heartwarming. Add that to the vivid setting of London just before the Blitz and the historical knowledge of the author, this book is a rich story of friendship and connection.

Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book - about 3 friends in London during the start of WWII. Each woman has her own perspective and set of struggles as they deal with life, work and love. The book gave the most attention to Marie's story and her fears of internment (she was born in Germany but had lived in England for most of her life). Personally, I had no idea that there were internment camps in the UK during WWII, so that prompted some research on my part after I had read the book. If you are a historical fiction buff and like learning about less talked about aspects of the war, then this book is for you. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to preview this book. Three young women, best friends, one German, deal with the outbreak of WWII in London. Worthwhile and recommended.

The Whispers of War is a beautiful story of three women who have been friends since they were 12 and how the loved during WWII. Marie was born in Germany but has live in England for the age of twelve, staying with her Aunt and Uncle instead of returning to her cold and uncaring parents in Germany. Nora, whose family are high in the social circle has chosen to work for The Home Office and love in her own house instead of marrying as her mother deems suitable. Hazel, who never knew her father and grew up with a boisterous mother that loved to party, married young and also works. Their friendship knows no boundaries and the will sacrifice anything to keep Marie safe. This story is so beautifully told that I couldn’t put it down, riveted to the book the entire way. The author gives us a few of the war that I never thought of, Germans living in a country that is at war with their homeland. The story is a love story and a tale of undying friendship. Told through the stories that Nora tells Marie’s granddaughter after she travels to England after Marie’s death. You will feel your heart fill with joy and you will cry years of sadness and then tears of happiness. Am eloquently written book that very one should read. I loved it. Thank you to Net Galley, Julia Kelly and Simon and Schuster Canada for the chance to read this amazing book.