“The Shakespeare Sisters” by Juliet Greenwood is a poignant historical novel set in Stratford-upon-Avon during World War II. The story revolves around four motherless sisters, raised by a distant father in the crumbling, ivy-choked estate of Arden House. Rosalind Arden, born into one of England’s oldest families, faces an uncertain fate as her father plans hasty marriages to secure their future. When war engulfs England, Rosalind’s life takes unexpected turns, from secret bequests to London’s blitz aftermath. The novel beautifully explores female solidarity, love, and resilience.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I have seen some really harsh comments and reviews on this book but I really enjoyed it. It is a slow paced story but it was completely interesting and held my attention. This is a great novel and I love how it was written. It felt like an old fashion novel.

This book was good! I liked the characters and the setting. The author writes good too!!
I hope to read more by this author in the future! Looking forward to it!

Narration/Audio:
I enjoyed the tone and overall reading of the narrator, especially when Rosalind was the only Shakespeare sister in the scene. The narrator did make the reading sound natural and did give a lot of personality to each character. However, when Bianca, Kate, or Cordelia were also in the scene it became hard to know who was talking. It seemed like the narrator used the same voice for each woman. Although later on in the book I did notice that Kate had a deeper range than what was used for the other sisters. I would say in general though the narrator bled voices in almost all the characters. Older women sounded the same depending on the scene, Jamie and Will at times became interchangeable. I just wish there was more diversity in voice so that the characters stood out rather than feeling like a mish mash of the same people.


Story:
There’s a lot to unpack with this story, so I am going to do my best to keep it concise.


Sisters: At the beginning it was unclear who was the main focus of this book and over time it quickly became Rosalind. Aside from Bianca, all the sisters are remarkably independent for the time period they find themselves in, so when WWII arrives they take the opportunity to leave home and create a life for themselves. I did find them to be rather similar in presentation and personality. Maybe aside from hobbies, there weren't a lot of differences I initially noticed between Kate, Cordelia, and Rosalind. In fact, Cordelia and Kate become barely side characters as the story continues. And I think Cordelia didn’t really even need to be in the story. I do like that the family is connected to Shakespeare but the plot line doesn’t play into the story as much as it should given the name of the book. At the beginning the sisters are given books that are related to their names and have secret messages from their deceased mother. I genuinely don’t think we ever learn what the messages were except for Rosalind. There’s more I could say, but I’ll move on for brevity sake.


Romance:
The romance between Rosalind and Guy starts off as Instalove. Despite rare communications during the war their love remains strong through WWII and the recovery period afterwards. I wish that Rosalind and Guy had more history than just a quick romance. It doesn’t at all seem plausible that their love would survive 5+ years based on the little interaction they had. We barely get to know Guy, too, so it’s hard to root for their union because it’s just barely a thing throughout the story. In all honesty, I almost wish that after the war Guy would have moved on and the second half of the book was about Rosalind picking up the pieces of her life and striking out on her own. That sort of plot line would’ve matched the build up of Rosalind’s character better than her clinging onto a barely-there romance. The ending is really sweet and is exactly what you’d hope for, I just wish we could’ve gotten more depth with the Guy/Rosalind romance.


Time Jump:
Any time jump is hard to do and this book didn’t do it well in my opinion. I often think that if the time prior to a time jump isn’t the prologue, then the story isn’t going to get the breadth it needs to fully flesh out characters and plot lines. The first half of this book is prior to WWII and the second half is immediately after WWII. Yes, so much happens off page during the war that it almost makes the rest of the book land flat. The first half of the book felt almost boring and then the second half had tons of potential but the time jump sucked all the nuance out that could’ve added depth to that portion of the book. Will dies and rather than feel sad you almost feel relieved because the first half of the book builds him up to be an absolute menace. To me, this book could fall into the category of “this could’ve been two books.”

There is so much potential with this book but it seems that due to the limitation of being jammed into one book, rather than two, a lot of the story and characters were watered down and not as strong as they could’ve been. I gave this book 3 stars because overall I really liked a lot of elements of the story.

A World War II era historical fiction with a feminist flair, The Shakespeare Sisters delves deep into the aristocratic patriarchal world of England. Bound by a sisterhood that is not only family, the sisters each are expected to fulfill different roles defined by their father. Three of the four break from tradition and by supporting the war effort are able to alter their predetermined path and embark on something new and self-actualizing.

Rosalind Arden is no stranger to family expectations and traditions as Arden House is steeped in them. She feels tied to the responsibility of being her father’s daughter and conforming to his plans for her future while fantasizing about a new life of her making. As an impending engagement to a wealthy and abusive future duke tightens around her, Rosalind takes her future into her own hands and sets of for London. Here she is able to become her own woman, find a career, and pursue her actual love interest. Unfortunately, Arden House will call upon her once again and she will have to use her wits carefully to not be ensnared in a plot to take away her independence.

This was a wonderful story that highlights women who were willing to shatter gender norms and take control of their own lives. The war effort allowed many women to contribute and also to find the gratifying possibility of work and independence where previously there had been none. Three of the four sisters break the mold and set a standard as early second wave feminists. There is a little romance which keeps the story light, but most importantly does not weigh down the plotline with quintessential love and woe. Rosalind is very much her own woman and it is seen in every relationship she forms. The strong female protagonist role was very well done and refreshing.

(2.5 stars, rounded up)

Content warnings: war, attempted rape, loss of a sibling

Rosalind Arden is a modern woman trapped in 1940s England. She's expected to marry for money to help the crumbling Arden estate stay afloat, but she is more interested in photography than wooing a suitor. Her heart belongs to a man her father wouldn't deem suitable for marriage, and the men her father deems suitable are diabolical. Rosalind grapples with whether to follow her dreams or to reduce her life to what is expected of her.

Her older sister Bianca has already married for money, but her husband's scheming may ruin the entire Arden clan. But when war strikes, the sisters' worlds will be forever changed.

Recommended for readers who enjoy English family sagas.

Representation: women with careers in WWII

I love a good strong female character and this book definitely had it! I was so glad to see Rosalind stand up for herself multiple times and stick to it. I was glad she got the romance that she truly deserved and their family estate turned out to be just fine.

🌀Synopsis
Rosalind is determined to have her own life. Which is contradictory to what her father wants as he’s ready to marry her off to the highest bidder. Instead, Rosalind joins the war effort. She finds a passion in her job and loves what she’s doing. On top of that, she is in love with another man. Now she has to choose between saving their estate and the man that she loves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this story. I tried to get into it, but I had a hard time. I feel like this is my fault, not the author. I’ve read so many WWII books recently that my brain can’t take much more. Therefore, this is probably a good book but my brain isn’t ready for it.

Although I was drawn to the premise of this book, I ultimately struggled to connect with the story. The initial chapters felt disjointed, lacking a cohesive flow and a central character to embrace fully. However, my perspective shifted significantly when I reached Chapter 20. It was there that the puzzle pieces finally clicked into place, and I found myself wholeheartedly rallying around Rosalind and her journey toward independence.
Despite this positive turning point, I couldn't help but notice that several storylines seemed to remain unresolved, leaving a sense of incompleteness. Nevertheless, I'm grateful that I continued and completed the book.

This was such a funny book to listen too. The reader did a fantastic job on the characters. This would make for a perfect summer read. Quick and enjoyable. Highly recommend

Wow! What a lovely story filled with all the things I love: WWII, Shakespeare, archaeology and a museum. Very well researched and well written, I was completely immersed in the world of Brierley and Arden House. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced digital audio book.

What a marvel of a WWII histfic novel set in England. I was so taken by Rosalind and her sisters, the impact of war on their family, her new life photographing the impact of the blitz, and being called home again afterward.

I loved the characters, the expertly drawn era, and the author's graceful telling of how war changes English life and the family at historic Arden House, once frequented by Shakespeare.

Highly recommended for histfic lovers, those gripped by the blitz, and readers who value tales about families who survive war.

Rosalind Arden is one of four sisters named after characters from Shakespearean plays. Her grandfather was obsessed with the playwright and his association with their family home, Arden House, where Shakespeare is reported to have stayed. The house is crumbling and the sisters are expected to marry into money to save the ancestral estate. Rosiland has no interest in marrying for money, she has met a young architect with no money and few prospects, but he is a man she could easily fall in love with. Then England is plunged into World War II and Guy is sent off to fight. The war changes everything and all Rosiland can do is hope that Guy survives, but war plays no favorites and death will find Arden House and its inhabitants. Fans of Kate Morton will love this lush story of love and sacrifice

It's 1940. Four sisters are struggling to be heard by their father. Their father that is poor, who wants to see the sisters married into wealth, no matter the nasty characters these men are. And the girls fight for a say so in their own lives.

This was a great audiobook, with a great narrator.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook, for an honest review.