3.5 stars

The Liberty Scarf is a wonderful historical fiction book set around World War One, focusing on three women of different backgrounds. While I was fortunate enough to have access to an audiobook of this book through NetGallley, I think I would enjoyed this book in print more. Sometimes I got a little lost or bored, but the story line did move along.

Three women's lives are impacted by war, their loved ones, sense of duty, and the men they love. While war intertwines their stories, another common element is the beautiful Liberty Co scarves. One woman was the designer whereas the other two come to wear these intricate scarves.

I appreciated the flare that the fine arts elements added to this story: fashion and design, music, and architecture. Sometimes it's hard to remember to appreciate the fine arts and often historical based novels don't highlight them enough, but this book does beautifully and it doesn't go unnoticed. For inquiring minds, the author shares more about the art elements and in a way that would resonate with all readers. In highly recommend reading it.

This book is beautiful, and the narration helps bring it to life on an entirely new level. It was a joy to listen to.

Written by three authors, and set up in three parts, we follow the stories of three couples. First, we meet Iris Braxton who literally stumbles into Captain Conrad “Rex” Jones' life. Iris is a scarf maker who designed the titular scarf that finds its way into all the other stories. She and Rex, an architect in civilian life, fall in love as they spend time together and when tragedy strikes her family, he is there for her until he’s called away. Second, we meet Genevieve Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant who is a telephone operator for the American Signal Corps. She tries to stay loyal to her man at home, but is also falling for Maximilian, a French pilot and they begin to write. Which man will win her heart? Lastly, we meet nurse Clara Jassens, a Flemish nurse, and Roman Allaire, a French violinist as he recovers in her ward. They fall in love until he’s called back into duty as a precursor to the modern USO. In all three storylines, the women must cope with worry for their men once they are called away. Then after the war ends, the story of all of the characters merge in an unexpected way.

Told in vivid detail, the story is one where readers will connect to the characters and feel the character’s emotions. The inflection of the four narrators also helps to drive this home in the audio version. It’s hard not to feel sorrow as the couples are separated, or their fears for their loved ones at home or in war. Plus each woman is clearly a bit ahead of her time by hoping for more than women were allowed back then, but also realizing the ways they were held back. And then the scarf, it twined its way through many lives in the story, starring as a character of its own, and the way the novel was written, this worked out perfectly.

This review is based on the audio advanced reader copy on NetGalley.

Fans of historical fiction with a bit of romance will enjoy this novel told in 3 parts! While a little slow to start, once it picks up, I didn't want to stop listening! I felt I came to know the characters very well, including what their back stories were. The story flows very well and I love how the authors wove in the liberty scarf as a way to bind the three different parts of the story together. I very much enjoyed the narrators as well! If recommending for reader's advisory, it is one for fans of historical fiction. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs as well!

This Historical fiction was a great collaboration between three authors! I have never read a story by either of the authors but I have some on my TBR now.

Story: I enjoyed that there were three timelines in different places but happening during the same period of time. Each story locked the reader in with historical references and romance. The book ends with a little bow by connecting all their stories together! This story does a remarkable job with having strong and realistic female leads!

Narrator: The reader did a wonderful job- I’m always a sucker for their audiobooks

such a nice novel....with an array of good voices!...germans invading and people surviving the harsh conditions is my go-to historical genre!!

I loved the concept of this book; it just fell a bit short of what I usually experience when I read books by Aimie K. Runyan who is one of my favorite authors. I think this was because it fell into the pitfall that sometimes occurs when a work of fiction is collaborated on by several writers. While a book that is a story of three women who experience the "magic" of this scarf seems like a natural for such a collaboration, I found the sections to be uneven. My favorite character and story was Genevieve's. I liked Clara's story too, but not quite as much. I found Iris's story to be a bit tedious. While it makes sense that all three stories would not be the same, I found them to be a bit uneven.
I liked that this was a WW I story; I do read WW II books but more authors write about that time period. WW I does not get the attention it deserves.
I read the Kindle version and listened to the audiobook alternately. The narration in the audiobook was good and I think it helped in slower parts make the story more interesting.
Overall, I would give this novel 3 1/2 stars (rounded up).
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for providing me with access to this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I was initially intrigued by this story due to both the premise and the authors. It exceeded my expectations and I am so glad I read it. It is the kind of story that sticks with you as it was both memorable in plot and in character. I also like how it was told in three parts with an amazing epilogue that just brought me joy.
I listened to the audiobook version and couldn't stop listening; I was so invested and hooked. The story follows three couples during WWI and the way a special Liberty Scarf connected their lives. I enjoyed each romance and the different complexities they had as individuals and couples. They all felt so unique and I loved the representation of the different ways men and women served during the war. It was uplifting and hopeful against the darkness of war during this era. I loved the historical aspects as well. The narrator did a great job with each POV and the different accents. I'll listen to it again and recommend it, it was a really good read.
I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley and Harper Muse. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Liberty Scarf
By: Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillian
Pub Date: November 19, 2024
Publisher: Harper Muse
I am very familiar with Runyan’s novels and love them. It was nice to be introduced to other authors with this one. I am always amazed that several authors can weave a story together and blend so nicely.
A beautiful scarf connects three very different women in the winter of 1917. I love learning more about our history and the US Army Signal Corps is something I was slightly familiar with as I come from a long line of military. I had never heard of General Pershing’s Hello Girls.
I loved the part about an orchestra in the frontlines to help with morale. I was familiar with USO tours but not this aspect.
This audio was done beautifully. Thank you Harper Muse for this gifted audiobook. I will look for a hardcopy when this one is out in a few weeks.

“Hope is a thing with feathers….”

I really enjoyed this historical fiction, written by Aimie Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan. All three authors did a remarkable job telling each individual story as they intertwined with the “liberty scarf.” I appreciated all three stories and the unique aspects of history that they included. If I had to choose a “favorite” of the stories, it would be Genevieve and Captain Maxime. But as I mentioned before, all were great and did such a splendid job incorporating the story of the scarf and what it meant in each story. The epilogue was the perfect ending.

“I think liberty is as lovely a word as hope.”