The Wartime Sisters: A Novel

Lynda Cohen Loigman

Jan 2019 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

For fans of Lilac Girls, the next powerful novel from the author of Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist The Two-Family House about two sisters working in a WWII armory, each with a deep secret.

"Loigman’s strong voice and artful prose earn her a place in the company of Alice Hoffman and Anita Diamant, whose readers should flock to this wondrous new book." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale

"The Wartime Sisters shows the strength of women on the home front: to endure, to fight, and to help each other survive.” —Jenna Blum, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Lost Family and Those Who Save Us

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

"One of my favorite books of the year." —Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Dollhouse and The Masterpiece

"A stirring tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the consequences of long-buried secrets.” —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Edge of Lost and Sold on a Monday

Ratings and reviews

The Wartime Sisters is a traditional story about two sisters who fail to get along (sounds like me and my sister). It is more a women’s fiction novel than a historical book. The focus of the book is the two sisters and their rivalry. The author accurately captured the dynamics between the sisters along with the feelings (resentment, bitterness, jealousy, the feeling of inadequacy). Ruth was jealous of Millie from the moment she was born. The more people admired Millie, the more Ruth’s resentment grew. Matters are not helped by the mother doting on Millie and her insistence that Millie will marry well one day. When Ruth starts dating and the men are more captivated by Millie, it causes the rift between the sisters to grow to the size of the grand canyon. Each sister has a secret and you know they will eventually find a way to come out. I liked the setting of the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, but we are not told enough about it. I wanted more about the facility, the war, and the less about the animosity between the sisters. Rivalry also exists between women in such a close atmosphere as the armory. The ending felt rushed. I thought it lacked emotion and realism. It seemed that this story could have been set in any place or any time period and it would still play out the same way. I found The Wartime Sisters to be lacking (at least for me). I thought it was a predictable story. My rating for The Wartime Sisters is 3 out of 5 stars. While The Wartime Sisters was not my cup of tea, those who enjoy feel-good stories (like those on Lifetime or Hallmark Channel) will enjoy the happy ending.

About the author

Lynda Cohen Loigman is the author of The Matchmaker’s Gift, The Wartime Sisters, and The Two-Family House. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She grew up in Longmeadow, MA, and now lives in New York.