A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story—a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network—from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig.
BAND OF SISTERS by LAUREN WILLIG
Series: standalone
Release Date: March 2, 2021
Publisher: William Morrow
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: historical fiction
A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith’s Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit.
Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned.
Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.
With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?
Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned.
Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.
With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?
About the Author
Follow:
REVIEW
Band of Sisters by Lauren WilligMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
“I had a daughter once…I had a house once…I had a family once…"The catalogue of loss went on and on.
Kate Moran was a former Smith College scholarship student from Brooklyn who was given a chance at a better life than her mother, and yet her job tutoring girls in French makes her very unhappy. Her life feels empty and dull, so when she's offered the chance to join the Smith College relief fund and travel overseas to France, she impulsively accepts. The group of eighteen women are all Smith College Alumni who have idealistic ideas of being heroes and making a difference. Kate is a little more ambiguous in her motivation. It was almost an escape from her dead end life which is ironic when you think about the horror she's voluntarily stepping into. Though she is a shade naive and wide-eyed going into it, she's nothing compared to the spoiled high-society princesses in the group. Most of them are from old money families, and believe this will be a glorified shopping or sightseeing trip. Their illusions are quickly squashed before they even make landfall. Suddenly they have to worry about the possibility of bombings and the very real threat of crossing paths with the Germans. One minute they're used to having everything handed to them, the next eating lumpy bread and sleeping in the rain.
In the beginning I really sympathized with Kate because she felt so out of place with her family after getting a higher education, and unwelcome with her rich peers at school. Although she had a best friend named Emmaline Van Alden, by the time she graduated, she lost faith in their friendship. Unsure if she really cared for her or if she was simply a charity case for her to take care of, she cut ties. On the trip to France she was very stiff and reserved with her former classmates, even Emmie. Her pride was a solid fortress keeping everyone out-especially Emmie's cousin Dr. Julia Pruyn. Her cruel words still reverberated in her head 10 years later. Being around everyone made old wounds resurface again which was going to have to be resolved if they would ever get along civilly. As the book wore on, there were points my patience started to wear thin over the immature, and often sharp way she reacted to her old friend Emmie. She had little patience or sensitivity, and occasionally retaliated in fights by intentionally hurting her. They had a solid rough patch for a while that wasn't easy to untangle, but once they communicated and listened to one another things slowly improved.
Emmie was my favorite character of all of them. She was probably the most unjaded, pure of heart with honest intentions of helping the needy. She wasn't there to have fun, escape, or an other selfish reason. She was the kind of person who would give a stranger the shirt off her back and the last dollar out of her pocket. Like Kate, she didn't feel as if she fit in high society, and she certainly didn't have anything in common with her headlines-making suffragette mother. She's plain, sweet, and tends to be timid in times of confrontation. Emmie is a people pleaser rather which isn't always a bad thing, but her soft heart causes her to get taken advantage of more times than not. There were times where I had to facepalm over her artless ignorance of the dark side of humanity. Stepping into a war zone, she blithely takes their safety for granted until the harsh reality of the war slaps her in the face.
I liked how everyone matured not only individually, but as a whole. As you learn more about each person's history and personality, you discover that your initial judgements of them were far off target. People aren't simple creatures and have many hidden complexities that make them who they are. Characters that I greatly disliked in the beginning became a well-loved friend. It was the same for the characters as they truly became like a family unit that supported one another. They were more than team members. They knew each other's weaknesses, accomplishments, and no matter how many times they bickered over little things, were inseparable. These women had to endure extreme hardship. They witnessed grisly battle wounds, entire villages decimated, starving and sick civilians who were left with nothing. The sounds of gunfire and bombs became background noise as they got on with their duties. Through every challenge, every hurdle, you watch them grow stronger. Their determination spikes, and their genuine love for those in need flourishes.
There is a romantic sub-plot between Emmie and a British captain named Will DeWitt. It was a lovely refuge from the bleak moments and struggle that they endured. The love that grew between the two of them was the equivalent of a cold glass of water to a parched throat. It wasn't sickeningly sweet-just two lost souls finding hope and solace in one another. But beyond that, I loved how much they had in common with their families, their love of literature, and how her optimism balanced his cynicism. They wrote to each other using classic literature quotes which was unbelievably smile-inducing. Even though they met during extraordinary circumstances, there's never a doubt that they've found their other half. It isn't a convenient flirtation or distraction-they'd lay down their lives for one another.
“I’ve met any number of womenI’m happy to esteem as friends,but never anyone I wanted to sharea breakfast table with for the rest of my life.That’s not the trenches speaking orthe loneliness or delusion brought onby tainted food. That’s you.Because you’re like no one else in the world,and if the world had to come to thisfor me to find you-maybe the Kaiser isn’t all that bad after all.”
In summary, if you love a historical fiction story based on true events that is less edge of your seat suspenseful than many others in the genre, this could very well be the perfect read for you. It has strong female friendships, rich historical content, and heartwarming inspiration. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:
0 komentarze:
Post a Comment