Book Review – Sisters at War by Clare Flynn @clarefly

 

Sisters at War

By Clare Flynn

Publication Date: 1st May 2021

Publisher: Cranbrook Press

Page Length: 314 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

1940 Liverpool. The pressures of war threaten to tear apart two sisters traumatised by their father’s murder of their mother.

With her new husband, Will, a merchant seaman, deployed on dangerous Atlantic convoy missions, Hannah needs her younger sister Judith more than ever. But when Mussolini declares war on Britain, Judith's Italian sweetheart, Paolo is imprisoned as an enemy alien, and Judith's loyalties are divided.

Each sister wants only to be with the man she loves but, as the war progresses, tensions between them boil over, and they face an impossible decision.

A heart-wrenching page-turner about the everyday bravery of ordinary people during wartime. From heavily blitzed Liverpool to the terrors of the North Atlantic and the scorched plains of Australia, Sisters at War will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.

Book Rating:

📚📚📚📚📚⭐ = A book in a million

📚📚📚📚📚 = I could not put this book down. I Highly Recommend.

📚📚📚📚 = A really great read.

📚📚📚 = It was enjoyable.

📚📚 = It was okay.

📚 = Um...! 😕

My Review

Sisters at War

📚📚📚📚📚

I came into this book fully aware of the fact that it was mainly based in Liverpool during the Second World War. This should have prepared me for the emotional whirlwind this book bestowed upon me, yet I found myself ever hopeful that historical events would not play out and that all the characters would live happily ever after.

Will Kidd is a merchant sailor, which means he spends very little time at home with his wife, Hannah. Although he longs to be with her, he also can’t deny the pull of the sea or his duty. His time at sea is his contribution to the war effort, and even love cannot keep him from that.

Hannah is such a loving person. She spends most of her time worrying about Will, filling the gap that his absence leaves in her life by looking after her sister and everyone else living in the house with them. The fear for Will’s life nearly destroys her every time he leaves, and she wakes up every day hoping that today will not be the day that the telegram boy knocks on her door.

One of Will’s best friends, Paolo, comes ashore with him all but once for his life to change forever. He immediately falls for Hannah’s sister, Judith, but his Italian heritage may be the thing that either pulls them apart or pushes them together. Their romance may not have been central to the story, but it was so incredibly beautiful.

This is not a book without tragedy. This book will have you in tears, and you may just go through an entire box of tissues. Such sadness, such pure heartbreak, comes across so intensely that you feel it yourself. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book is, or how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There were some points where I was so distraught I had to put the book down and step away to process it, which only goes to show how impactful this story is.

This story is simply amazing, and I beseech you to get yourself a copy as soon as is physically possible.

*I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

You can pick up your copy HERE.