From the author of The Last Garden in England and The Light Over London comes a “gripping tale by a writer at the top of her game” (Fiona Davis, author of The Chelsea Girls) following three friends who struggle to remain loyal as one of them is threatened with internment by the British government at the start of World War II. In August of 1939, as Britain watches the headlines in fear of another … Britain watches the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany, three childhood companions must choose between friendship and country. Erstwhile socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labeled an enemy alien, and the three friends find themselves fighting together to keep her free at any cost.
Featuring Julia Kelly’s signature “intricate, tender, and convincing” (Publishers Weekly) prose, The Whispers of War is a moving and unforgettable tale of the power of friendship and womanhood in the midst of conflict.
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A story of exquisite tenderness, The Whispers of War beautifully captures just how precious female friendship can be, and shines a light onto an important but less well-known aspect of war. Add to that rich historical detail and a cast of engaging characters and you have a must-read for all historical fiction fans.
I read a lot of WW II historical fiction. I thought The Whispers of War would be interesting as it takes place in England and is focused on a deep friendship of three girls with the main character Marie, whose German parents sent her to live in England when she was twelve years old. Her friendship with Nora and Hazel started at a boarding school and continued as young women in London at the brink of WW II.
This story is told in a dual timeline style. I normally like dual timeline stories, but I think Marie’s grand-daughter, Samantha’s story is completely unnecessary. I think if this had been written as a first-hand account with the three girls being the narrators, the story would be much stronger and make more of a connection with the reader. I did learn some interesting history that I did not know about before.
My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lindas Book Obsession Review “The Whispers of War” by Julia Kelly, Gallery Books, January 2020
Julia Kelly, Author of “The Whispers of War has written a captivating and intense Historical Fiction novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction and Romance. The timeline for this story is set around 1939 when it looks like England will be entering a war with Germany. The story goes to the past, or future when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her characters as loyal, courageous and brave. Other characters are complex and complicated.
I love the way Julia Kelly writes and describes her characters, the landscape and the political climate of England. The themes for this story are friendship and the importance of sisterhood, especially during Wartime. Nora, Hazel and Marie are close friends. All of them have been in school together in England. Now as adults, they are as close as ever.
As Britain contemplates another tragic and devastating war with Germany, the girls are facing a heartbreaking problem. Marie was born in Germany and lives with her Aunt and Uncle in England. She has papers to prove that she has the right to be in England, but everything changes. The Germans living and working in England are grouped by letters and called up for internment. Will Marie have to go live in an internment camp? Mary is declared to be an enemy because she is German. How is it possible for her friends to help her?
I appreciate that Julia Kelly discusses the internment camps in England, that hold German people, many who are citizens. It reminds me of the German and Japanese people that lived in the United States that went to Internment camps. It also raises the questions of immigrants being sent to camps today.
I would highly recommend this Historical Fiction novel for those readers who appreciate reading about World War II. This is quite a thought-provoking novel.
I received a free electronic ARC of this historical novel from Netgalley, Julia Kelly, and Pocket Books – Gallery. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The Whispers of War is a personal look into the effects of war on London women both before and during the war years. I can highly recommend this work to friends and family. It gives us another look at WWII from non-combatants that we don’t often see.
Nora, Hazel, and Marie met in the fall of 1928 as they enter school at the Ethelbrook School for Girls, a prestigious boarding school in Herefordshire. The girls are all about 12 years old, isolated from close family, and become support for one another rather quickly. All bright compassionate people despite their family problems, their friendship grows all through their school years.
Marie is a German citizen, her parents prominent in Berlin society and too busy to fool with children. They ship Marie off the boarding school in Herefordshire, England, where she excels in her scholastics, and have her spend school vacations with her mother’s sister, Tante Matilda Mullens and her family, Onkel Albrecht, and cousin Henrik there in England. At the end of her formal education, though still classified as an alien resident, Marie refused to return to Berlin, choosing instead to take a job at first the switchboard at the Royal Imperial University and then as a secretary for the German Department. In a light flirtation with Neil, one of the shining-light speakers at the German Department, Marie attends a couple of meetings of the CPGB – the Communist Party of Great Britain. Thinking better of the association, Marie backs off but cannot undo her attendance at those controversial group meetings. That and the fact that despite her every effort, she cannot seem to lose her German accent which can only count against her if Britain enters the war. And the Germans have invaded Poland… Soon Marie’s status will change to that of ‘enemy alien’, she loses her job and then her home, and her cousin Henrik will foolishly take actions that will get him and his father interred for treason. Staying out of sight at Nora’s home, Marie plans her flight. The girls can perhaps get her out of the country but they must act quickly.
Hazel is the only child of a single mother with a bad reputation, and they lose the sponsorship of her natural father on his death when Hazel is 12. In perhaps the nicest thing her mother accomplished in Hazel’s lifetime, she has somehow attained admittance to and a scholarship for Ethelbrook School for Girls which puts Hazel into the much-welcomed neutral environment of this boarding school. After school, she is quickly married to Nathaniel Carey and finds employment the cushion needed to shield her from six years of miscarriages and the viciousness of her in-laws. Motherhood has been her only dream. It is hard to let it go. She shines, though, in her positions held within the matchmaker business of Lady Moreton, the Mayfair Matrimonial Agency. And there comes a time when she and Nathaniel can say goodbye to their life together without pain. At loose ends, Hazel moves in with Nora.
And Nora. Nora is the socialite granddaughter of one of the Founding Few, the late nineteenth-century founders of The Harlan Club, the social club for women and place-to-be in London. Inheriting her membership, Nora has ensured that her friends will always be welcome at the Harlan. All of their adult life they have met there on the last Friday night of the month for supper and a quiet catch-up with their worlds. Despite her social standings and her pushy mother, Nora is determined to work with the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department. Sir Gerald is just as determined to keep women out of the decision-making parts of government. Nora’s really good ideas are carried out under the Gerald umbrella, and occasionally he doesn’t even read her proposals. And then it becomes known that enemy alien Marie is living under her roof – and Sir Gerald has grounds to fire Nora. And France falls to the German forces…
And we see this all transpire through the eyes of Samantha and David, from the current time. A very interesting presentation and a colorful, absorbing story told very wel
I enjoyed this look at how the outbreak of WWII affects three very close friends with different backgrounds living in London. You will feel immersed in the daily lives of these three as they try to stay close and overcome the stigma of their friend Marie being from Germany. I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, and those that enjoy a great story about women’s friendships. .
Friends for life
This story is one of friendship. A story of three schoolgirls that became friends and that friendship extended across the ages.
Marie is born in Germany but sent to Britain to school and to live with her aunt and uncle. On her first day at boarding school she meets two other girls Hazel and Nora. These three would become friends for life. They even had a motto between them “We will always be, just us three.”
The story told within the pages of this book is the story of these three girls. When the war happened life changed for them all. When Marie is in danger of being sent to an interment camp the girls rally around her. They hide her and then get her on a ship to Canada on a forged passport.
Years later when Marie dies at the age of one hundred and three her will sends her granddaughter to London to rake a gift to Nora. It is to Samantha that Nora tells her story.
You will be transported to an earlier time and told the story of unbelievable friendship. The trials, triumphs, and through it all heartbreak, romances, fear and accomplishments these three stand together as friends even when separated by war.
You will find the book inspiring and delightful. The author catches the essence of the period and the deep feelings of those affected. You will not want to miss a minute of the book and will not want to put it down until you are finished.
Thanks to Julia Kelly , Gallery books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book.
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Perfect for those who love stories of strong female friendships. While this book is set at the start of WWII there are no war scenes in it. The story revolves around Marie, Nora, and Hazel. There is also a present-day storyline that really doesn’t offer much to the story (in my opinion) except to provide a conduit for the main story to be told.
Just as the US had internment camps during the war so did England. Marie, born in Germany but has been in England since she was twelve years old, has always considered England her home. However, that all changes with the passing of the Aliens Restriction Act. Now she is in danger of internment. But her friends will not let that happen without a fight. But is it enough?
There is some romance involved, but it is not the focus of the story. If you are looking for something light and with a feel-good story, this is the book for you. While I enjoyed the story, I would have preferred more depth.
Thank you to Gallery Books for the e-galley to read and review. Opinions expressed here are my own.
The Whispers of War is a breath of fresh air into the WWII historical fiction genre. The story doesn’t focus so much on the actual war but rather on a friendship between three very different women. Julia Kelly had me hooked from page one!
Captivating story!
This is one of those books that brings out an incredible amount of emotion! Although this is a book of fiction, it is based off of historical events. The fear and anxiety lived in so many at this time.
I loved the beautiful relationship the three ladies shared. To not have one but two people who are there for you at any given time must be superb! The characters are all very wonderfully written. A close look into each of their lives and time together. I enjoyed how the past and present are weaved together throughout the book.
Having read ” the Light over London” and really enjoyed Julia Kelly’s style of writing I was excited to be able to read another book by her. Again she managed to transport the reader to the World War II time period in London England.
The mentality of people where emotions are still raw with the memories of World War I. The overreactions towards the German immigrants are accurately portrayed.
The author brings to life the friendship the three woman from different backgrounds have formed over the years. You feel like you got to know each one of them. Their strengths and weaknesses.
As a woman I get to appreciate the changes that have taking place in the workplace because it wasn’t that long ago that woman weren’t taken very seriously.
In August of 1939, three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. Socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book I did find that it seemed to skim the surface rather than delve into the nitty gritty. I liked Nora, Hazel & Marie & whilst their characters weren’t two dimensional I didn’t feel a true connection to them. I think it was because we were seeing through the eyes of Samantha, Marie’s grand daughter who was writing a eulogy for Marie & who delivered a necklace to Nora thus learning of the three friends story. An interesting entertaining read that did hold my interest all the way through. I loved the author’s notes at the end
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Samantha Morris, a school teacher in Chicago, is surprised to learn that she has been named the executrix of her grandmother’s estate. Marie, who died at age 103, made a request in the will that Samantha go to London and return a piece of jewelry to one of her best friends, Nora Fowler. She also asked that Samantha give the eulogy at her memorial service. Samantha, busy with college and then a first job, had fallen out of touch with her grandmother. Prior to that, as children tend to do, she tended to focus on her own interactions with her grandmother, not thinking to ask Marie about her own life. Now she finds herself at a loss as to what to say about the woman whose life, she realizes, she knows little about.
Meeting Norah, also 103, Samantha hears the story of the marvelous friendship between Marie, Norah and Hazel, who first met each other at age 12 in a boarding school, and have been best friends since.
The Whispers of War alternates between the current day and the years of 1939 & 1940. The story is told from the POVs of Samantha, Marie, Norah and Hazel. I loved that Samantha came to know and admire her grandmother for the woman herself, not just as one particular family role that she played in her life. The main focus, however, is on Marie, Norah and Hazel.
As WWII historical fiction goes this is a good and satisfying read. I thoroughly enjoyed the richly developed characters of Marie, Norah and Hazel. These were very strong women, trying to make their way in a time and place where what women wanted or thought were rarely given a moment’s pause. I also enjoyed their close friendship and loyalty to each other. I didn’t know that Britain had internment camps for foreign born citizens during WWII and found that interesting, though I wish more had been said about them.
The Whispers of War gets a 3.5 star rating from me. My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a book for lovers of historical fiction and World War II. I enjoyed the dual timelines and the epilogue. I was drawn in and could not put it down. I enjoyed the stories of the three friends and the lengths they went through to protect their friend.
The Whispers of War is the story of three friends and all they endure as Britain goes to war .
Their friendship is strong and as Marie is ostrasized for being German even though she has been in England for years, her friends Nora and Hazel do everything they can to protect her.
Part of the story is told from the viewpoint of Marie’s granddaughter as she learns about her and all that happened to her grandmother and her friends during the war.
Whispers of War is a strong story of love , family, friendship and and endurance with history playing a strong part of the story.
I will miss these 3 ladies , I enjoyed the book very much and hated to see it end.
Please take time to read the authours notes, they add to the story.
Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada , Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.
I love historical fiction, and especially those dealing with WWII. #WhispersofWar interested me, because I had never read anything about the internment of German immigrants in Britain, that had been sent off to camps during that war.
This is a well researched story about three boarding school friends that remain close after leaving school and beginning their careers in London, just as rumors of war are heard. Their friend Marie is German and living with her German aunt, uncle and cousin, as those rumors heat up. She is working in the German departmental at a university and becomes suspect by authorities, loses her position and comes under the threat of internment.
This is a gripping tale of school friendships, loyalties, struggle and fear, as the repercussions of war divide a country, separating families and loved ones in its wake. It focuses on the pain and suffering that hate and suspicion can create in turbulent times. But it also shows how love, faith and understanding can bind people.
#JuliaKelly is a talented writer with wonderful character development, that made me feel like I knew these people and the pain they experienced.
My thanks to #NetGalley #GalleryBooks for the ARC. The comments are my own opinions. I liked this book very much.
The Whispers of War: A Novel by Julia Kelly was a wonderful read. It pulled me into the story so fully, I felt I knew the characters personally. The author tells the story from the viewpoint of 4 women, Marie, Nora and Hazel as well as Samantha who is Marie’s granddaughter. I loved the fact that the three very different women who met in boarding school at age 12/13 remained close friends all of their lives and helped each other through some difficult times. This book touched on family, friendship, love, war and fear. I loved how the separate story of Marie’s granddaughter Samantha was also intertwined and developed. I would definitely recommend this book.
Wow! This book was so good! I thought the story of the three friends interesting and hard to put down. Loved the story and definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
Wow! This book was so good! I thought the story of the three friends interesting and hard to put down. Loved the story and definitely recommend. Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy
A very different kind of WWII book that I’ve been reading lately and a very nice change. Centered in London where three women, who are very different, become family to one another. A sweet romance and a story told by one of the London friends who is now 103. Very enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC
Historical fiction is my favorite genre so when I saw that this book discussed internment camps in England during WWII I was very interested. I have read extensively about internment camps in the United States but didn’t know that they existed in England.
The story takes place in the present and past. In the present we meet Samantha who has come to England from Chicago to meet her grandmother’s great friend Nora. In her grandmother’s will she specifically asked that Samantha deliver the eulogy and that she hand deliver a package to Nora.We begin to learn the main story as it is told to Samantha.
As described in the blurb the story revolves around three very close friends in England before and during the beginning of WWII. Nora is a socialite who prefers working than attending debutante balls and socials, she works in the Ministry of Home Security in the Home Office. She has her own home through funds left to her by her father who passed away.
Marie is German born but has been in England since she was 12, first at boarding school and then living with her aunt and uncle whom she loves deeply. They gave her the home and love that Marie so needed as her own parents were quite cold towards her. She rarely visited them in Germany being told often to just stay in England for the holidays, etc. She works in the German department of the University, secretary to Herr Gunter the department chair. This is the perfect fit for her being fluent in German.
Hazel works for a matchmaking service founded by Lady Moreton. They work carefully and discreetly matching women with men with similar interests, etc. All initial connections are made through the agency.
The three friends have been stayed close since boarding school and meet every week for Friday night dinners.
When the first rumors or war begin, people remember and talk about the fact that Germans and others were sent to internment camps during WWI as a precaution against any spies or anti-British movements. When Hitler’s armies begin to move towards France the British government requires all Germans living in Britain to come before a tribunal and then they are classified as to their threat to the government.
I don’t want to give away any of the plot but there are some interesting twists that are surprising and require Nora and Hazel to fight for Marie’s freedom.
This author has a way of “telling” rather than “showing” what is happening. There is talk about the internment camps but there is no description of the condition of these camps and what it was like to live in them. No one living in one is ever discussed in any detail. We never got to that point in the story. I found this disappointing as I didn’t really learn anything about the camps except what I read in the author’s notes, which were informative.
There is a romance that takes place in the present time between Samantha and Nora’s grandson which seemed contrived and not very believable. In the past there is a budding romance between Marie and Richard, a widow whom Hazel had “matched” to Marie. Everything just turns out too “neat, tidy and happy” for me to feel it could be real. I might be a little too cynical but things don’t usually turn out so perfectly in the real world.
I think this is a good story which I would classify as a story of friendship and romance with a historical background. It was easy to read and the past and present flowed well together.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The novel is set to publish in January 2020.