Book Review: Band of Sisters

Sometimes a dash into the library nets a fortuitous find. Band of Sisters offers an engaging historical fiction account of true events during WWI. Women alumni from Smith College head to France to assist villagers and meet needs. As personalities blend and clash, the troop becomes a "band of sisters." Moreover, they miraculously remain intact, despite harrowing work near the front of the fighting.

Billed as "a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network," Band of Sisters follows 18 Smith graduates who seek to help bombed out French villagers. They arrive with good intentions, but face almost constant obstacles. They must put their trucks together by hand, their supplies go astray, and they mistakenly purchase roosters instead of hens. The men working at the front resent their presence. They must live in damp, harsh conditions. Add in natural clashes of personalities and a leadership coup, and you have a motley crew. Yet, they do indeed become a family unit and work together in this threatening terrain to bring good and engender hope.

My favorite part, of course, was the author's note at the end. I loved listening to the author's description of stumbling upon this fascinating historical story and sorting through the primary sources (letters sent home). Lauren Willig demonstrates great skill as she weaves a story of various personalities and perils. I often feel like I'm just not up for yet another war book, but this time around, I was grateful it was front and center on the shelves during my quick run into the library. This was a historical fiction gem!