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The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Gabrielle Glaister, Laura Kirman, Imogen Wilde, Adjoa Andoh, Tom Clegg, Mike Grady
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Women's Fiction
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Publisher's Summary
"Just because the men have gone to war, why do we have to close the choir? And precisely when we need it most!"
As England enters World War II's dark early days, spirited music professor Primrose Trent, recently arrived to the village of Chilbury, emboldens the women of the town to defy the Vicar's stuffy edict to shutter the church's choir in the absence of men and instead carry on singing. Resurrecting themselves as The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, the women of this small village soon use their joint song to lift up themselves and the community as the war tears through their lives.
Told through letters and journals, The Chilbury Ladies' Choir moves seamlessly from budding romances to village intrigues to heartbreaking matters of life and death. As we come to know the struggles of the charismatic members of this unforgettable outfit - a timid widow worried over her son at the front, the town beauty drawn to a rakish artist, her younger sister nursing an impossible crush and dabbling in politics she doesn't understand, a young Jewish refugee hiding secrets about her family, and a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past - we come to see how the strength each finds in the choir's collective voice reverberates in her individual life. In turns funny, charming and heart-wrenching, this lovingly executed ensemble novel will charm and inspire, illuminating the true spirit of the women on the home front, in a village of indomitable spirit, at the dawn of a most terrible conflict.
This audiobook includes popular versions of classical music sung by women's choirs, including the songs "Abide with Me" and "All Creatures", "Ave Maria", and "The Lord's My Shepherd".
What the critics say
What listeners say about The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Valerie
- 2019-03-07
Enjoyed this book
Poignant, nostalgic, moving yet uplifting. Addition of music excerpts a definite plus for the audible version.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Slick
- 2018-08-23
Delightful
The variety of narrators made it very easy to keep track of all the characters. Each character was so different and interesting and their unique voices really made the book come to life !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 2018-06-19
Beautiful war time English story
Every single person in my book group gave this 5 stars! In the seven years we’ve been meeting that has NEVER happened before. Do not miss this wonderful story of humans triumphing over fear and circumstances.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- E. Baker
- 2018-02-24
Overrated book not far up from a romance novel
Shallow plot. Undeveloped characters. The story being told through verbatim conversations from letters and journals is a little much. Just don’t see why this was rated so highly. It is not much of a step up from a romance novel. Wish I had purchased something else
7 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Chelle
- 2017-08-02
Soap Opera via audio
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
If you're into a soap opera styled story, and like story lines that have 18 year old girls vamping any male that takes their fancy, and a midwife that switches newborns - "steals" them off their mothers at birth - for money then you'll love this book.
What character would you cut from The Chilbury Ladies' Choir?
Vanetia and the midwife.
Any additional comments?
I gave this 2 stars overall due to the talented narration.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 2017-04-17
A Romance
Ryan usually writes Contemporary Romance novels and, to me, this foray into Historic Fiction set in the early days of WWII Great Britain draws heavily on that style. It was all just a bit too heavy on the romance for me. The characters were often so thinly developed and stereo-typical that at times I had trouble keeping people straight. I agree with another reviewer--the time period was such a slim slice of history, so very early in the war, that I too wondered if this wasn't book one of a planned series? It was way too early in the war for all the triumph expressed--the book ends in fall of 1940 after all.
Some of the action was so improbable and unbelievable that I repeatedly deliberated about giving up on the book. In the end, it took me forever to finish listening and stay engaged. Honestly, I loved the premise of the story and had such high hopes. In parts, I thought Ryan did a good job capturing the feeling of what it is like to sing in a choir. I loved the idea of having an actual choir sing in the narration BUT then to ruin it by having the narrators read over the singing was just too much. What a waste.
Recommended only if you love romance novels in historic settings. I kept hoping it would become something more...it just never happened.
43 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Minny Lund
- 2019-05-23
Juicy gossip within a choir
The narrators achieve the purpose of transporting the reader/listener to WW II England when people were trying to lead their normal lives under the constant threat of german bombings.
Lovely novel written as letters from and to different members of a choir circa 1940/1941.
Couldn't stop listening to it, plus the narrators are superb.
A must!
3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- RueRue
- 2017-03-26
Good performances, slight characters
If you've read or listened to "The Geurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", and are expecting this to be similar, you will be disappointed. The story here is much less interesting, and the characters are underdeveloped. There is not a single character that comes to life, in spite of the best efforts of the narrators.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sandra Sizemore
- 2017-03-18
I loved it!
What a refreshing story read by perfect voices! In these dismal days with uncertainty everywhere, it was a pleasure to spend a while in the little village of Chilbury during World War II. I think the audio perfectly fit this novel. Highly recommend it!
12 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- red beans & rice
- 2017-02-25
Delightful!
Would you listen to The Chilbury Ladies' Choir again? Why?
There aren't many books I would listen to again, but this one makes the short list. Multiple narrators with very different voices, accents, and inflections along with a powerful story line make this a very entertaining and thought provoking book.
What did you like best about this story?
Strong females facing difficult problems working together and individually to solve them.
Any additional comments?
Highly recommend. The combination of great story and awesome narration makes this a wonderful audible book.
17 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lee
- 2017-11-05
the story draws you in
About half way through the story I realized that I cared about these characters and wanted to know how their lives would progress. it provides another experience of the impact of the war on the women left at home, how they supported each other and gained in strength and capability.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cathi Fouchi
- 2020-12-03
multi generational story about women and hope
Hard to put down, easy to listen too. Loved the multiple voices. We women are stronger than we think.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jamie Pope
- 2020-08-27
Loved it!!!
Hated for it to end. Such amazing narrations and engaging story. Looked for opportunities to listen whenever I could. :)
1 person found this helpful
