The Childbury Lady's Choir by Jennifer Ryan

 In Chilbury England the men have gone off the war, and the vicar has canceled the church choir practices.  You obviously can't have a choir without a bass and tenor section, right?  Don't tell that to Primrose Trent.  She takes charge and organizes the women of Chilbury into a choir that becomes the heart of their community, and a second family for its members.  It is a family with secrets and challenges--a widow who is sending her son off to war, a debutant who is out of her depth in a relationship, a teenage girl with a hopeless crush, and an unethical midwife whose dark deeds are catching up with her. Their challenges bring them together, and their music brings their whole community together. 

After reading The Kitchen Front, I put this earlier book by the same author on hold.  It is in format, premise and flavor very much like the later book, but that was alright with me.  Ryan has a way of drawing believable characters who seem hopelessly flawed in the beginning of the book, but as the book progresses become more relatable and human. She also shows how the women heal by getting to know each other and offering each other a bit of grace. This is really wonderful stuff, a bit sentimental, but positive and heartwarming messages.  This recording is done with a full cast, which I enjoyed. I will be recommending this and The Kitchen Front a lot. (2017, 384 p.)