The Wartime Sisters
Publisher St. Martin Press, January 22, 2019
“It was easy sometimes to forget about the war. . . It was easy, much too easy to think only of herself and the smaller war that waited on the other side of her sister’s front door.”
Ruth and Millie have never been close—not as toddlers sharing a bedroom in their cramped Brooklyn apartment, not as teenagers navigating suitors and friends, and certainly not as mothers with young children of their own. Ruth has always been too controlling and uptight for Millie’s taste, and Ruth has always resented the attention Millie receives—not just from men, but from their parents as well.
With World War II on the horizon, Ruth’s scientist husband is offered a position at the Springfield Armory. For Ruth, relocating to Massachusetts means a much-needed fresh start to a place where no one knows about her sister or her past. But for Millie, Ruth’s departure comes at the worst possible moment—she is left behind in Brooklyn, without family or friends, and with a negligent new husband who proves to be more volatile than anyone could have imagined.
After five years apart, with the war in full swing, tragedy forces the sisters together again. When an unwelcome figure from the past emerges, long-held secrets come to light, threatening the sisters’ already fragile bond.
“Fresh off her stunning debut The Two Family House, Lynda Cohen Loigman returns with The Wartime Sisters, an evocative home front tale set against the backdrop of the Springfield Armory during World War II. Through stoic, stubborn Ruth and her beautiful younger sister Millie, Loigman skillfully chronicles the complex sibling bonds and rivalries, the secrets we keep and truths that set us free. Loigman’s strong voice and artful prose earn her a place in the company of Alice Hoffman and Anita Diamant, whose readers should flock to this wondrous new book.” — Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale
“Complex and intricately woven, The Wartime Sisters is truly everything I love in a novel. Beautifully written, rich in historical detail, and anchored by two strong women who must reconcile their past – and their secrets – in order to survive. Loigman is a master storyteller and this novel had me from its very first page. – Alyson Richman, international bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours
“The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a powerful and moving story of secrets, friendship, and sisterhood. In Ruth and Millie, whom we follow from their childhood in Brooklyn to their entwined lives as young mothers at a wartime armory in Springfield, Loigman masterfully portrays the complicated sister relationship. Beautifully written, emotionally charged, and rich with historical detail, this novel, and these sisters, will stay with me long after I turned the last page.” – Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Lost Letter
“A riveting tale of sibling rivalry and the magnetic dissonance of family, filled with heart-stopping truths that are both tender and wise. One of my favorite books of the year.” —Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece
“In her latest novel, Loigman once again deftly explores the complexities, heartbreaks, and fierce endurance of family bonds. Even amid the great tension and fears of the Second World War, The Wartime Sisters reminds the reader that the harshest battles are often fought here at home, with those we love and are meant to trust most. A stirring tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the consequences of long-buried secrets.” —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Edge of Lost
“THE WARTIME SISTERS is a heartfelt and poignant portrait of the complex bond between sisters, how our childhood roles define us as adults, and what dire consequences that can have, especially in times of war. THE WARTIME SISTERS shows the strength of women on the home front: to endure, to fight, and to help each other survive.” –Jenna Blum, New York Times and international bestselling author of The Lost Family and Those Who Save Us.
“THE WARTIME SISTERS depicts the legacy of love and hurt between two sisters during an important historical time. Lynda Cohen Loigman’s characters—as well as their shared home, the Springfield Armory of the 1940s—come to life in this sensitive, engaging novel.” — Elizabeth Poliner author of As Close To Us As Breathing