Sisters at War

by Clare Flynn

A dramatic and emotional wartime novel
1940 Liverpool. The pressures of war threaten to tear apart two sisters traumatised by their mother's murder by their father.

With her new husband Will, a merchant seaman, deployed on dangerous Atlantic convoy missions, Hannah needs her younger sister Judith more than ever. But when Mussolini declares war on Britain, Judith's Italian sweetheart, Paolo is imprisoned as an enemy alien, and Judith's loyalties are divided.

Each sister wants only to be with the man she loves but, as the war progresses, tensions between them boil over, and they face an impossible decision.

A heart-wrenching page-turner about the everyday bravery of ordinary people during wartime. From heavily blitzed Liverpool to the terrors of the North Atlantic and the scorched plains of Australia, Sisters at War will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.

Genres: Historical Fiction

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2021

About the author

Clare Flynn is the author of eighteen historical novels and a collection of short stories. She is the 2020 winner of the UK Selfies Adult Fiction prize for her best-selling novel The Pearl of Penang, was shortlisted for the RNA Industry Awards Indie Champion of the Year for 2021 and won the award in 2022.

Clare lives in Eastbourne. on the south coast of the UK. She is a fluent Italian speaker and loves spending time in Italy. In her spare time she likes to quilt, paint and travel often and widely as possible.

Clare Flynn is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an active member of The Romantic Novelists Association, The Hostrical Writers Association, The Alliance of Independent Authors and The Society of Authors. More information about her books can be found at www.clareflynn.co.uk

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah and Will Kidd are newlyweds, he’s in the English merchant navy and his ship is sailing dangerous convoy missions across the Atlantic Ocean. Hannah and her younger sister Judith haven’t had an easy time, they share a house called The Laurels with Nance and the owner Sam.
Will in his travels meets Italian sailor Paolo Tornabene, after Will’s last trip, he returns to London with him and he takes a shine to Judith. Hannah is worried about Judith being too young to have a boyfriend, but the couple fall head over heels in love and she can see how happy Paolo makes her sister. When Mussolini declares war on Britain, the unthinkable happens and all Italian men are imprisoned as enemy aliens.

Hannah worries about Will and so many merchant ships have been sunk by the German navy. Judith is very concerned about Paolo, she has no idea how long they will detain him for and then she discovers he’s going to be sent to Australia. Life for the sisters gets worse as the war continues, Liverpool is bombed heavily and they spend many nights sleeping under the stairs or in the Anderson shelter in the backyard. London during WW II is very bleak place for Hannah and Judith, with rationing, every day facing being homeless and worrying about the men they love.

Sisters At War is a story about London during the Blitz, Hannah and Judith’s relationship, their fears for what could happen to Will and Paolo, and Judith possibly moving to Australia. The story was only OK, some of the Australian language used wasn’t fitting for the time, I loved the Clancy's and three stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Liza Perrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another heart-breaking WW2 tale from one of my favourite authors. Follow Hannah and Will, Judith and Paolo as they battle love, loss and hope in war-ravaged Europe. I felt this was Clare Flynn's best novel yet.

[Luisa Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book without having read the two prequels and there was enough background information to enable me to follow the story. However, I wonder if I would have enjoyed the book more if I’d already had some emotional investment in the characters.
I couldn’t really take to the two sisters, Hannah and Judith. I found Hannah a bit too severe and judgmental, and Judith too self-centred, to really like them. It’s apparent from the background information given in the book that they’ve had a difficult past, which would explain the way they are, but coming at them fresh it was hard to sympathise. To be honest, some of the background sounded rather melodramatic.
The book was well researched and dealt with some aspects of WWII which were less well known than for example the London Blitz or life in the armed forces. As my grandfather was a merchant seaman who was torpedoed in WWII, I appreciated the depiction of life on the seas, facing the constant threat of attack.
All in all, there were some moments of high drama and emotion, but I can’t say I loved this book, as much as I wanted to.

[Allie Cresswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched and interesting account of WW2 in Liverpool, this book follows the fortunes of Will and Hannah. If you haven’t read the earlier book I would recommend you do so first. I hadn’t, and I found quite a lot of this novel looked back over its shoulder at its predecessor. But once it got going this was an interesting insight into aspects of the war I hadn’t known about before. Of especial fascination was the appalling treatment of Italians and Germans who had lived for years in Britain before war turned them into ‘enemy aliens’.
Thank you to TBC and the author for making a copy of this book available to me.

[Whispering Bookworm]

When a book is based during World War Two, in Liverpool, no less, you expect some drama, some violence and a little bit of heartbreak. What I did not count on was the story being so incredibly enthralling that it was almost impossible to put down.

I adored reading about Hannah. She is such an incredible woman, who has a very traumatic difficult past, and she takes on so much responsibility, so much worry and pain, that I spent a majority of this book hoping that things would get better for her, that Will would manage to get a different job, a safer one, that would cause her less concern. I also really enjoyed reading about Will, and his trips over the sea, although all of these scenes made me incredibly scared as I read about the U-boat and aerial attacks.

The day-to-day aspects of living in Liverpool during the war were written wonderfully, and the fear as the sound of bombs dropping got closer was very vivid. With an Italian character in England, we also follow the horrors the Italians faced when they were arrested on suspicion of fascism and sent abroad to camps. The conditions they were subjected to on the ships was absolutely terrible and, although it seemed almost impossible, I hoped that they would be sent home again, back to their loved ones.

I loved every second of this book, so much so that I stayed up half the night reading it!!

*I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Flynn writes stories straight from her heart and into ours, her readers. This story has so much heartache for the sisters Hannah and Judith but through it they find themselves. I'm always thrilled when Ms. Flynn comes out with a new book because I know it will touch my heart in some capacity. This story takes place in Britain during what I believe is the second world war in the 1940's. Will Kidd is the husband of Hannah, he spends his time in the merchant marines delivering and picking up supplies to deliver to different ports, under threat of being blasted into the forever by Uboats submarines and aircraft.. Paulo is a friend of Will's that had worked on the ships with him. When Paulo lays his eyes on Judith for the first time, he believes he has found his love. Sam is the owner of the home that Hannah, Judith and Will live in as well as Nance, stepmother to Will. These people make up the main characters in this book and series. As you come to know their background, present and future, you will fall in love with them as they go through their struggles and victories. An amazing story with lots of action, suspense and romance, I loved it!
I received a free download of this book from the publisher. This review is totally my own honest opinion of this book.

[Greta Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book from Clare Flynn about the trials and tribulations that war brings to everyone. Joy and sorrow, tears and laughter , all these emotions are tested to the limit in this heart rending story. I am sure this book will be another huge success. Thanks to TBC and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in a series, but this author has the knack of writing new stories about her characters that don't rely on the earlier ones, although there's enough allusion to them to make me interested in seeking them out.
Once again, what takes me most about the book is the way that the war really affected people's lives. We complain about being in a pandemic, but they lived through a war, not knowing the outcome. The internment of Italians who had nothing to do with their home country is horrific, and sending your husband out for weeks at a time to sea, not knowing whether he'll return...
Not quite the ending I'd expected, but still a very enjoyable book.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Whilst this is a follow on book it can be enjoyed as a stand alone. There are many books purveying the horrors of war from the soldiers, sailors, airmen’s point of view but this tackles the lives of the women left behind. It shows the harshness of war, the brutality of people and the kindness of people and it shares the lives of two sisters living through it. A worthwhile read which, while fiction, was able to make me think of how little we really know of what life was like during WWII.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not disappoint.

From the early 1940s in war torn Liverpool, to a dry and dusty inland Australia, this heartbreaking story continues with the exploits of Will Kidd, his wife Hannah and her sister, Judith.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series, and this one did not disappoint. I am hoping there will be another one on the way.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a read! Totally different to my usual choices but very very good!
The book is set in world war 2 and based in Liverpool it follows the lives of 2 sisters who are dealing with so much more than a world war.
Beautifully written and very moving

[The Book Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came into this book fully aware of the fact that it was mainly based in Liverpool during the Second World War. This should have prepared me for the emotional whirlwind this book bestowed upon me, yet I found myself ever hopeful that historical events would not play out and that all the characters would live happily ever after.

Will Kidd is a merchant sailor, which means he spends very little time at home with his wife, Hannah. Although he longs to be with her, he also can’t deny the pull of the sea or his duty. His time at sea is his contribution to the war effort, and even love cannot keep him from that.

Hannah is such a loving person. She spends most of her time worrying about Will, filling the gap that his absence leaves in her life by looking after her sister and everyone else living in the house with them. The fear for Will’s life nearly destroys her every time he leaves, and she wakes up every day hoping that today will not be the day that the telegram boy knocks on her door.

One of Will’s best friends, Paolo, comes ashore with him all but once for his life to change forever. He immediately falls for Hannah’s sister, Judith, but his Italian heritage may be the thing that either pulls them apart or pushes them together. Their romance may not have been central to the story, but it was so incredibly beautiful.

This is not a book without tragedy. This book will have you in tears, and you may just go through an entire box of tissues. Such sadness, such pure heartbreak, comes across so intensely that you feel it yourself. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book is, or how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. There were some points where I was so distraught I had to put the book down and step away to process it, which only goes to show how impactful this story is.

This story is simply amazing, and I beseech you to get yourself a copy as soon as is physically possible.

*I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[Maria P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first 2 in the series so was a bit disappointed as I’d wanted to read this 3rd book for a while. The first two were quite exciting with lots going on but this one felt a bit flat. There was not much of a story and the story that there was was quite depressing. It felt like the author was dragging the series out for the sake of it when it shouldn’t have been left after the 2nd book. That said, it’s ended in a way which keeps it open suggesting there might be a 4th! An average 3 ⭐️.

[ROCKY · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Heartbreaking!!!

A book from one of my most favorite authors!! I absolutely loved it but oh my how heartbreaking it was!! I think you outdid urself on this one Clare Flynn!!

[Beatrice Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah may be at home in Liverpool, but her husband is not. Instead, Will Kidd is on a ship, carrying out convoy missions, missions that are incredibly important in keeping Britain in the war against Germany. Hannah doesn’t see it that way though. Hannah sees Will’s job as something consistently taking, and keeping, him away from her.

When his ship is attacked and sinks, Will and the crew are taken aboard an Italian ship, one carrying an old friend, Paolo. Will convinces Paolo to come back with him, and Paolo agrees, the idea of sailing together again a joyful thought. When Paolo goes to Will’s home for dinner, though, the joy of sailing with Will is overtaken by another joy, one even greater and more important – Hannah’s younger sister, Judith.

Hannah and Will may only have been married a short time, but their time together has been even shorter, confined to the days Will is in port before he is swept away from her again, leaving her frightened and lonely. No matter how much it pains Hannah, not knowing when she might see her husband again, or whether today would be the day she got a knock at the door and someone’s deepest condolences, Will belongs at sea. He is used to the rocking of the boat, to the work and the men. He is used to looking out over the side, watching for the tell-tale signs of U-boats, or looking up to scan the skies for enemy planes. Despite all of this, though, he loves Hannah dearly, and he treasures the brief time he gets to spend with her.

Since Hannah and Judith’s father killed their mother, they have both been living with Sam, a man Hannah was briefly, although illegally, married to – a wedding forced on them by their fathers, which neither of them wanted. The trauma of losing their mother, and then their father being sentenced to death, wedged a gap into the bond that Hannah and Judith used to share. Judith closes herself off and Hannah loses sight of their friendship as she finds herself not paying attention to the changes Judith is going through in her life. As the story progresses, both women go through their own trials and their relationship strengthens and wanes. While the love for a sibling, especially one as close to you as Judith was to Hannah growing up, is strong, Hannah lets that love control her. She gives up her life, things she loves, for Judith countless times, and her sister does not always give her the thanks, or even acknowledgement, she deserves.

The love that grows between Paolo and Judith is beautiful. However, being an Italian in England in the early 1940s, their togetherness cannot last long as Paolo is arrested under the suspicions of being a fascist. His case is not helped by the fact that he is a seaman, who left his vessel to join an English one. He is almost the model stereotype for an Italian spy and is shipped away from Judith. Much like Will leaving Hannah on a ship, Paolo leaves Judith, yet while Will has a choice, Paolo is forced into the lower confines of the ship. The conditions Paolo and his fellow Italians are forced into on the boat are so incredibly terrible that I found myself feeling incredibly sorry for them all, and even for the German prisoners of war who were on the same boat. The abuse they suffered was almost unimaginable, and almost none of them deserved any of what they got. A lot of the Italian prisoners were ordinary men, men who had lived in England for most of their lives, or who had signed up to fight in the war. How could such men have done any of what they were accused of? Yet, the government was taking no chances, and with such little preparation before the arrests, there were no procedures in place. The whole thing was so incredibly disorganised, there was no holding anyone accountable for such cruelty.

There are scenes in this novel that are so unbearably heart-breaking they will have you in tears, not able to believe that they are true and hoping against hope that a miracle will happen and set everything right again. The horrors that those in Liverpool face, with most nights spent curled up in an Anderson shelter, and the sheer adrenaline holding back panic as a missile hits your boat is depicted so wonderfully that you can almost feel the fear and unease, can almost taste the ash, smoke and seawater in the back of your throat. This is the kind of book that you can’t put down, for if you do, you will only pick it back up again to continue reading.

The pages simply couldn’t turn fast enough. If you haven’t read this book, I implore you to grab yourself a copy as soon as possible.

*I received a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[Oh Look,AnotherBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will begin yet another review by saying, oh my goodness, the cover is beautiful. I barely skimmed the blurb, agreeing to read this book because of the image I was presented with, and I must say, I do not regret this decision even the smallest bit.

Hannah Kidd is married to Will, who spends the majority of this book away at sea. He is a merchant seaman, and working on a ship is his contribution to the war effort. No matter how much Hannah may worry about him when he’s not there, it seems that finding a job on land is out of the question.

The household Hannah is in is a bit of a motley crew. The owner of the house is Sam, whom she was briefly illegally married to after their fathers forced together the union. When Hannah and Judith’s father, an abusive man who preached religion to get his own way, killed their mother, Sam took Hannah and Judith in, giving them a place to stay. Although deep down a caring, lonely woman, the fourth inhabitant, Nance, takes Hannah for granted, sitting back and letting Hannah do all the housework, and cook the meals. And then there is Will, who, although isn’t home much, completes the mismatched family.

I adored Will and Hannah. They are such a beautiful couple, and it was utterly heartbreaking when Will kept leaving for sea, and Hannah would watch the telegraph boy out the window, breathing a sigh of relief when he would continue past her house without stopping. Hannah is the most selfless person imaginable, and continuously gives up things for other people, namely her sister and Nance. I didn’t like Nance all that much, she put herself first and was extremely tactless about every situation anyone else found themselves in. I couldn’t quite make my mind up about Hannah’s sister, Judith. While she has had a very traumatic childhood, and the events of this story only add to that trauma, Hannah has suffered through almost exactly the same, and yet she is expected to keep going while Judith shuts down, making her sister take over. I understand that such a scenario was likely to make Judith react so, but she is so selfish towards Hannah that I had a hard time liking her.

If you have read this book, (if not, you need to!) you are aware about the scene I am about to talk about. I was sat with my hand over my mouth, not wanting to read on for fear of what would happen, but also need to continue because I needed to know what would happen. My husband happened to walk into the room at this moment, as I was sat, curled up on the sofa under a blanket, with tears streaming down my face. At first, he thought something was wrong in real life, but when he noticed my ereader, he sighed, rolling his eyes, and mumbled something along the lines of ‘why read it if it upsets you’ as he left the room again. He did return and bring me a cup of tea, but he does not, and could not, understand the emotional turmoil of this book.

I am a firm believer that if a book has the ability to make you cry, it is a good book. If I read a bad book, I’m likely just to put it down and not show any emotional response to it, other than disgust at the waste of my time it was. This was a good book. In fact, it was more than that. It was beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking – it can cause laughter and sobbing, potentially at the same time.

If you don’t have this book, and/or haven’t read it – what are you waiting for? Did you even read my review? Go and buy it right now!

*I recieved a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this excellent sequel to Storms Gather Between Us, Clare Flynn takes us to wartime Liverpool, on the Atlantic convoys and to an internment camp in Australia, as the dramatic story of Hannah and her husband, Will Kidd, an Australian merchant seaman, continues.

With war declared, Will is facing the constant threat from German U-boats as he serves on the Atlantic convoys. He survives one such encounter to be reunited with a dear friend. He also takes part in the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk.

Will's exploits alternate with life in Liverpool where Hannah's days revolve around anxiously awaiting his return and running a household, which comprises Sam, a conscientious objector and also her landlord; her younger sister, Judith; and Nance, the mistress of Sam's late father. All are bound in some way by the tragic events perpetrated by Hannah and Judith's father, which resulted in the death of their mother.

Both sisters are eager to overcome their family tragedy, but their once close bond is now strained as Hannah holds Judith partly responsible for what happened to their mother. Unable to find comfort from Hannah, Judith turns to the Catholic church for solace. This surprises Hannah, who has rejected religion forever due to the actions of their religious zealot father.

When Judith meets Paolo, an Italian seaman, Hannah feels excluded and believes that their relationship will never recover, but Paolo's arrest as an enemy alien sees the sisters draw closer. They now share the anguish and uncertainty of being separated from the men they love. However, the consequences of Judith's romance with Paolo and her reaction to his fate stirs resentment in Hannah and once again the sisters are at odds.

I enjoyed this story which shared Will's life at sea and also focused on what was happening on the home front. Hannah's world is just as precarious as Will's with the nightly bombing, rationing of food, the stress of Will being away and the unhappiness of her broken relationship with Judith.

The rounding up of enemy aliens, in particular the Italians after Mussolini allies his country with Hitler, shows the injustice of the government's stance and also the shock, outrage and helplessness that Hannah, Judith and friends feel seeing neighbours marched away and business premises vandalised. The treatment these people endured is described in all its horror, as is the sinking of the SS Arandora Star ferrying internees and German prisoners of war to Canada.

Sisters at War can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the previous book first. The backstory given was sufficient to jog my memory of events from the previous book, which I'd read nearly a year ago, and may satisfy some readers new to the story of Hannah and Will. Others, may not feel the same emotional pull that I did having met these characters before, without knowing more of their shared history, including the significance of Elizabeth Morton, Hannah's estranged aunt, or the added tension when old enemies resurface.

The ending was abrupt and not what I was expecting, although it does leave the way open for Hannah's story to continue. I hope it does.

Sisters at War is an emotional drama played out on land and sea that I'm happy to recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a participant in a blog tour.

*https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com

[Helen Hollick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is 1940 when sailor Will Kidd survives a German attack on his ship, Christina. An experienced sailor, Kidd is a member of the merchant navy, i.e. those men who risk their lives to keep Britain afloat by ensuring a steady supply of life’s essentials. He is also married to Hanna, and while he is totally convinced it is his duty to continue with the merchant navy, Hanna suffers under the strain of constantly fearing for his life—something his recent experiences aboard the sunk Christina acerbate.

Hanna Kidd is a wonderful character. Young but markedly mature after surviving a sequence of harrowing experiences, she is one of those people who always sets others before herself. It is Hanna who cooks, cleans and generally keeps the household running in the home she shares with her younger sister Judith, a somewhat older woman called Nance and their landlord, Sam. Hanna is also very much in love with her husband—and he with her. Ms Flynn does a beautiful job describing her two protagonists and their relationship, defined by the few, precious moments when they’re together before Will’s duties yet again carry him off into the unknown.

Will has a friend, an Italian called Paolo. When he introduces his friend to Judith it is immediately apparent to Hanna that Judith is smitten. It worries Hanna: Judith at seventeen is a fragile person—or so Hanna thinks—scarred by the death of their mother, by Judith’s own near-death experience and the subsequent execution of their father for the murder of their mother.

Personally, I was not much taken with Judith, a self-absorbed young woman who considers herself entitled to Hanna’s support—but rarely sets her own interests aside to be there for Hanna. Everyone, it seems, assumes Hanna can handle her own problems and theirs. No one—except for Will, and to some extent Sam—realises that sometimes the load on Hanna’s shoulders is much too heavy.

When it comes to Paolo, Judith scoffs at her big sister’s concerns. She is in love with Paolo and is already envisioning a rosy future together with him.

And then Italy declares war on Britain.

Overnight, Paolo becomes an unwanted alien. His experiences at the hands of the British will leave him an emaciated wreck in a internment camp in Australia, while in Liverpool Judith struggles with the fact that she is pregnant—and unwed, seeing as the baby’s father is far, far away.

Ms Flynn delivers an emotional story set against the background of a ravaging war. Air strikes, the terrors experienced by Hanna and her family as they huddle in their little bomb shelter, homes reduced to rubble, a constant shortage of everything from sugar to fabric—it is all adeptly described. Added to all this Hanna’s gnawing fears for Will, Judith’s for Paolo. Torpedoes blow holes into hulls, ships list and sink, and in the midst of all this, there’s the potted hyacinth Hanna receives as a reminder that life still goes on. The apple trees flower, the grass grows high and fragrant, and now and then the sun shines—a necessary contrast to the grimness of life while at war.

No family escaped WW II unscathed—this applies to Hanna’s family as well. But what happens I leave for the reader to find out for themselves by picking up Ms Flynn’s well-written novel.

Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds

[Theodene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a trip back to World War II England. The Germans are dropping bombs on civilian homes and the British are living on rations. It seems so hard to believe that this really happened! There were dangers not only to be in the military, but for everyday people, too! Sisters at War by Clare Flynn takes readers into one home recovering from the past while enduring the Blitz among other things.

Hannah and Judith are sisters who grew up in an abusive home and Judith witnessed their father killing their mother. Thankful Hannah’s husband arrived when he did to save Judith from death as well, they all do their part to get along. Will is in the merchant navy collecting and delivering supplies from North America to England. It’s dangerous work with U-boats and submarines coming after them at any given moment.

Will runs into his good Italian friend, Paolo, who falls in love with Judith just before Britain decides to place all Italians into internment camps with no notice. Paolo endured harsh treatment because he was once part of the Italian Navy. Hate for Mussolini isn’t enough to keep him free. Luckily, Paolo makes friends with the man in charge of his camp in Australia.

Everything seems to be going well until Judith announces she’s pregnant after one frolic with Paolo the day before he was taken. Then the home they were living in is demolished in a raid. Hannah has so much on her plate, yet she continues to do what’s best for herself and her sister.

It’s so easy to get sucked into this story of Hannah and Judith. I love Hannah’s personality and the strength she has, even though she feels like a wreck with all that’s going on. She makes wise decisions while considering the needs of others. Her heart is genuine and she has so much love to give.

I cannot imagine what life was like during this time period. Living on rations and the constant thought that each meal could be your last. It’s definitely not a way to live life even though they had no choice in the matter. My heart goes out to all who endured the Blitz and did their best to simply survive.

Special thanks to Cranbrook Press and The Coffee Spot Book Club for Sisters at War by Clare Flynn. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because I felt like I lived in the home with Hannah and Judith and their troubles were like that of a friend and housemate.

[Helen Blackthorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters at War brings a whole new level of emotion that I am not sure I have experienced in a book before. This book follows the story of Hannah Kidd, as well as her family and friends. Hannah and her sister Judith have had a very traumatic upbringing, with an abusive father who forced Hannah into an illegal marriage. When he killed their mother, Hannah and Judith sought refuge with Hannah’s previous husband, a man called Sam. With Judith emotionally closed off after her mother’s death, and Hannah taking on the weight of looking after the household while her husband, Will, is away at sea.

This is an incredibly emotional read. I know I have said that before, but this takes it to an extreme. Hannah’s intense fear over Will’s life is heartbreaking, and her joy every time she sees him walking down the road towards her is enough to make you hope he will never leave again. Unfortunately, it is his job, and Hannah’s joy is quickly quashed every time Will must walk away from her again.

Judith’s love story is one of equal heartbreak. I must admit, I did not know of how the English government ordered all the Italians in the country to be rounded up, in case they posed a threat to the country, and it was chilling to read about the conditions they were forced to live in, many of the men who had lived in England their whole lives and had done nothing wrong. Judith’s love is Italian, and he is shipped away from her much like Will is from Hannah.

This is an incredibly gripping story, which is next to impossible to put down, and I am so incredibly glad that I have read this book. You have to read it!

*I received a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[D.K. Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is proof that you can take the simple relationship of two young women, two sisters, and turn a spotlight on them in the midst of the incredible chaos around them, and the result? Simply great story-telling.
This family living together at the Laurels, a modest home in Liverpool, during WWII is simple and stunning in the way you are a fly-on-the-wall into their lives. Every conversation is filled with emotion, despair, survival, disappointment, fear, and ultimately, love. I was particularly moved by the next door neighbor who at one point loses his cat, and his grief morphs into other losses in his life. I can relate to this in so many ways and I think anyone else who reads this will get the sense of why characters like this are vital in books. A character on the fringes of these two sisters lives, but so very necessary.
This book also deals with the racial cruelties during the war, and not just those thrust upon the Jewish community by the Germans. I was quite taken back in reading of the treatment of British citizens of Italian descent when Mussolini joined Hitler in the fight. And then I was thrilled with the sudden journey to Australia, a land which must have felt like a peaceful haven while the rest of the world was on fire, even for those prisoners who were sent there.
I definitely hope there is another book to come along. I want to know more about these two sisters and where life take them after the war.
I give this book five-stars and I received this book through Netgalley.

[Lost in a book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything has something that goes together hand in hand. Romance has heartbreak, joy has sadness, life has death. This book has everything.

Hannah and Will Kidd are a young couple so drastically affected by the war. Will’s job requires him to spend most of his life at sea, and Hannah can do nothing but clean the house and hope that he returns in one piece, or even, that he returns at all.

Judith, Hannah’s sister, might act tough, having distanced herself from Hannah after the death of their mother by their father’s hands, but she longs for the feeling of love. She finds that with Paolo, an Italian who once served on the same ship as Will. But, when the British start rounding up all Italians, on the basis that they may be fascists, Paolo is ripped away from Judith.

Judith and Hannah are very much in the same boat (no pun intended). Both have had their loved one taken away from them, and, although Will leaves by choice, neither can help but feel such an intense feeling of loss with their beloveds so far away.

I adored this novel because it does not gloss over the horrors of the war. Not everyone gets a happy ending, and some chapters will leave you reeling. I honestly could not put this book down, and I read it in a day.

This is an absolutely brilliant book, and I cannot wait to look into some other books by this author.

* I received a copy of this novel from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.

[Monica Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clare Flynn has done it again! An excellent historical novel and a gripping read.

Hannah and Judith are sisters who are living in a house in Liverpool with Nance (an older woman and a terrible flirt) and Sam (who is gay but due to the times, deep in the closet). Their lives go along pretty well, and Hannah is married to the lovely Will, who is in the merchant marines. Will brings home Paolo one day and Judith is instantly smitten.

However, war is declared and the couples find themselves separated as a result. There are some very dramatic passages in this book about bombings in Liverpool and torpedoes at sea, and the rounding up of "enemy aliens" in Britain made me want to cry with the unfairness of it all. The author does a fantastic job of bringing this time in history to life though and I found myself completely swept up in it.

The only niggle I had was the word Straya being in Italics throughout. As an Australian myself, I can picture Clancy saying this (and the idioms and words used were spot on) but that bit was a little annoying. People THINK we are all saying Australia like that because of our accents, but I don't know about others but I tend to just say the whole word or sometimes just Oz. We are good at shortening so many words! lol

Anyway, great read and I think, and hope, there might be another instalment of the story of Hannah and Judith.

5 stars from me.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping and dramatic historical novel which had me hooked from start to finish. Set in Liverpool during1940 and two sisters, Hannah and Judith are being torn apart by the pressures of war. Newly wed Hannah’s husband Will is deployed on a dangerous Atlantic convoy mission as a merchant seaman, whilst Judith’s Italian sweetheart has been imprisoned as an enemy alien. The sisters really need each other but still traumatised after their mothers murder at the hands of their father, the sisters loyalties are torn. Each one has an impossible decision to make as they both want to be with the man they love.
This was an emotional rollercoaster of a read and a real page turner. The storyline was exciting and the setting whether a heavily blitzed Liverpool, the terrors of the North Atlantic, or the scorched plains of Australia, were all brought vividly to life, by the authors descriptive narrative and added historical details. This made the novel very realistic and I felt immersed in the story. The sisters were both likeable and relatable and I felt engaged with them and could feel how torn they were. I recommend this wartime novel, but advise having a box of tissues handy.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story of war,love, hate betrayal that Clare Flynn is so very famous for writing about. This story you so feel all the different emotions of two sisters and their family and what happens to them during a horrible war. The two sisters have their lives and loves,and you see what happens to both of them and how it tears apart and tries to heal.I have read all of Claire Flynns stories and she is one of my very favorite but with this book it is written with so much emotions that you feel it come across to you in this fantastic story!The characters they come alive for you as if you know then all and the research that's out into this story becomes so very real just like the characters.. Grab some tissues you will so need them! Miss Claire she really got this story right it will stay with you for a long time!

[Elizabeth Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters at War Love, Loss, and a wartime voyage across the seas


The story takes place commencing in Liverpool in 1940 during WW2, and what two sisters go through with their immediate family, friends, and partners. The detail given about the horror of the bombing by the Luftwaffe of Liverpool is hard to believe. The Liverpudlians went through horrendous difficulties during the war, the bombing on the city, many lost their families and homes. Through the loss of their family Hannah the elder sister felt responsible for her younger sister Judith. Through the horrible war, the love and loss is heartbreaking. The descriptions of the ships being torpedoed by the u boats is frightening. This story takes you from Europe, across the Atlantic, and south to Australia during WW2. A very endearing and exciting story. I give this book 5 stars.

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a wonderful Story

Well researched and well written are ear Mark's of Clare Flynns Novels. Set in Liverpool UK and slightly before WWII at the start. Then war is declared and the two Sisters find they must each sacrifice parts of themselves to struggle with mixed emotions of love and loss. One sister is more mature and discovers she must stop enabling her younger sister to allow both of the women to grow. Life and death become real issues for both in different ways, cope in different ways to meet life's challenges. I always want Clairs Characters to continue in another book. I bet you will as well !

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great World War2 family saga showing the courage of the Liverpool communities during the continued nightly bombardment from the German bombers. Will and Hannah are married at last but they spend little time together as Will is a merchant seaman, he must also face the wrath of the enemy. Hannah wishes he would get a job on land and be with her every night but he loves the sea and feels that he is doing his bit for the war effort. The story is well written and the descriptions bring the book to life

[Pnina Savery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely well-written novel set in World War Two. I hadn't read the previous books in the series, which made the beginning a little bit hard to follow. However, I quickly picked up on the storyline and thoroughly enjoyed the novel. I found it shocking to read about the treatment by the British government of the "enemy aliens" resident in Britain (Jewish and Italian refugees). Overall an enjoyable, interesting and enlightening historical novel. I highly recommend it.

[I💚Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series, however, I felt the third book left too many questions unanswered and that for me was a huge disappointment. Why after only a year together and all that they went through did Will have to go, or did he somehow survive, did Hannah ever find her Aunt, did she go onto find happiness. Am I the only one to feel this disappointment. This book seemed to be all about Hannah making everyone else happy and it actually left me feeling incredibly sad.