Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig – A Book Review

I love stories of strong women who contribute in unique ways to our world. In Band Of Sisters by Lauren Willig, we see the role of a group of Smith College alumni who gather together and play a significant role in France during WWI. This historical fiction book is both inspiring and engaging.

Plot Summary

The novel is based on the author’s extensive research into the unit and includes several actual letters written by members of the Smith College relief unit to their families back in the U.S. The main character is Kate Moran who, unlike most of the other Smith women, attended the college on a full scholarship. The book also focuses on Kate’s college best friend Emmeline, who comes from a family of wealth and strong social standing. These women were all volunteers and wanted to play a role which reached out and helped French communities that experienced the decimation left by the Germans. What this unit endured and accomplished was, simply said, remarkable.  

Book Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am not one to gravitate to historical fiction set in times of war, but I found this book to create the setting without too much gore. I loved the inclusion of actual letters and the level of research about this unit. With a large cast of characters it can be difficult to keep all their stories straight, but I did not find this to be much of a challenge with this book. I appreciated the personal changes in these women as the story progressed, especially seen through the lens of Kate’s character. What had been a group of strangers from different family backgrounds brought together for a common purpose, truly turned into a Band of Sisters who gave wholly of themselves to support one another and those around them.

Audiobook Review

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was narrated by one of my favourite performers, Julia Whelan. I appreciated her tone, articulation and pacing of this story which assisted in keeping me engaged throughout. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x speed and found this to be a comfortable listening experience. I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of the book to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked About Band of Sisters:

• The level of research and documents included in the book
• The character development
• The inspirational tone focusing on the strength and leadership role of women in times of great need.

I Recommend This Book To: