Introduction

For fans of Lilac Girls, the next powerful novel from the author of Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist The Two-Family House about two sisters working in a WWII armory, each with a deep secret.

"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

"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

Two estranged sisters, raised in Brooklyn and each burdened with her own shocking secret, are reunited at the Springfield Armory in the early days of WWII. While one sister lives in relative ease on the bucolic Armory campus as an officer’s wife, the other arrives as a war widow and takes a position in the Armory factories as a “soldier of production.” Resentment festers between the two, and secrets are shattered when a mysterious figure from the past reemerges in their lives.

"One of my favorite books of the year." ?Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Dollhouse and The Masterpiece

"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 and Sold on a Monday

Editorial Review

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Excerpt

Excerpt from The Wartime Sisters

By Lynda Cohen Loigman

The first night in Springfield, Millie barely closed her eyes. In the morning, she was tired, but it wasn’t exhaustion that made her want to stay in bed: it was the thought of facing her sister. When she finally got up, the house felt too quiet—there was no shouting from the street, no doors slamming down the hall. There were no morning smells either—no neighbors frying bacon, no fish peddlers under her window, no radio blasting from the apartment next door. She wondered whether anyone raised their voice in Ruth’s house, whether her nieces ever shouted or pounded down the steps.

By the time Millie headed downstairs with Michael, Ruth and the twins were almost ready to leave. The girls were dressed identically in matching blue dresses with short puffed sleeves and red hair ribbons. Alice was shorter and stockier than Louise and insisted on pigtails instead of braids.

“Good morning,” Louise called from the bottom of the steps. Alice echoed the greeting, but Ruth had no time for niceties.

“I left a note for you on the kitchen table. There’s an extra key and directions to the child care center—it’s on the other side of State Street, at the High School of Commerce. After you drop Michael off, go to the personnel department in the administration building. That’s the main building that we walked through yesterday.”

“Today?” Millie steadied herself against the bannister and tried to slow her breathing. The day had barely begun, and her head was already pounding. “I didn’t think I’d be starting so soon. I’ve never left Michael with a stranger before.”

If Ruth noticed Millie’s dismay, she didn’t acknowledge it. “The mothers I work with say the facilities are excellent. He’ll enjoy it; you’ll see. Besides, it’s right across the street. It couldn’t be more convenient.”

“I’m sure it’s very good. Maybe tomorrow—”

“Do what you like. It’s up to you. There’s oatmeal on the stove and coffee in the percolator. Come, Alice.” Ruth opened the door and ushered the girls outside. She left Millie alone without another word.

When the latch clicked shut, Millie felt a wave of nausea pass over her. Yesterday, when she boarded the morning train from Brooklyn, her nerves had been high, but her hopes had been too—after all, Michael was finally going to meet his family. She had known there would be tension; she had assumed some discomfort. And yet, she had also believed that moving in with her sister would be the first step toward forming a new friendship between them. She was certain that after so many years away from each other, she and Ruth would find some happy memories to share. But after Ruth’s comment last night and her indifference this morning, it was obvious that she had no desire to reminisce. Loneliness had followed Millie all the way from Brooklyn and had joined her, undeterred, at her final destination.

Once Ruth was gone, Millie moved freely through the kitchen. She had been clumsy and awkward the night before, trying to help her sister prepare dinner in the unfamiliar space. But today, the spoons had lost their strangeness. The oatmeal in the pot was as cold as her sister’s parting words, but Millie heated it for Michael and poured herself a mug of the left-behind coffee.

The cup of bitter liquid gave her courage. There was no use, Millie realized, in waiting for tomorrow. She would take Michael to the child care center today. She would visit the personnel department and secure a job as quickly as possible. As she settled Michael with his breakfast, she made herself a promise: she would not allow herself to grow too attached—not to the house, to the grounds, or to any of the people. She may have settled in Springfield, but she would keep her Brooklyn wits about her.

There was no telling how soon her sister’s welcome might wear out. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. What is it about the sister relationship that makes it so ripe for story-telling?

2. Throughout their childhood, Ruth and Millie’s mother has vastly different expectations for them, especially in terms of the kind of men they will marry. Do you think she bears some of the blame for the poor relationship between her daughters? What about their father?

3. Do you think Ruth’s lies to Lenny and her sister are excusable? Do you think Millie’s secrets about Lenny and her marriage are more or less justifiable than the secrets Ruth keeps?

4. In what ways do Arietta and Lillian serve as substitute sisters for Millie? Why do you think they are so protective of her? How does the war bring these women together?

5. Ruth and Millie can’t seem to escape the roles they took on as children. Do you think family members always fall into set patterns of behavior? Can the patterns ever be broken, or are we destined to play the same roles within our family units from childhood through old age?

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