Book Description:
When the war rewrites their dreams, the Alcott sisters discover that sisterhood is the one force strong enough to carry them through.
When World War II pulls the Alcott sisters in different directions, Joan is restless for a new start after turning down a proposal from her best friend Lawrence Whitman and watching her writing dreams crumble under constant rejection. Determined to serve her country, she joins Philadelphia’s streetcar workforce as a wartime “Rosie,” but as tensions rise on the rails during the city’s darkest days, her courage is tested in ways she never imagined.
Meanwhile, youngest sister Amelia once hoped of becoming an animator in California, but those aspirations have faded. Uncertain what to do next, she enlists in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service and finds herself in Florida, training navy gunners in a tropical outpost, far from the glamorous coast she hoped for. In this sun-soaked corner of the war effort, Amelia searches for purpose, but romance and duty prove more complicated than she anticipated. In a world remade by war, Joan and Amelia discover that purpose and love can be found in the most unexpected places.
Amy Lynn Green pens a Little Women-inspired novel set against the backdrop of World War II. This family saga is woven with themes of sisterhood, female friendship, unexpected challenges, and the resilience of women on the home front. For book clubs and readers of women’s historical fiction, Sarah Sundin, and Madeline Martin.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Home Front Sisters, a fun and fascinating WWII historical fiction novel inspired by Little Women that’s set in Pennsylvania in the early 1940’s. Joan is a writer who lives with her parents and youngest sister, Amelia, in the parsonage. Their father is a WWI veteran who signs up to serve as a navy chaplain. Peggy and Elspeth, their other sisters, have moved out of home.
Joan is gathering rejection letters for her novels while working as a housekeeper for her wealthy great aunt. Amelia is an artist in her final year of high school who aspires to undertake a career in animation.
The story spans a few years and the sisters face many challenges, including the war disrupting their lives in unexpected ways. I loved journeying with Joan and Amelia as they embraced new experiences and navigated tricky situations in a world where women had employment opportunities usually reserved for men. Their family and community struggled with a range of issues including hardship, grief and loss.
I was intrigued by the real life historical events in the story. I appreciated how Joan and Amelia were challenged in their faith by difficult circumstances. Forgiveness issues are explored. The sisters pull together to help each other during times of trial as well as celebrating Christmas and other family events.
I recommend The Home Town Sisters to historical fiction readers who like coming of age novels set during WW2 in USA with family drama, characters inspired by Little Women, grief, loss, secrets, romantic elements, unrequited love, and strong faith themes woven into the story.
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