The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman

In her Author’s Note, Lynda Cohen Loigman explains her inspiration behind the story-mainly the armory and the real life accounts of those who worked there during the war.

Having been estranged for five years, neither sisters is sure how the arrangement will work. One that entails moving from Brooklyn, New York to Springfield, Massachusetts to join Ruth-now an officer’s wife-at the armory. Left parentless and devoid of a sisterly connection, it's no wonder Millie falls into the arms of someone less than deserving.įast forward to 1942-with her husband now gone, and a young son to take care of-Millie decides to take Ruth up on her offer. Ruth’s stern nature and judgment are a constant in their relationship. Connecting with people comes easily, except where her sister is concerned. Being seen as little more than a pretty face leaves Millie feeling unintelligent. It’s not only Ruth who struggles with feelings of inadequacy. Ruth allows her own insecurities to dictate her approach with Millie. More than anything else though, it’s the unprovoked attention Millie garners from men that creates the biggest rift. As the years pass, Ruth’s resentment only grows, perpetuated by her mother’s insistence that Millie will one day marry well. Considered the uber-smart and dowdy of the two Jewish girls, Ruth spends their childhood holding other people’s appraisals of Millie's beauty against her. Through her lens, Lynda Cohen Loigman captures the dynamics that often haunt sisters-namely the resentment, jealousy and feelings of inadequacy that have the tendency to creep in when comparisons are made.įrom the moment of her little sister Millie’s arrival, Ruth is blinded by jealousy. Sibling rivalry the focus of the shot, while the war itself remains a mere blur in the background. The composition of the The Wartime Sisters is much more women’s fiction than anything else. Although marketed as WWII fiction, readers looking to satisfy their craving for a historically rich storyline should think twice.

The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman