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sarahrhockey's review against another edition
4.0
Band of Sisters was an interesting read. A lot of historical fiction I've been coming across lately has been focused on WWII era, so it was nice to read something from a different period. I found this book hard to get into, but stuck it out and did enjoy it.
In the beginning a lot of characters were introduced and I was a little overwhelmed by trying to keep track of who was who. I went back and listened to the beginning again and when it became apparent Kate and Emmi were the main characters I stopped stressing about remembering details about each of the characters. That being said, it felt like there were too many characters, but after listening to the author's notes in the end, it makes sense. She talks about how in her research she learned there were 18 Smith girls in the group, but she reduced it to 15, though it still felt like a lot. I would have loved a little more focus on just a few and more character growth and stronger bonds. For a book about a sisterhood, I just didn't quite feel that.
I did really appreciate the amount of research the author did and the historic accuracy. The content is unique, intriguing, and worth the read.
In the beginning a lot of characters were introduced and I was a little overwhelmed by trying to keep track of who was who. I went back and listened to the beginning again and when it became apparent Kate and Emmi were the main characters I stopped stressing about remembering details about each of the characters. That being said, it felt like there were too many characters, but after listening to the author's notes in the end, it makes sense. She talks about how in her research she learned there were 18 Smith girls in the group, but she reduced it to 15, though it still felt like a lot. I would have loved a little more focus on just a few and more character growth and stronger bonds. For a book about a sisterhood, I just didn't quite feel that.
I did really appreciate the amount of research the author did and the historic accuracy. The content is unique, intriguing, and worth the read.
sage5357's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible. 5 stars. A stunning, sweeping tale of bravery, sisterhood, grit, and determination. I really really enjoyed this book. My eyes are burning from so much eReading (read this as a DRC, thanks for the Edelweiss approval WM!!) and I’m going to take a break from ebooks after this, but it was SO worth it.
I couldn’t stop thinking about this book, and I wanted to stay up and read it all last night (passed out around 11pm tho). This is an extraordinary story, based on the real life Smith College Relief Unit who headed to France during WWI to help with the war/relief + rebuilding efforts.
Parts of the book irrationally annoyed me (Maud can CHOKE, and also didn’t love Kate + Emmie’s continued misunderstandings) but I really loved the end, and all of the storylines tied together so nicely.
This book made me want to learn more about these amazing, incredible, real-life Smithies! I loved Kate and Emmie’s evolving relationship, and the dynamics between Kate and Julia (hell yeah for badass doctor Julia
I couldn’t stop thinking about this book, and I wanted to stay up and read it all last night (passed out around 11pm tho). This is an extraordinary story, based on the real life Smith College Relief Unit who headed to France during WWI to help with the war/relief + rebuilding efforts.
Parts of the book irrationally annoyed me (Maud can CHOKE, and also didn’t love Kate + Emmie’s continued misunderstandings) but I really loved the end, and all of the storylines tied together so nicely.
This book made me want to learn more about these amazing, incredible, real-life Smithies! I loved Kate and Emmie’s evolving relationship, and the dynamics between Kate and Julia (hell yeah for badass doctor Julia
indigoswirl's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book to be completely "un-put-downable". Well written, good characters, a topic I knew little about so it was educational, and very cool and interesting letters from the women who made up the real Smith College Relief Unit. Excellent historical fiction that I strongly recommend.
emthomas26's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly this was so much more well realized than I expected it to be and I ended up tearing up over my brunch, reading about the retreat.
greenldydragon's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
speedreadstagram's review against another edition
3.0
A group of scholarship women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I.
Kate is a scholarship girl from Brooklyn and reluctantly agrees to go to France with the Smith College Relief Unit and her best friend Emmeline.
Four months later, Kate and seventeen other women are in France. They are armed with everything they need, but things aren’t what they imagined.
With Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith women band together and survive?
I listened to this one on audiobook after receiving the physical book in my Once Upon a Book Club advent calendar. I was really excited for this as I love WW1 and WW2 history so couldn’t wait to get started. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, but this one was purely character focused. I tend to enjoy historical fiction books that focus a little more on history and a little less on the characters. I didn’t really get to learn much from this book, and that is always a goal of mine when listening to historical fiction. I did enjoy the deep dive into the different characters, though at times it felt that there were too many. I guess while I didn’t mind this one, it just wasn’t a book that wowed me, and I felt that it was tedious to get through as it was so long. I wish that I would have cared more about this and not been so bored because it was based on a true story.
Kate is a scholarship girl from Brooklyn and reluctantly agrees to go to France with the Smith College Relief Unit and her best friend Emmeline.
Four months later, Kate and seventeen other women are in France. They are armed with everything they need, but things aren’t what they imagined.
With Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith women band together and survive?
I listened to this one on audiobook after receiving the physical book in my Once Upon a Book Club advent calendar. I was really excited for this as I love WW1 and WW2 history so couldn’t wait to get started. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, but this one was purely character focused. I tend to enjoy historical fiction books that focus a little more on history and a little less on the characters. I didn’t really get to learn much from this book, and that is always a goal of mine when listening to historical fiction. I did enjoy the deep dive into the different characters, though at times it felt that there were too many. I guess while I didn’t mind this one, it just wasn’t a book that wowed me, and I felt that it was tedious to get through as it was so long. I wish that I would have cared more about this and not been so bored because it was based on a true story.
laurenmoragn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
5.0
janetl69's review against another edition
4.0
I am more familiar with the devastation of Europe during WWII, than in WWI, but this book shows the sheer pluck (and naivety) of a group of American women who were determined to do their part and try to help civilians rebuild their lives while a war rages around them. I happen to start this book just after Russia invaded the Ukraine (02/2022) and it really puts things into perspective when thinking about what will be needed for Ukrainians to be able to return "home" and try to rebuild their lives, whenever that happens.
While this is a work of fiction, the author notes that almost all of the major events in this book really did happen to the women of Smith College and many of the letters in the book were bits of original correspondence they sent. Hindsight is always 20/20 and with us knowing now that the Armistice didn't happen until November of 1918, it really wasn't the smartest thing for these women to go over to France in 1917 to try to help villages rebuild, but here we are 100+ years later and I commend them for putting their lives into the hands of Fate to help others that were in a far worse place.
There are so many unsung heroes during war times and I'm glad that a light has been shone on this group of women and it does remind me a bit of the phrase "I admire your courage, but question your sanity".
While this is a work of fiction, the author notes that almost all of the major events in this book really did happen to the women of Smith College and many of the letters in the book were bits of original correspondence they sent. Hindsight is always 20/20 and with us knowing now that the Armistice didn't happen until November of 1918, it really wasn't the smartest thing for these women to go over to France in 1917 to try to help villages rebuild, but here we are 100+ years later and I commend them for putting their lives into the hands of Fate to help others that were in a far worse place.
There are so many unsung heroes during war times and I'm glad that a light has been shone on this group of women and it does remind me a bit of the phrase "I admire your courage, but question your sanity".