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    The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
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    The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
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    The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

    Written by Jennifer Ryan

    Narrated by Gabrielle Glaister, Imogen Wilde, Laura Kirman and

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    ‘The writing glows with emotional intelligence. This atmospheric debut…had me sniffing copiously’ Daily Mail

    IN WARTIME, SURVIVAL IS AS MUCH ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AS IT IS ABOUT COURAGE…

    Kent, 1940. In the idyllic village of Chilbury change is afoot. Hearts are breaking as sons and husbands leave to fight, and when the Vicar decides to close the choir until the men return, all seems lost.

    But coming together in song is just what the women of Chilbury need in these dark hours, and they are ready to sing. With a little fighting spirit and the arrival of a new musical resident, the charismatic Miss Primrose Trent, the choir is reborn.

    Some see the choir as a chance to forget their troubles, others the chance to shine. Though for one villager, the choir is the perfect cover to destroy Chilbury’s new-found harmony…

    An uplifting and heart-warming novel perfect for fans of Helen Simonson’s The Summer before the War and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 23, 2017
    ISBN9780008163747
    Unavailable
    The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir
    Author

    Jennifer Ryan

    Jennifer Ryan is originally from Kent and now lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and two children. She was previously a nonfiction book editor.

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    Reviews for The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

    4/5

    543 ratings136 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A pleasant offering on a perennially popular topic- the home front in WWII England. Stilted and awkward at times but it’s nonetheless a good intro to the Homefront topic, might be good for a newer book group.
    • 4/5
      As I read this book, I had mixed feelings. At first it seemed to me to be too much "Downton Abbey" for a preworld war II story. By the end, though, I appreciated the bucolic start since it provided a contrast between innocent small village life and the effects that war had on its residents. As in "The Guernsey Literary....... Society" the use of letters and diary entries was very effective in telling different facets of the same stories. Only once did an entry in the 13 year old girl's diary seem to be written in a different, and far more mature, voice. Other than that, Ryan did an excellent job in maintaining consistency in style among the different writers. I will be recommending this book to my friends and family.
    • 4/5
      It’s spring 1940. With the men off to war (before it was yet World War II), the vicar decides the church choir is history. The women of the village of Chilbury decide they need to continue singing – that is one thing the government can’t ration. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir is thereby formed and they start rehearsals. Their story is told in the form of letters and diary entries from several of the women – including a precocious thirteen-year-old with a beautiful voice. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir was hard to get into, not because of the story itself, but because of its awkward form: letters and diary entries. I kept saying to myself, “no way are these realistic letters or diary jottings.” The author would have been better off telling the story as a straight first-person narrative with multiple narrators … it would have been more “honest.” Also, one of the plot threads centered on a local midwife, Edwina Paltry (who is not in the choir), was so unbelievable that it cast a cloud over the rest of the stories, in my opinion. Overlooking those criticisms, I still enjoyed The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. Although I’ve read many books about the home front during World War II, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir drove home how scary it was for the British people -- who didn’t know the outcome of the war as we do today. Being overrun by Nazi soldiers was all too realistic a threat and one that was constantly present. The characters were wonderfully imperfect and all of them made tremendous strides toward personal fulfillment in the five months covered by this book. The writing was lovely and the one bad guy got his just desserts. I don’t know if this book is to be a stand-alone or whether others will follow. I would certainly read others.Review based on publisher-provided advance reader’s edition of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, which is absolutely one of the best membership perks of any group I have ever been a member of.After trudging through The Goldfinch I was ready to read something lighter and more uplifting. With lines such as "cold and wet as a slap round the face with a fresh caught cod " I thought the book was going to be light and funny. I was pleasantly surprised that while there were many really funny lines the book the book covered a gamut of emotions.Through the letters and diaries of some of the women in the village of Chilbury this story, which takes place at the beginning of World War II, covered secrets, romance, birth, death, cowardly acts, heroic acts, likable characters and unlikeable characters. It also showed the strength and resiliency of people who live in hard and troubling times.Highly recommend
    • 4/5
      For fans of novels set during World War II, this novel is a treat. The story revolves around the women on the home front in Chilbury, a small village outside of Kent, England. The men have gone to war, leaving only the women behind to keep the church choir going. The choir serves as the glue that connects the characters of this novel, who range in age from teens to senior citizens. The story is structured as a collection of journal entries and letters. I found this somewhat jarring at first, as a chapter starts out as a letter but then segues into typical storytelling - people generally didn't write dialog in their letters. Similarly, the journal entries weren't true journal entries. But once I got used to it, it didn't bother me so much.This story has a bit of everything: a mystery, secrets, romance, drama, sadness, happiness. One of the major plot points I found somewhat disturbing (as in, would this really happen, and why doesn't it get resolved in the right way?), but each of the characters grows throughout the story, leading to a satisfying ending.I thoroughly enjoyed this story!
    • 5/5
      Good read. This wasn't what I expected, in a good way. The narration with various accents added to my enjoyment of the book. Funny in parts but horribly sad in others. I loved all the characters and while some might find the ending a little too perfect, I enjoy a happy ending.
    • 5/5
      I received this book for free through Bookstr’s (formerly The Reading Room) giveaways.I really liked this book. It is told entirely in letters and journal entries which I absolutely love. Plus it even has a map of the town which was super helpful to have.I loved how the book showcased the women and how their lives were impacted by the war. It told such a range of stories, from the good times to the really bad times, without ever losing its optimism.Overall, it was a book with a lot of heart.
    • 2/5
      Ryan sets in motion a handful of vivid character types in a village in Kent over the summer of 1940. Types though they are, their individuality and quirky virtues are endearing; the reader cares what happens to them. One aspect of this novel sneaks up on the reader and gives dismay: the perfect political correctness, with a perfect arrangement of politically correct elements. Evidently Crown Publishers expected certain things, and Crown Publishers got them: Vicar bad; academic woman good; upper-class Military Officers bad; middle-class Officer good; illegality of abortion extensively designated the only thing bad about abortion and the only reason to decline it; invading Germans not once called "the Germans" or "Jerry" because why exactly? Everyone knew they were Nazis, everyone called them Nazis, but they also called them these other things, obviously. Why this false and tinny-sounding rigor? The reader feels manipulated.
    • 4/5
      A stunningly beautiful work of historical fiction by Jennifer Ryan. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir tells the story of five women, through letters and journals, of their struggles during World War II.
    • 3/5
      I was expecting more from this book, but it turned out to be conventional women's fiction with gossip, jealousy and unwanted pregnancy set during WWII. Since the story was told in the form of letters and journal entries, it was a little disjointed. Also, this stylistic convention wasn't convincingly done. I don't think people usually include full conversations in their correspondence and journals. I didn't hate it, but it was a very slight story.I received a free copy of the ebook from the publisher, but I wound up borrowing and listening to the audiobook from the library.
    • 4/5
      The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is like a cozy mystery without the mystery - sunny and not overly taxing. Set in 1940, in a small village in Kent, England, it is an epistolary novel told by various villagers, mostly women, as they face the early days of WWII without their husbands, sons, and boyfriends. After the vicar cancels the choir until the men come home, the women join forces to keep singing. They also write in their journals and send letters to friends and family. And it is in these writings that the story of their loves, fears, crimes, and various adventures are told. Having full dialog within the letters was a little odd and some of the letters by the younger writers could have been shorter but really, overall, this was a quick, enjoyable read. I cared about the characters (some certainly more than others) and wanted to know what happens next which is always a good sign.
    • 5/5
      Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the opportunity to read this book in advance.This was such a fun read, it was genuinely difficult to put it down and take a break from it. The characters were lovely, if flawed. They weren't the most three-dimensional characters I've ever had the pleasure to read about and know, but this book is so effortlessly readable that it didn't really matter to me.I often felt like I was watching an extended episode of Dad's Army; it just gave me that same sort of fuzzy, cosy feeling about a small, close-knit English village during wartime.I internally giggled more than once and I teared up, as is almost required for any novel set during a war, especially World War II. But this novel had such an uplifting feel to it, like there was hope at every corner, even amongst death and destruction, which was pleasant and heartwarming to read about when it feels like there's often no hope in reality.I don't know if the author has been planning one at all, but I'd absolutely adore a sequel to this book.
    • 4/5
      The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir opens in the English village of Chilbury, at a graveside service for a young WWII soldier. The choir struggles through the songs, due to the town vicar’s belief that the Chilbury choir should be closed down. The men are off at war, and the choir can’t survive with only women…can it? Things change when Primrose Trent, a music professor, forms a controversial ladies choir. A myriad of women, some reluctant at first, are soon brought together to sing more beautifully than before.I like how diverse the women are, and how their circumstances shape their outlook. I also like the mixture of joy, heartbreak, romance, and hardship that the women carry through wartime. But I am mostly partial to how the women are brought together through it all.The epistolary style, storytelling through letters, may not be for everyone, but my interest was piqued through this fresh fashion. Some of the characters are more believable than others, and I wish I was able to relate to some of them on a deeper level, but overall I found this a charming, uplifting, and unexpectedly witty novel.3.5 StarsCover: LikeTitle: LikePages: 528Publisher: Random HouseISBN: 978-1524751890First Lines: First funeral of the war, and our little village choir simply couldn’t sing in tune. “Holy, holy, holy” limped out as if we were a crump of warbling sparrows.I received a complimentary copy via LibraryThing.
    • 4/5
      This book starts with the About the Author and includes this bit:Many of the characters' stories in the book are based on real life, discovered through [the author's] extensive research and her grandmother's experiences.and I have to say, it made the read somehow more enjoyable.  As a book of pure fiction, I think I would still have enjoyed it, but might have felt less satisfied with the characters' stories; as a work of fiction based on read people and events, the loose ends and un-satisfactory resolutions for some of them felt authentic and more tolerable.In structure, this is an epistolary novel told from multiple POVs that come from letters and diary entries written in 1940 England, just as the war really begins to hit the home front.  I'd argue it's not a truly epistolary structure though; while I'm sure some people wrote very detailed letters and diary entires, I can't imagine very many would go so far as to write long narratives that include setting a scene and transcribing exact dialog.  It works, but those who don't care for epistolary structures might find this more tolerable.Told from 6 POVs, which sounds like a lot, but works really well, this is the story of a small village near Dover whose vicar disbands their choir because there are no men left.  The women and children in the choir find strength, comfort and an outlet for their anxiety in their choir performances - a good thing because lots of terrible things happen in the course of 1940, both war related and not.There's an obvious love story, a sneaky love story and many non-romantic mini-plots.  The ending of a few are satisfying, the ending of a few others are realistic and left open, and a few - at least 1 - left me thinking there wasn't enough information given for me to believe in their finality.  Overall though, it was a book that started slow, but efficiently pulled me in until I didn't care to put it down again.  An enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      The style of switching so many characters through letters was a little hard to sort out in the beginnings, but it soon straightened out. An interesting look at life during the war in a small village in England. Not as well developed characters as some, but still a good read.
    • 4/5
      This book started out very slowly for me, but then it picked up and I really enjoyed the remainder of the book. In Chilbury, a small town in England, it is 1940, and the men have gone off to war. The choir is in danger of being disbanded, because they are no men to sing in it. However, Prim, a choir director, convinces the vicar to allow the choir to continue as a ladies' choir.This is but a small part of the story, which is told in a series of letters and journals. The story is a sweet story of people doing their best in time of war. It also tells of love, deceit, friendships, and women taking control when necessary.A delightful book overall.
    • 5/5
      THE CHILBURY LADIES CHOIR by Jennifer RyanThis was much better than I expected! I was expecting a syrupy sweet little tale and got a sprawling story of people: interesting people, who lived and changed and grew larger with each page. It is also a story of war – how fear and loss change people and places. Of course, there are also secrets, spies, skullduggery, lies, love, friendship, betrayal, kindness, faith, redemption, and the joy of music. Music and its ability to heal wounds, cross barriers and sooth hurting souls is the component that binds all the elements of the book into a pleasing and wondrous whole.Book groups will love this book. It offers a myriad of topics for discussion as well as enough plot elements to make every reader happy.5 of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      It took my library quite a while to get this book in so I was happy to finally have a chance to read it. Maybe everyone is tired of books set during World War II but I find them fascinating. And this book, which focuses on a number of women and girls in a small village in Kent, did not disappoint.Chilbury is a small village in Kent quite close to the English Channel and thus is even nearer to the war raging on the European continent than London is. Almost all the men have enlisted so the vicar thinks that the choir will have to be discontinued. Apparently you can't have a choir that only has female singers. Then a music teacher comes to the village and suddenly the choir will be The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. Prim is passionate about music, particularly singing, and she imparts her emotion to the other women. Two of the daughters of the local bigwig, Kitty and Venetia Winthrop, both sopranos, are in the choir. Their mother, although very pregnant, also joins. Mrs. Tilling, a nurse and widow and mother of a soldier, has a lovely alto voice. Miss Edwina Paltry, the local midwife, doesn't sing very well but wants to be in on local doings for her own reasons. Mrs. Brampton-Boyd is sure the choir is going to make the village the laughing-stock of England but doesn't want to miss out. The local school teacher, Hattie, is also pregnant but takes herself along to rehearsals as she waits to hear from her husband on board a ship in the mid-Atlantic. There is actually a lot going on in this small village as we find out from the diary entries and letters of some of those listed above. The most shocking is the scheme Miss Paltry hopes to carry out in order to get a great deal of money from Brigadier Winthrop. The eldest Winthrop was a son so the succession was assured but then the submarine he was on was torpedoed and he was killed. The Brigadier wants to ensure that his wife has another son so he gets Miss Paltry to agree to switch babies if Mrs. Winthrop has another baby girl. Miss Paltry is sure she can carry this out as long as Mrs. Tilling is not around. On a day when Mrs. Tilling is away from the village for the entire day, she gets both women to take a potion that induces labour and carries out the switch. Of course, Mrs. Tilling is suspicious which causes the Brigadier to hold back paying the money. The author says she was inspired to write this story because of her own grandmother regaling her with stories about life in Kent during World War II. Sounds like she, who Jennifer called Party Grandma, had quite a few adventures including being in a choir. This is Ryan's first novel but she has another one called The Kitchen Front in print and I'm hoping I'll get to read it soon. I see my library has a few copies of it.
    • 3/5
      Cozy Engish community copes with the absence of men in England during 1940.A WWII version of [The Summer Before the War]The audiobook has the nice addition of a womens' choir singing a few of the selections in the book.
    • 5/5
      I really loved this novel. I became very fond of so many of the characters who made up the Chilbury Ladies Choir. Their story is told through journal entries or letters. The choir comes together as first all woman choir since men are all at war. This is a big scandal. According to Mrs. B they just cannot do it. But thanks to a forward thinking choir director, Parm they do. We meet young Kirry Winthrop just 14 years old and the best voice. She develops a huge crush on Henry who is interested in her older sister Venetia who is a huge flirt whos has set her sights on "Mr. Slater. Mrs. Tilling is a widow who sees her son off to war and must learn to cope and the choir does that for her. There are some great villians like the midwife Edwina switching babies and the Brigadier who is a woman hater bent on aquiring a male heir through whatever means. In fact the choir allows the women to discover that there is more inside them they they ever knew. We learn how WWll gave everyday women a voice.Just a delight to read.
    • 4/5
      Put me in mind of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. British folks making the best of WWII and imminent Nazi invasion. As an audio book, this was a pleasure -- several different voices and even some snippets of choir music here and there. It is 1940, and the fictional village of Chilbury is facing 2 tragedies: the loss of Edmund Winthrop (doesn't sound like much of a loss) but he was the only (male) heir to Chilbury Manor. His two sisters, Venetia (19) and Kitty (13) don't count, shades of the Downton Abbey dilemma, but apparently a true issue for British gentry at the time. Luckily, Mrs. Winthrop is pregnant and her domineering husband, the Brigadier is determined it shall be a boy. This spins off one plot line involving Mrs. Paltrey, an ambitious and unscrupulous midwife. Her job is to pull a switcheroo. The other tragedy is the disbanding of the Chilbury choir due to the absence of male voices. Enter newcomer Prim, a single, modern woman of a certain age, who proposes the choir continue as ladies only under her direction. As such, the choir brings joy and respite to not only its members but to the village's environs and after they compete in a local competition, they gain some renown. This plays out another plot line of the various choir members, especially Mrs. Tilling, Mrs. B, Kitty and Venetia who all have their own agendas and various escapades due to the war. Mrs. Tilling (widow) is the calm, upright voice of reason. She is a nurse and is devoted to the war effort and to the well-being of everyone in town. Her own son David is fighting in France, like the other young men from the village. Her observation that "We have prayers enough to light of the whole universe like a thousand stars breathing life into our deepest fears." is an example of the book's occasional eloquence. Mrs. B is a take-charger in the best of times, so she is on a power trip in the absence of men. Venetia is a beautiful but spoiled and manipulative young woman. She has made a bet with her slutty friend Angela (the vicar's daughter) that she can "catch" Alistair Slater, a handsome painter recently moved to town, though why he is not fighting is a source of intrigue, and meanwhile she breaks the hearts of all the other young men. Kitty just wants to be an adult and pals around with Sylvie the young Czech refugee staying with her family. Both plot lines criss-cross multiple times -- this is a small town after all and for all the folksy humor there is some of the war's horror and harsh reality too. Told in multiple genres of letters, journal, public announcements and other ways to incorporate many viewpoints, the book is sweet and fun and worthwhile. Like a Shakespeare comedy, there are weddings at the end, though tragedy is not far off. The message though a tad unrealistic is to focus on the happy things.
    • 4/5
      I simultaneously read a Kindle e-book edition and an Overdrive audiobook edition, both borrowed from my public library. Pandemic style reading. The audio was wonderful. There is often singing and music when singing and music were happening in the story. Lovely. I wish it was done for all the songs/music. The characters are wonderful and varied. Some are a real hoot. They’re all interesting and thoroughly entertaining! There were a few that really touched my heart. The story, stories really, have more depth than it first seems they will. I enjoyed all the letters and journal entries that tell the story. I enjoyed the plentiful humor and the sadder and suspenseful parts also. It’s charming and fun.The title of the book is really only a relatively small part of the plot though an important one. There was a map of the village (it would have been easier to refer to had I been reading a paper edition) and there were many pages of interesting extras at the end.I really liked it. I found it a bit of slog (I had to rush to finish it before the editions were taken off my devices) but I attribute that to my mood & circumstances and not the book.
    • 4/5
      A little campy (the only word I can come up with) but enjoyable. Some characters were engaging and true... others were hard to believe and some seemed to have their personalities turn on a dime... but it was still an enjoyable, easy to read (once you got used to the format) book.
    • 5/5
      A charming story of the women in an English village left to cope while most of the men are fighting in World War II. Through their letters (and distinct voices on the audiobook), the different personalities shine through: a widow who has sent her only son to war, a 13-year-old girl in love with a boy and with singing, a crafty older woman scheming for a nice payout that will enable her to leave town, and others. Music plays a role, too, serving as a balm for wounded spirits and a call to action. The ladies of the Chilbury Women’s Choir find strength in their voices and power in their hearts.
    • 4/5
      This is a delightful, charming novel set during WWII in a small English village where most of the men have gone off to war, leaving mainly women in the village to tend the homefires.

      The story is filled with intrigue, heartbreak and triumphs of small town living all set against a backdrop of war.

      I listened to this on audio, read by an ensemble cast of actors, and thought it added to the experience. In fact, I think I wouldn't have liked it quite as much if I had just read it myself. Since the novel is written in letters and journal entries each character comes to life with their own unique voice, especially the character of Mrs. Edwina Paltry, the town's conniving midwife. The reader is perfect for the part!

      The ending is all wrapped up in a neat little bow, and while I usually find that a little off putting and contrived, I thought it was rather perfect for this book (similar to the ending of the Help). Highly recommend to anyone looking for a fast, enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      I had a hard time putting down this book. I thought it was going to be a fluffy drama with lots of silly romances, but it was a fun and interesting story. The author did a great job of highlighting a lot of serious issues (sexism, homophobia, bullies, etc.) without getting overly serious. And, while there were some sad parts of the story, it's mostly uplifting.

      I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the format (written as letters and diary entries from each of the characters). I think that it was an interesting way of getting several sides of each story.

      It was a quick and relatively light read.
    • 4/5
      When the men and boys go off to war, who will sing in church? The vicar suggests an end to music, but the women are soon led to form their own choir, even entering choir contests and singing just as ladies—a new, intriguing, and possibly forbidden thought!Their story is told through letters and diary entries, and the various protagonists are a very mixed bunch, from silly teenager to conniving wheeler-dealer. The reader’s soon wondering who will be found out, who will find themselves, and who will find redemption from the pits they dig for themselves. But the first-person approach is oddly evocative, even when the character’s not particularly likeable. Reading how war and relationships change people; seeing the same characters through the eyes of others; and waiting for bad news to tear it all apart—its all becomes very immediate.Eventually the storylines have to be resolved; the results might not be completely convincing, but they’re satisfying, and they work. This isn’t a story of sweetly stoic simplicity, but rather a mildly gritty tale blending dark and light sides of humanity. War may have brought out the best in some, but in Chilbury it brings out best and worst and in between. And it makes for a good read.Disclosure: I got it on a deal and I enjoyed it.
    • 4/5
      I am a sucker for books like this documenting how life went on in small English villages during World War II. Told from a variety of village women’s perspectives, the story shows how the “weaker” sex managed quite well on their own. Lots of drama and strong women characters.
    • 4/5
      This story is set at the beginning of WWII on the coast of England in the small fictional town of Chilbury. Most of the men have left for the war effort and the ladies of Chilbury are saddened that the Vicar has disbanded the choir. He feels there are not enough male singers. Prim, a music professor newly moved to Chilbury thinks that the women should continue to sing in the choir and convinces the vicar. Once the women realize that there is nothing wrong with an all female choir, they begin to meet and bond. It doesn't take long before they realize that it's time for them to support each other and keep spirits up. They're not always in agreement, of course, and personalities occasionally clash, as always happens with a mixed group of people. This is how the relationships grow in this book, but it is so much more than just the choir. The story is told through a series of letters and journal entries written by Venitia and her sister Kitty, Sylvie (a Jewish evacuee), Mrs. Tilling (a nurse) and Edwina Paltry (a midwife).

      It was very interesting to see how the women in these small towns and villages in England stepped up to keep the homefires burning. There were also a number of issues that the author touched on: politics, war, child abuse, abortion, single mothers, pre-marital sex, black markets, spies, parental control over daughters, and women's rights. The relationships that developed between the women left behind as well as their strength of character was the backbone of this book. When I started reading it, I was not sure about the story and almost stopped reading it, but once I got into it I was glad I had persevered. This is not about the war or the holocaust, it is about surviving at home, during the war, in an area that was constantly at risk. A very good read. If you enjoy historical fiction, pick this one up and give it a whirl. I received a copy of this book from the First to Read Program prior to publication.
    • 4/5
      Digital audiobook performed by Gabrielle Glaster, Laura Kirman, Imogen Wilde, Adjoa Andoh, Tom Clegg, and Mike Grady.3.5*** (rounded up)Among the many novels about World War II, this one stands out for its focus on the women left behind. Set in an English village, where most of the men are off to the fight, and the women have stepped up to the task of keeping things going, Ryan gives us a rich cast of characters, some of whom are not what they seem. It begins when the vicar decides to suspend the choir; after all you can’t have a choir with no male voices. Not so fast! The women decide that they WILL sing and even enter the choir competition, bringing joy and recognition to their village. But taking charge of the choir is only a small way in which the women of Chilbury rise to the occasion. The novel is told by a series of diary entries and letters. Ryan changes narrators with each chapter, giving the reader different perspectives on what is happening in and around Chilbury. The residents experience intrigue, subterfuge, family drama, young love, criminal activity, death and fierce loyalty. I was engaged and interested from beginning to end, and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these ladies!The audiobook is narrated by a cast of talented voice artists. I’m not certain who voiced which character, but they were all marvelous, really bringing the residents of Chilbury to life. A bonus for this listener is the choral music; oh, how I loved hearing snippets of the choir’s performances. On the strength of the audio performance I’m rounding up to 4 stars.