As England enters World War II and the men are away fighting, five women in Chilbury village defy the Vicar's edict to close the choir and instead "carry on singing," resurrecting themselves as the Chilbury Ladies' Choir. Jennifer Ryan's debut novel dramatizes the home-front struggles of these unforgettable choir members: a timid widow devastated when her only son goes to fight; the older daughter of a local scion drawn to a mysterious artist; her younger sister pining over an impossible crush; a conniving midwife plotting to outrun her seedy past; and a Jewish refugee from Czechoslovakia hiding a family secret. Different as they are, these ladies will nonetheless rally around each other and forge an uncommon bond.