You would never think that Ruth and Millie were sisters. Ruth, three years older, was the responsible one, rather plain looking, very smart, and you could count on her to always do the right thing. But expectations were high for Ruth, and any tiny misstep met with her mother’s disapproval. Millie, on the other hand, could get away with anything. She was beautiful, outgoing. Everyone loved her. That is, everyone but Ruth. And Millie craved her sister’s love. In 1942, Ruth is living at the Springfield Armory, an officer’s wife, when Millie appears with her two-year-old son. There had been no contact for a few years and Ruth was not happy. But Millie was a war widow and needed help. So Ruth took her in, helped her get a job at the Armory assembling rifles. The book focuses on the relationships between the women in the Armory, not just Ruth and Millie, with four women telling the story. And it is a story of women from various backgrounds whose lives had been shaped by their childhoods, coming together in the war effort, trying to survive problems and uncertainties. The book is beautifully written, with strong, believable characters. The depiction of life in the Armory showed a part of the war effort that I had not known existed. I really liked it and will be watching for Lynda Loigman’s next book.

eGalley review                                                    Publication date 1.22.19