Kate’s War by Linda Stewart Henley is about a 20-year-old woman (at the start of the book) in England and her experience going through WWII. Kate is a part-time music teacher at an all-girl’s school, St. Bridget’s, in London. In the first portion of the book, she learns of the Mass Observation Project that is occurring so that data can be obtained regarding how people are impacted by the war. It is one way that women felt they could contribute to the war effort. At first, Kate was hesitant and not interested in participating. She starts to tutor one of her student’s, Hannah, who loves to sing. About half-way through the book, we get confirmation that Hannah and her family are Jewish, and her mother asks Kate to watch out for Hannah if something happens to her or her husband, stating that their visa is up and they may be deported or arrested any day due to their religious status. Kate agrees to watch out for Hannah. She also develops a relationship with a young man named Barry, who is going to be deployed to Belgium, and agrees to marry him when he asks her in 1940. After this point in the story, I don’t want to delve further as there would be spoiler’s ahead. But this book was able to draw me right into the story. I have always loved WWII historical fiction, I have read a lot of it. I am definitely adding this to the recommended reading pile for my friends! You really connect with Kate and feel for her and her family. I feel that this book did a wonderful job at depicting the history and drawing the reader in. 4.5/5 stars!!

What a beautiful book! I rarely read historical fiction but it is something for our library that is very popular and what we try to keep new releases in stock but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It isn’t just a WWII novel but really a journey of our FMC Kate. It felt part coming of age and part exploration of what it was like living in London during this time. The writing was really beautiful and I was way more connected to it then I thought. I would for sure recommend especially for people who enjoy historical fiction.