The Liberty Scarf is a collection of three WWI novellas loosely connected by a Liberty Scarf.

The Liberty Scarf by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1917), WWI, France

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My Summary of The Liberty Scarf:

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for The Liberty Scarf. Thanks #NetGalley @HarperMuseBooks @AustenProse for a complimentary e ARC of #TheLibertyScarf upon my request. All opinions are my own.

A scarf loosely connects three women during WWI. Iris is a painter at the Liberty Scarf Company. She dreams of the day she can submit her own designs and become the first female pattern designer; Genevieve is a phone operator; and Claire is a war nurse. The story tells each young woman’s war experiences and romances individually in a collection of three novellas and a satisfying epilogue.

My Thoughts:

“Hope is the things with feathers.”

Uniquely Structured

Although the book has one straightforward timeline, it is divided into three novellas. Each young woman receives her own story which gives us three perspectives on the war. An epilogue ties them together and gives us a glimpse of their happy futures.

My ARC didn’t include author notes, so I cannot determine which author wrote a particular novella. Each novella has a noticeably different tone and style representative of the three authors. While they are all good, my favorite is the first one…Iris’s story. I loved her spirit, determination, and creativity. Her story is nicely paced and has a liveliness and personality that sets it apart from the other two.

Because the story is structured in novellas, it is like starting over at each one. Nothing connects them except for brief appearances of the Liberty scarf. It takes a bit to get into each young woman’s story as we must become acquainted with a new set of characters and circumstances. Within a few pages, we are once again fully immersed. If you’ve read Ribbons of Scarlet (with six authors), the structure is somewhat similar.

Scarf Symbolism

When Iris gets her chance to design, she also sews a message into each scarf: “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Women love her colorful and uniquely designed scarves and the message of hope! In the stories, the scarf represents hope for the war’s end and a better future, gestures of friendship and support, and beauty amid destruction and despair.

Romance

Each woman has a romantic interest. Iris meets a captain; Genevieve meets a French winemaker; and Claire meets a concert violinist. In the epilogue we find out if each couple survives the war.

Content Consideration: war trauma, medical content

Recommending The Liberty Scarf

I enthusiastically recommend The Liberty Scarf for readers who appreciate reading about WWI (a nice change of page from WWII) and strong, independent, and inspiring women.

Related: I have reviewed Aimie K. Runyan’s A Bakery in Paris and The Memory of Lavender and Sage. (I haven’t read the other two authors)

My Rating:  4  Stars

Meet the Authors of The Liberty Scarf, Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan

Aimie K. Runyan writes to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She has been honored as a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice selection, as a three-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards, and as a nominee for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year. Aimie is active as an educator and speaker in the writing community and beyond. Her next books, The Castle Keepers (in collaboration with J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan) and A Bakery in Paris will release in 2023 from Harper Collins. Also from Harper Collins, Aimie’s contemporary Women’s Fiction debut, The Memory of Lavender and Sage, will release in early 2024. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable kitties, and a dragon. To learn more about Aimie, please visit http://www.aimiekrunyan.com.

All her life, J’nell Ciesielski has surrounded herself with books and awesome stories, particularly ones set in a time long gone by. Her passion has always been history, and its secrets open up a world of possibilities. Throw in a melting romance that ends happily ever after and she’s hooked.

Rachel McMillan is the author of The Herringford and Watts mysteries, The Van Buren and DeLuca mysteries, The Three Quarter Time series, The London Restoration and The Mozart Code. Her non-fiction works including Dream Plan Go: A Travel Guide for Independent Adventure and A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide. Rachel lives in Toronto, Canada and is always reading.

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QOTD:

Is this novel of WWI on your TBR or have you read it?

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