Band of Sisters

December 1, 2020
Willig's (The Summer Country, 2019) latest historical yarn opens in 1917 as a group of women who have come together to form the Smith College Relief Unit set sail for France, where they'll offer aid to locals near the front lines of the fighting in World War I. Three women are spotlighted among the large cast of characters: determined Kate Moran, who attended Smith on a scholarship and was befriended by wealthy Emmie Van Alden, the kindhearted daughter of a suffragette. It was Emmie who convinced Kate to join the relief unit. Rounding out the trio is the chilly Dr. Julia Pruyen, Emmie's cousin whom Kate has hated ever since she heard Julia refer to her as Emmie's ""charity case."" As they get set up in the small village of Grecourt and start to provide assistance to the imperiled citizens, the cracks in Kate and Emmie's friendship widen and Kate is surprised to find herself sympathizing with icy Julia. Willig injects plenty of drama and danger, along with a bit of romance, into this engaging tale of brave WWI women volunteers.

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January 11, 2021
Willig (The Summer Country) draws on the Smith College Relief Unit’s experiences in France during WWI for this immersive novel. In 1917, Smith graduate Kate Moran joins fellow alumnus Emmie Van Alden to travel to France and help villagers whose lives have been upended by an earlier German occupation. The unit, composed of 17 women, resides in army barracks near an abandoned chateau in Grecourt, where they provide locals with food, medical care, and education. The villagers’ lack of bare necessities is eye-opening for the Smith women, many of whom have led privileged lives. Kate, meanwhile, remains sensitive about her humble beginnings—she gained admission to Smith through a scholarship—and becomes upset when she discovers that Emmie paid for her trip to France. (Emmie had told her they were funded by donations from Smith alumnae). As the war rages on and the German army once again advances on Grecourt, Kate and Emmie’s friendship grows stronger when they reveal their deepest insecurities to one another. Willig expertly uses historical details in her seamless, well-plotted tale. This will entice readers from the very first page. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners.