 The Call of the Wrens
WRITTEN BY JENNI L. WALSH REVIEW BY TRISH MACENULTY From its intriguing cover to the author’s note at the end, this book will captivate readers. Alternating between the story of Marion, a “Wren” in the Great War, and Evelyn, who serves in World War II, the story delves into the important and often overlooked history of the British women who risked their lives to serve their country. Marion is an unwanted orphan, who refuses to speak to anyone until she finds acceptance and love with Eddie, an orphan like herself. When she ages out of the orphanage, she has only one option: join the Women’s Royal Naval Service. But Eddie isn’t about to let her go without him, so he joins the Navy and makes sure they are always in close proximity. When tragedy befalls them, Marion becomes a bitter recluse until an old friend convinces her to come back to the Wrens, just in time to become a mentor to Evelyn, a young woman who has overcome a physical disability and familial disapproval to become a motorcycle messenger for the resurrected service. The characters (including a brave pigeon) are sympathetic and believable, the plot has plenty of surprises, and the history of these heroic women is fascinating. I read this book on the beach and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but it would be also be an ideal read in a cozy chair with a cup of tea in front of the fireplace. Review appeared in HNR Issue 102 (November 2022) and can be found online at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-call-of-the-wrens/  “In The Call of the Wrens, Jenni L. Walsh shines light on courageous women whose feats during two world wars remain relatively unknown…I’d recommend this book to history buffs and fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. Walsh really captures the intensity of war, transporting the reader back in time and driving home the anxiety and uncertainty of the era, but also the fortitude and sacrifice of the men and women who dared to join the fight.”
In The Call of the Wrens, Jenni L. Walsh shines light on courageous women whose feats during two world wars remain relatively unknown. While the story’s protagonists are fictional, the ladies who served in Women’s Royal Naval Service – or Wrens – were not. They were brave and selfless women who risked everything when their country asked. The novel follows Marion, an orphan aged out of state-sponsored care, through World War I as she joins the Wrens and then finds herself on the outskirts of the war, training and delivering carrier pigeons by motorbike as she moves ever closer to the battlefront. Likewise, we are introduced to Evelyn, well off in society but who shuns a life of finishing school and serving a husband. Against her parents’ wishes, she runs off to join the sisterhood during World War II and becomes a dispatch rider. Both women show remarkable courage and resolve, their stories slowly weaving together in alternating timelines until at last they converge. The Call of the Wrens features some of my favorite tropes of found family, underappreciated history, and slow burn romances. Most of all, it features strong women coming into their own. Walsh’s novel builds slowly at first, but the pace quickly kicks up as Marion and Evelyn become aware of their own strengths and motivations as they find themselves drawn closer to the action of the war. I’d recommend this book to history buffs and fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. Walsh really captures the intensity of war, transporting the reader back in time and driving home the anxiety and uncertainty of the era, but also the fortitude and sacrifice of the men and women who dared to join the fight. Reviewed By: Sara Kruszka Review posted on Nashville Book Review on November 2, 2022 at https://nashvillebookreview.com/product/the-call-of-the-wrens/  Issue: October 1, 2022
The Call of the Wrens. By Jenni L. Walsh Nov. 2022. 400p. Harper Muse, paper, $17.99 (9781400233885) Walsh (Side by Side, 2018) follows two English women, Marion and Evelyn, showing how they became involved with the Women’s Royal Naval Service, more commonly known as the Wrens. The reader is introduced to Marion at the start of WWII, when her friend Sara comes to meet with her and persuade her to rejoin the Wrens for the coming war, continuing the work she had done in WWI. Her history gradually unfolds over the course of the book, taking several twists and turns until her connection with Evelyn is finally revealed. Evelyn has been protected and coddled her entire life owing to a physical disability and her posh upbringing. She finds ways to act out and be rebellious, but it isn’t until Churchill declares war that Evelyn finds a way to slip out of her mother’s grasp by joining the Wrens. This well-written, straightforward book will be of interest to readers curious about the types of work available to English women who wanted to aid in war efforts during both world wars. — Rebecca Gerber “Walsh (Becoming Bonnie) offers an enticing story of two Englishwomen serving their country during both world wars…Walsh expertly contrasts the lives of orphaned Marion with privileged Evelyn to expose their common desire to show their value outside societal labels. Historical fiction fans will be riveted.”  Walsh (Becoming Bonnie) offers an enticing story of two Englishwomen serving their country during both world wars. In 1917, Marion Hoxton ages out of the orphanage she was raised in and joins the Women’s Royal Naval Service (the “Wrens”), while her best friend Eddie Smith joins the Royal Navy. As they each make their way toward the front lines in France, their friendship develops into romance. Meanwhile, Marion works as a dispatch rider and helps her new friend Sara train carrier pigeons to send and retrieve messages. In a parallel narrative set in 1940, well-to-do Evelyn Fairchild joins the Wrens, desperate to prove she’s overcome a childhood disability impacting one of her legs by serving as a motorcycle driver. Evelyn and Marion’s paths cross when Marion returns to be a leader in the new Wrens, her romance with Eddie having turned out not as they’d hoped. Marion also harbors a secret about Evelyn’s true parentage, as Evelyn’s parents failed to disclose she was adopted. Walsh expertly contrasts the lives of orphaned Marion with privileged Evelyn to expose their common desire to show their value outside societal labels. Historical fiction fans will be riveted. Agent: Shannon Hassan, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Nov.)
First reviewed on Publishers Weekly on August 22, 2022: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781400233885 Thank you to BookBub for including The Call of the Wrens on this great list of "15 Must-Read Historical Mysteries Coming Out this Year"!  See the full list posted on BookBub on August 18, 2022: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/historical-mysteries-2022
Exciting news! My publisher is giving away 25 copies of The Call of the Wrens on Goodreads. Click below to enter!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Call of the Wrensby Jenni L. WalshGiveaway ends August 22, 2022. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.  The Call of the Wrens is releasing November 15, 2022 and as a special thank you for those who preorder a copy early, I'll be be giving away special gifts as a token of my appreciation.
Here's how it works: Preorder The Call of the Wrens in paperback, eBook, or audiobook online or from your favorite bookstore to receive an autographed bookplate (for the first 50 preorders!) and for your chance to win! Each month, I'll reveal new gift(s). One lucky winner will be awarded the prizes at the end of each entry period. If you don't win, your entry will automatically be rolled forward to the next month and next drawing. The preorder giveaway will be running from August 14th through November 14th and I hope you'll join in on the fun! Click the link below to enter AND to see the gifts I'm so excited to give away! Thank you to She Reads for including The Call of the Wrens on this great list of "Best Historical Fiction Coming in Fall 2022"!  See the full She Reads list posted on August 4, 2022: https://shereads.com/best-historical-fiction-coming-in-fall-2022/
Thank you to Thoughts from a Page for including The Call of the Wrens on this list of "Most Anticipated Historical Fiction for July through December of 2o22"!  See the full list posted by Thoughts from a Page: https://www.thoughtsfromapage.com/blog/most-anticipated-historical-fiction-for-july-through-december-of-2022/
All entries are collected via Rafflecopter. Contest runs 3/26 - 3/31/22. Not affiliated with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any third party. 18+. US only. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Winner selected via Rafflecopter. Winner will never be asked for credit card information.
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