The Liberty Scarf

A Story of Three Women, One War, and a Scarf That Binds Them Together

De: Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan

Narrado por: Ann Marie Gideon, Gary Furlong, Caroline Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld

From acclaimed authors Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan comes an evocative, three-part novel about a thread of connection during World War I--a single scarf that links three extraordinary women, each battling societal expectations, enduring the devastations of war, and striving for personal growth amidst the chaos. The Liberty Scarf is a testament to the resilience of women and the enduring power of hope and unity in the harshest of times.

In the midst of a seemingly endless war, a scarf connects three women in the cold winter of 1917 . . .

London: As an ambitious scarf maker, Iris Braxton spends her days surrounded by color and luxury not often seen during the dark days of war that were promised to be over by Christmas. That promise has come and gone for three years with still no end in sight, and her days continue in a monotony of rations and threads while she spins a dream of becoming Liberty's first female pattern designer. She hasn't the time or interest in rakish soldiers, but the temporarily-on-leave Captain Rex Conrad is persistent--and before long his charm wins her over. But war is cruel, and, all too soon, Conrad leaves once more for the Front, but not before vowing to meet again in Strasbourg, France, the most magical of Christmas cities. Iris begins stitching small messages into each of the scarves she makes in hopes that one will find a way into Rex's hands to let him know she's thinking of him. And when she receives word that he's wounded in Strasbourg, she rushes to his side. Along the way, she passes a woman wearing one of her scarves . . .

Maine: Geneviève Tremblay, a French-Canadian immigrant, is a telephone operator living in Lewiston, Maine. Her beau is a member of a prominent family who has helped to Americanize her in a community often unfriendly to Canadians. As part of this effort, she enlists in the US Army Signal Corps to serve as a bi-lingual operator. Along the way, she meets a French officer who makes her question whether losing her identity is too heavy a price for acceptance.

Belgium: Clara Janssens, a Flemish Nurse, and Roman Allaire, an Alsatian violinist, connect in a Brussels palace-turned-hospital far beyond their routine provincial and countryside lives--and the expectations in those towns. Their love of music creates a spark between them, but the destruction of battle and the transient nature of their relationship threatens the bond they have built. Still, the appearance of a kind stranger and the unexpected gift of a treasured scarf bind them long beyond their stolen moments and offer them a future brighter than they could have even hoped.

The Liberty Scarf is more than a piece of fabric--it's a symbol of hope, resilience, and unity in the face of war, binding these three women together in an indelible bond. Experience their stories of love, sacrifice, and survival in this captivating novel from Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan.

©2024 Aimie K. Runyan (P)2024 Harper Muse

Best 2 Out of 3

The concept for the book was intriguing. I’ve read quite a few short-story anthologies and even series with multiple authors and a common theme. But this was the first multi-author book I’ve read that wove the stories together in such a way with a unified epilogue.

I enjoyed 2 of the 3 stories excessively and would’ve been delighted to read them as full length novels in their own right. The other story fell flat for me, though, and by its last few chapters I was frustrated and just wanted it to finish so I could move on to the rest of the book.

All 3 authors, however, did a beautiful job portraying different aspects of the Great War to form one multi-dimensional picture. Many books and movies focus only on the foot soldiers or pilots on the front line but there were so many other ways that brave men and women gave of themselves to serve.

The narrators all did a lovely job, even if accents weren’t exactly spot on. A narrator can make or break an audiobook and I thought each one pulled you into the story in their own way.