The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

The Call of the Wrens introduces the little-known story of the daring women who rode through war-torn Europe carrying secrets on their shoulders.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

November 2022; Harper Muse; 9781400233915
audio (10h 17m), ebook, print; historical fiction

Occasionally, I will search through Netgalley to see if an author I haven't read in a while has a new book (or perhaps missed). I remembered enjoying Ace, Marvel, Spy, and even though that came out just a few months ago, I still wanted to check to see if there was anything new. 

I didn't find any new books, but I did see an older book by Walsh that was still available as an audiobook. I was in between audiobooks, which I took as a sign that I should listen to it. And I'm glad that I did.

I love WWII fiction. I actually stopped reading for a while, though, because every book I picked up felt too similar - like authors were just recycling the same story. Then, a few years ago, I dipped my toe back in and was pleasantly surprised to find books delving into events and people that I had never read before. 

That's the case with The Call of the Wrens. I've read books where the Women's Royal Navy is mentioned, I can't remember reading a book focused on the WRNs, and I definitely had not read anything about motorcycle dispatchers. I found it very interesting.

This is sort of a dual timeline novel as we get alternating chapters between Marion and Evelyn. Marion served as in the WRN in the Great War (WWI) and Evelyn is serving in the WRN in WWII. The two storylines converge as Marion rejoins the WRNS during WWII.

Even though we get the character (Marion or Evelyn) and the year at the start of the chapters, I was still a little confused as I didn't realize that Marion was serving during WWI in the earlier chapters. But once I did, things made much more sense, and I didn't feel confused anymore. The narrator, Fiona Hardingham, had distinct voices for each of the characters, so I had no problems telling the characters apart.

I didn't really connect with the characters, and while there are a lot of historical elements to the story, it is a character-driven story, and it is really about the relationships of the characters. I didn't enjoy it as much as Ace, Marvel, Spy, but it is still a good book. If you are a fan of WWII fiction and missed this book, it is worth picking up.

Buy The Call of the Wrens at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.