The Military Wives: Wherever You Are – Louise’s Story

This is Louise’s story, one of four individual journeys taken from Wherever You Are by The Military Wives.

Louise Baines always said she would never marry into the military. She was working behind a bar when Charlie Baines, a submariner, introduced himself – but within a few months they had moved in together, bought a house, and tied the knot.

She knew being married to a submariner was never going to be easy, but with young children and a husband absent for months at a time, away from all forms of communication and risking his life, coping alone was harder than Louise had ever imagined.

When she heard that Gareth Malone had started a choir in Plymouth, she thought she’d go along. Surrounded by friends and singing her heart out, Louise was soon aware that this was no ordinary choir…

Through the choir, life soon became a whirlwind. Mere months later, they would have met Gareth Malone, performed for the Queen, recorded a bestselling album and achieved a Christmas number 1. But much more than this: Louise had a support network that meant she would never have to cope alone again.

This is one woman’s true story of heartbreak and hope, and of how the choir changed everything.

Sales of this book will benefit the Military Wives Choirs Foundation, a network of choirs that reaches across the military community to provide support, guidance and funding for individual choirs, but first and foremost to bring women closer together through singing. The Foundation is a registered subsidiary charity of SSAFA Forces Help.

Reviews

Praise for Wherever You Are:

‘This book is about growth and change… Entertaining and inspiring.’ Bel Mooney, Daily Mail

About the author

The Military Wives is a unique choir composed of the wives and girlfriends of military personnel deployed to Afghanistan. They were featured in Gareth Malone’s BBC Two series The Choir.

Louise Baines was one of only four navy wives in Gareth Malone’s Plymouth choir, but made lifelong friends with army and navy wives across the country. She never looked back.