This book intrigued me because it has a couple of the things I generally perk my ears up when I hear: WWII home front account of women’s lives during the war, and a young woman trying to carve out a career for herself as a journalist. Plus it’s set in London, so bonus! I didn’t expect it to be overly challenging, but I was excited to read it as a more easygoing, fun read, subject matter aside.
It’s been a few months since I read the book so this review won’t be as detailed as it could have been if I’d gotten around to it sooner. On the plus side, I now have the benefit of lasting impressions.
This is the story of a young woman, Emmeline, who is dead set on a career as a war correspondent. But the only job she can find at a newspaper is assistant to an agony aunt called Mrs. Bird. It’s not exactly the subject matter she wanted to tackle, and to make things worse, Mrs. Bird has a constrictive set of rules governing what she considers to be “appropriate” letters to answer in print, and they rule out all the letters that Emmeline feels would actually provide help or comfort to girls and women who, while dealing with all the fear and restrictions war has placed on them, are still trying to navigate relationships and personal issues.
It’s not long before she begins replying to them in secret, reading other advice columns as research and trying her best to help in the only way she can see how. Obviously things go awry.
I don’t want to say much more about the plot because it’s best discovered on your own. Some tragic events occur, as well as some predictable drama. The strength of this book is in its characters. They’re well-drawn and develop throughout the book. They aren’t always likeable (even the ones you’re supposed to like) but you will care what happens to them. It also did a good job of describing what it would have been like to be living in London during the Blitz, and the terror that accompanied nights of bombs falling, as well as the devastating personal loss the characters experienced. If you take nothing else from this book, that atmosphere will stick with you.
Though she did a great job of creating the setting and events, I felt like I could really see the author’s research into the societal elements of the time period being shoehorned in – some of the language felt self-consciously used to match the time period rather than flowing naturally. I didn’t always believe the plot progression and felt like some things were a little too convenient or sugary. The main character’s conscious naïveté also got to me at times. But the book was enjoyable, and I think if you are an avid reader of WWII fiction, this is worth at least a try. It entertained me and had me wanting to know what was going to happen in the end!
An irresistible debut set in London during World War II about an adventurous young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist— a warm, funny, and enormously moving story for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Lilac Girls.
London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.
Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles.
Prepare to fall head over heels for Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are gutsy and spirited, even in the face of a terrible blow. The irrepressible Emmy keeps writing letters in this hilarious and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times. – Goodreads
Book Title: Dear Mrs. Bird
Author: A.J. Pearce
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Scribner
Released: July 3, 2018 (First published April 2018)
Genre: Fiction, England, WWII, Coming of Age
Pages: 288
Date Read: October 21-24, 2018
Rating: 6/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.81/5 (10,514 ratings)