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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
A really lovely, cosy read.
I enjoyed this follow up to Dear Mrs Bird and loved following Emmy’s journey into journalism. A great read.
I enjoyed this follow up to Dear Mrs Bird and loved following Emmy’s journey into journalism. A great read.
Emmy takes on new responsibilities at the newspaper and, in the process, finds out that there's more to the story of women working to support the war effort than the motivational posters. A little slow moving at times but the characters are utterly delightful in this series.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this follow-up to Dear Mrs. Bird, the story of Emmy Lake continues — although Yours Cheerfully works perfectly well as a stand-alone. Emmy is a young woman who’s just learning the journalism ropes at Woman’s Friend magazine, while also juggling her wartime volunteer work as part of the fire watch, spending time with her best friend Bunty, and squeezing in precious visits with her boyfriend Charles whenever he can get leave. It’s 1941, and the war dominates every aspect of life in London.
As the story opens, the British Ministry of Information convenes a briefing for representatives of women’s magazines, urging them to do their patriotic duty by promoting recruitment of women workers to support the war effort. For Emmy, this represents a chance to advance in her journalism career, but as she visits a munitions factory as part of her research, she learns that there’s a darker side to women’s factory work: For those with small children, childcare can be difficult to impossible to find, and women who sneak their children into the factories so they can watch them face immediate firing.
Emmy learns as well that some of these women are war widows or have husbands missing in action, so that the factory work is not only patriotic, but is essential to their families’ financial survival.
Despite the magazine needing to keep up the positive portrayal of woman’s war work, Emmy can’t help feeling that she’s letting their readers down by not advocating for more attention to the needs of the workers — especially since there are supposed to be government-funded nurseries, but only if the factory owners make the effort to make the arrangements, and apparently, many of them don’t bother.
The story of the factory workers with whom Emmy becomes friends becomes a main thread of the plot of Yours Cheerfully. Interspersed with this is Emmy’s friendship with Bunty, recovering from injury and terrible loss after events in Dear Mrs. Bird, and the story of Emmy’s romance with Charles. There are sweet romantic moments, as well as a depiction of the challenges of everyday life during war and the fragility of every moment of happiness, knowing sorrow could be just around the corner.
I enjoyed Yours Cheerfully, although it starts very slowly. My interest was slow to engage, but eventually I was drawn in by the story of the factory workers, whom we come to know as individuals, each with their own backstory, and by the ups and downs faced by Emmy and Charles as they try to juggle courtship and engagement with the realization that Charles is likely to be sent overseas at any moment.
Yours Cheerfully is a quiet book — even the moments of greater action, such as a march to promote nurseries for the munitions workers, are fairly mild affairs. The characters are all lovely, but the book doesn’t build a great sense of drama or urgency. It’s a very nice read, but I can’t say I ever felt compelled by the plot or totally engrossed.
Overall, Yours Cheerfully provides a thoughtful look at women on the homefront during war, depicting the bravery embodied in carrying on during a time of heightened tragedy and crisis, and the power of friendship and joy to see the characters through the worst of times.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
As the story opens, the British Ministry of Information convenes a briefing for representatives of women’s magazines, urging them to do their patriotic duty by promoting recruitment of women workers to support the war effort. For Emmy, this represents a chance to advance in her journalism career, but as she visits a munitions factory as part of her research, she learns that there’s a darker side to women’s factory work: For those with small children, childcare can be difficult to impossible to find, and women who sneak their children into the factories so they can watch them face immediate firing.
Emmy learns as well that some of these women are war widows or have husbands missing in action, so that the factory work is not only patriotic, but is essential to their families’ financial survival.
Despite the magazine needing to keep up the positive portrayal of woman’s war work, Emmy can’t help feeling that she’s letting their readers down by not advocating for more attention to the needs of the workers — especially since there are supposed to be government-funded nurseries, but only if the factory owners make the effort to make the arrangements, and apparently, many of them don’t bother.
The story of the factory workers with whom Emmy becomes friends becomes a main thread of the plot of Yours Cheerfully. Interspersed with this is Emmy’s friendship with Bunty, recovering from injury and terrible loss after events in Dear Mrs. Bird, and the story of Emmy’s romance with Charles. There are sweet romantic moments, as well as a depiction of the challenges of everyday life during war and the fragility of every moment of happiness, knowing sorrow could be just around the corner.
I enjoyed Yours Cheerfully, although it starts very slowly. My interest was slow to engage, but eventually I was drawn in by the story of the factory workers, whom we come to know as individuals, each with their own backstory, and by the ups and downs faced by Emmy and Charles as they try to juggle courtship and engagement with the realization that Charles is likely to be sent overseas at any moment.
Yours Cheerfully is a quiet book — even the moments of greater action, such as a march to promote nurseries for the munitions workers, are fairly mild affairs. The characters are all lovely, but the book doesn’t build a great sense of drama or urgency. It’s a very nice read, but I can’t say I ever felt compelled by the plot or totally engrossed.
Overall, Yours Cheerfully provides a thoughtful look at women on the homefront during war, depicting the bravery embodied in carrying on during a time of heightened tragedy and crisis, and the power of friendship and joy to see the characters through the worst of times.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Sweet continuation of Emmy's story with a dash of feminist history
Books set during World War Two are some of my favourite to read, as I really love the sense of camaraderie and spirit that runs through them. And you definitely get that in this book. It had such a unique spin on the genre too, as there are a lot of world war historical reads out there and this one wrote from a different angle which was refreshing to read.
I loved that this book was set from the main standpoint of journalism throughout World War Two, not only focusing on the lives of the characters and following Emmy as the main character, but also the newspapers/ magazines efforts to boost moral and use their influences to help win the war and help the ladies involved in war work and doing their bit for their country.
Women’s Friend magazine was at the centre of this story, recruited by the ministry of information (along with several other women’s based newspapers) to increase women’s signs up for war work. It was really interesting to read it from this perspective. I really enjoyed it!
It’s a book to immerse yourself in and take yourself through the story and plot with ease. The characters are are likeable, with plenty within the story to keep you entertained and listening on. The audiobook was great, made for very easy listening and was greatly and effortless narrated too - I was amazed at the narrators vast expanse of voices she gave to all the characters! everything you want in an audiobook!
Overall, I really loved this book and thought it was great!
Thanks to the author and publishers via NetGalley for this audiobook and giving me the opportunity to give my honest thoughts and review on this fab book.
I loved that this book was set from the main standpoint of journalism throughout World War Two, not only focusing on the lives of the characters and following Emmy as the main character, but also the newspapers/ magazines efforts to boost moral and use their influences to help win the war and help the ladies involved in war work and doing their bit for their country.
Women’s Friend magazine was at the centre of this story, recruited by the ministry of information (along with several other women’s based newspapers) to increase women’s signs up for war work. It was really interesting to read it from this perspective. I really enjoyed it!
It’s a book to immerse yourself in and take yourself through the story and plot with ease. The characters are are likeable, with plenty within the story to keep you entertained and listening on. The audiobook was great, made for very easy listening and was greatly and effortless narrated too - I was amazed at the narrators vast expanse of voices she gave to all the characters! everything you want in an audiobook!
Overall, I really loved this book and thought it was great!
Thanks to the author and publishers via NetGalley for this audiobook and giving me the opportunity to give my honest thoughts and review on this fab book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced