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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I gave Dear Mrs. Bird, the first novel about Emmy Lake, 4 stars. I enjoyed this one even more, so 5 stars it is.
Emmy is just as compassionate to the home front struggles around her, and with gains in confidence and responsibility, she sets out to draw attention to the challenges faced by those women doing vital war work while so many men are away at war. Tasked with writing articles recruiting women to volunteer for war work, she befriends a group of women working in a munitions factory who all are eager to do their bit but face hurdles surrounding childcare, lower pay, lack of access to union representation, and inadequate widow's pensions. Not all these problems are tackled head-on in this novel, but some steps are made.
Oh, and on her own personal front, Emmy's friendship with Bunty is still strong, and her relationship with Charles progresses.
Not a gritty wartime novel but a let's-all-pull-together-and-do-our-bit one. As comforting as a warm cuppa.
Emmy is just as compassionate to the home front struggles around her, and with gains in confidence and responsibility, she sets out to draw attention to the challenges faced by those women doing vital war work while so many men are away at war. Tasked with writing articles recruiting women to volunteer for war work, she befriends a group of women working in a munitions factory who all are eager to do their bit but face hurdles surrounding childcare, lower pay, lack of access to union representation, and inadequate widow's pensions. Not all these problems are tackled head-on in this novel, but some steps are made.
Oh, and on her own personal front, Emmy's friendship with Bunty is still strong, and her relationship with Charles progresses.
Not a gritty wartime novel but a let's-all-pull-together-and-do-our-bit one. As comforting as a warm cuppa.
This is a celebration of friendship and resilience and working together. Emmy Lake is back and is finding her way at a woman's magazine in London in World War II. When the Ministry of Information asks for help from the women's magazines Emmy finds herself writing about women war workers. The articles give her a new perspective and she is faced with a choice.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc for my honest review
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an arc for my honest review
I will be returning to this book at a later date! I was gifted this book and have seen that while it can be read individually, it is listed as the 2nd in a series. I would like to read the 1st book before returning to this one!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hooray – Emmy Lake is back Doing Her Bit for the war effort, continuing with her advice column and getting more involved with writing articles for the Woman’s Friend weekly magazine, while also putting in some shifts at the fire station. I so enjoyed Dear Mrs Bird and was pleased to discover that there was to be more about young Emmy.
It was lovely to be back with Emmy and the staff at the Woman’s Friend magazine, though I was not sorry to see the back of Mrs Bird. Emmy is a fabulous character who really cares about the people who write in for advice and wants to help everyone – an impossible task really but admirable. She’s not quite doing the war correspondent work she hoped she would be but she is still Doing Her Bit. In this book, she is given more responsibility and is tasked with writing articles to encourage women to take up war work. As she gets to know these women though, she realises there is a big problem for women who want to work, indeed who need to work, but who need childcare. She is torn between writing the articles required by the Ministry and supporting her new friends.
I really enjoyed the style of the writing in this book. It is quite formal, fitting well with the style of the time, and yet it’s also warm with gentle humour. The use of capital letters to show when something is Really Rather Important made me smile. I don’t want to say too much for fear of rather spoiling things – careless talk and all that you know. However, I so enjoyed reading about the friendship and resilience of the women munitions workers and the way they supported each other in such difficult and worrying times.
I can see this book making a lovely film and in my mind, Emmy would have to be played by Lily James! The closing scenes in particular were so heart-warming and I could picture them so clearly in my mind. Yours Cheerfully is quirky and charming, a gentle and enjoyable foray into the past. I’m looking forward to catching up with Emmy again and the book certainly ended in a way which suggests there is more to come. Yours Cheerfully is Really, Rather Good!
It was lovely to be back with Emmy and the staff at the Woman’s Friend magazine, though I was not sorry to see the back of Mrs Bird. Emmy is a fabulous character who really cares about the people who write in for advice and wants to help everyone – an impossible task really but admirable. She’s not quite doing the war correspondent work she hoped she would be but she is still Doing Her Bit. In this book, she is given more responsibility and is tasked with writing articles to encourage women to take up war work. As she gets to know these women though, she realises there is a big problem for women who want to work, indeed who need to work, but who need childcare. She is torn between writing the articles required by the Ministry and supporting her new friends.
I really enjoyed the style of the writing in this book. It is quite formal, fitting well with the style of the time, and yet it’s also warm with gentle humour. The use of capital letters to show when something is Really Rather Important made me smile. I don’t want to say too much for fear of rather spoiling things – careless talk and all that you know. However, I so enjoyed reading about the friendship and resilience of the women munitions workers and the way they supported each other in such difficult and worrying times.
I can see this book making a lovely film and in my mind, Emmy would have to be played by Lily James! The closing scenes in particular were so heart-warming and I could picture them so clearly in my mind. Yours Cheerfully is quirky and charming, a gentle and enjoyable foray into the past. I’m looking forward to catching up with Emmy again and the book certainly ended in a way which suggests there is more to come. Yours Cheerfully is Really, Rather Good!
emotional
funny
sad
Well I am now in tears thanks to this book. I did not think anything could top the emotional rollercoaster of the first book, but I was wrong. How does this author write the most lovely characters and story that makes you want to simultaneously smile and cry. I feel bolstered to carry on just by this series and I am not living through a war or saying goodbye to loved ones. This story is powerful and I love how it highlights the women who were trying to keep everything together at home during WWII. We hear about how women worked in factors to keep the war efforts going, but rarely about the struggles for them to do so. It was a monumental task and the fortitude it took for them to do this and take care of children, family, everything else on their own is astounding. I adored every character and I cannot wait for more because I am not ready to give them up!