Reviews with content warning for War - Dear Mrs. Bird

Reviews tagging 'War'

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

20 reviews

pia_h's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a lovely and heartwarming story about living in London during the Blitz as a young woman. It is about love, friendship and loss as well as the different ways the Second World War affected the life of a woman in her 20s. While dealing with hardship the novel is written in a humoristic style.

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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

This was fine, surface level and simple. It had a good balance of heartwarming positivity vs portraying the horrors of WWII.

I did find the characters fairly one-dimensional and the plot was neatly wrapped up in a bow at the end within a couple of pages in an unrealistic manner. However it was still enjoyable.

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mary_lake's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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laurao's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.75

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carireadsbooksandtarot's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

4.5

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

This is a seriously underrated World War II historical fiction. It really deserves more attention! I’ve read a lot of books based in London during the Blitz and Pearce has managed to write something truly original. Our heroine Emmaline, an aspiring journalist, gets a job working for a women’s magazine. She is tasked with sorting through the advice column letters and destroying those that contain any “Unpleasantness”, which in the opinion of Mrs. Henrietta Bird is almost every topic the readers ask about. Emmy starts secretly writing to some of the readers in Mrs. Bird’s name. At night, Emmy volunteers at the fire brigade, taking calls as bombs fall across the city.

Pearce excellently imbues the book with both humor and deep grief, portraying a time when everyone was meant to just keep marching on in the face of unimaginable loss and fear. Emmeline is surrounded by believable, lovable characters, from her long-time best friend Bunty to her new beau Charles, from her magazine coworkers to the other volunteers at the fire brigade.

This should be required reading for any fan of World War II fiction as it is so much more than it appears on the surface. One of the best glimpses into the lives of Londoners during the Blitz that I’ve ever read.

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nakutski's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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annie_122's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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lostinthelibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

WWII books sometimes struggle to walk the line between dwelling in misery and presenting a rosy nostalgic view of British gumption and courage in the face of adversity. This book hit the sweet spot perfectly. While there were certainly sad moments that brought home the reality of war, the overall tone was hopeful and endearing. The overall message is that yes times were hard and it's okay to acknowledge that and to feel afraid for yourself and those around you it doesn't make you any less brave as you are still surviving through a tough time and it will get better.

I can't begin to imagine what it was like in London during the Blitz but I think we all need that advice sometimes. Emmy makes a lot of mistakes but she is so utterly charming that you completely understand why. I'm looking forward to reading more about her adventures.

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kellyinbookland's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

3.0

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fantasycat's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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