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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Warm and funny wartime tale of writing, bravery and soldiering on.
I'd class this as a 'light' read, even though it's set in the Blitz. A little like Lissa Evans 'Their Finest Hour and a Half' it's about love, life and writing in London, in the dark days of nightly bombing raids, and about keeping up the spirits of the nation.
Emmy wants to write, to be where the action is, to report on the battles and make a difference. By accident, she ends up enquiring after a job on a paper but it turns out to be a little less glamorous and dangerous than she'd hoped... she's now secretary to the uptight and pretty scary 'agony aunt' columnist Henrietta Bird.
With a very long list of unacceptable topics for publication, Emmy struggles to find suitable letters for Mrs Bird to reply to, and her heart goes out to all the letter writers whose problems are thrown into the bin. With her own love life in flux, and seeing the best and worst of London as a volunteer fire warden, she can't leave these people without some guidance... and writes back them herself!
It's a storyline that feels familiar, you are pretty sure you can see problems ahead, but Emmy and her friend Bunty and their Blitz lives are somehow comforting as well as dangerous and you feel for both young women doing their best to put on a brave face, help other people, look for love and stay friends. It's a convincing friendship, of both highs and lows, and there are some upsetting scenes, being wartime.
Mrs Bird is a wonderfully pompous matron of a bygone era, brought very well to life on the Audible version, you 'love to hate' her, and it's the sort of 'stick it to the man' plot that has you settling in for a quick read.
Loved Emmy, the setting, and a plot that doesn't go in unheard-of directions but gives you an enjoyable journey to travel down. I really hope this one becomes a film, it's perfect for the screen - romance, danger, friendship, war and the office secrets Emmy is hiding.
You'll love this one, and it is a great audiobook choice, an easy flowing listen.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample copy.
I'd class this as a 'light' read, even though it's set in the Blitz. A little like Lissa Evans 'Their Finest Hour and a Half' it's about love, life and writing in London, in the dark days of nightly bombing raids, and about keeping up the spirits of the nation.
Emmy wants to write, to be where the action is, to report on the battles and make a difference. By accident, she ends up enquiring after a job on a paper but it turns out to be a little less glamorous and dangerous than she'd hoped... she's now secretary to the uptight and pretty scary 'agony aunt' columnist Henrietta Bird.
With a very long list of unacceptable topics for publication, Emmy struggles to find suitable letters for Mrs Bird to reply to, and her heart goes out to all the letter writers whose problems are thrown into the bin. With her own love life in flux, and seeing the best and worst of London as a volunteer fire warden, she can't leave these people without some guidance... and writes back them herself!
It's a storyline that feels familiar, you are pretty sure you can see problems ahead, but Emmy and her friend Bunty and their Blitz lives are somehow comforting as well as dangerous and you feel for both young women doing their best to put on a brave face, help other people, look for love and stay friends. It's a convincing friendship, of both highs and lows, and there are some upsetting scenes, being wartime.
Mrs Bird is a wonderfully pompous matron of a bygone era, brought very well to life on the Audible version, you 'love to hate' her, and it's the sort of 'stick it to the man' plot that has you settling in for a quick read.
Loved Emmy, the setting, and a plot that doesn't go in unheard-of directions but gives you an enjoyable journey to travel down. I really hope this one becomes a film, it's perfect for the screen - romance, danger, friendship, war and the office secrets Emmy is hiding.
You'll love this one, and it is a great audiobook choice, an easy flowing listen.
With thanks to Nudge Books for the sample copy.
sbonnecarrere's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ruth24's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
Similar to [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|2728527|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351979318s/2728527.jpg|2754161], [b:Dear Mrs Bird|32594993|Dear Mrs Bird|A.J. Pearce|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507315954s/32594993.jpg|53173301] is light and charming, while still managing to convey the full gravity of life on the World War II home front.
Emmy, an aspiring 'Lady War Correspondent' gets into a spot of trouble when she finds herself in "entirely the wrong job" working for old-fashioned and severe Mrs. Bird, resident agony-aunt for Woman's Friend magazine. While Emmy struggles to keep her chin up as London is blown to pieces around her, she finds new ways to 'do her bit' - ones that threaten to have disastrous consequences of their own.
Ah, the 1940s... when people said things like 'Jolly Good!', when the words 'damn' and 'bloody' were considered swear words, when someone who did something terrible was said to be 'Being Very Silly Indeed', and when a baby born out of wedlock was absolutely Earth-shattering.
These amusing contrasts from 1941 to today offer comedic relief from the sad and shocking parts of the book. The funny, old-fashioned ways of speaking and acting were my favourite part. I also loved that the story was able to challenge my ideas about what life was like during the war and put my everyday problems into perspective. The characters' 'Keep Calm and Carry On' attitude is both heart-breaking and inspiring. Not wanting to let anyone down, they all put on a brave face, trying to stay positive while losing their homes and their loved ones.
I think A.J. Pearce did a really good job of balancing out the heavy parts of the book in a way that made it light but not too fluffy. This is also her first novel, so I'm looking forward to any others she might have in the works.
Similar to [b:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|2728527|The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society|Mary Ann Shaffer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351979318s/2728527.jpg|2754161], [b:Dear Mrs Bird|32594993|Dear Mrs Bird|A.J. Pearce|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507315954s/32594993.jpg|53173301] is light and charming, while still managing to convey the full gravity of life on the World War II home front.
Emmy, an aspiring 'Lady War Correspondent' gets into a spot of trouble when she finds herself in "entirely the wrong job" working for old-fashioned and severe Mrs. Bird, resident agony-aunt for Woman's Friend magazine. While Emmy struggles to keep her chin up as London is blown to pieces around her, she finds new ways to 'do her bit' - ones that threaten to have disastrous consequences of their own.
Ah, the 1940s... when people said things like 'Jolly Good!', when the words 'damn' and 'bloody' were considered swear words, when someone who did something terrible was said to be 'Being Very Silly Indeed', and when a baby born out of wedlock was absolutely Earth-shattering.
These amusing contrasts from 1941 to today offer comedic relief from the sad and shocking parts of the book. The funny, old-fashioned ways of speaking and acting were my favourite part. I also loved that the story was able to challenge my ideas about what life was like during the war and put my everyday problems into perspective. The characters' 'Keep Calm and Carry On' attitude is both heart-breaking and inspiring. Not wanting to let anyone down, they all put on a brave face, trying to stay positive while losing their homes and their loved ones.
I think A.J. Pearce did a really good job of balancing out the heavy parts of the book in a way that made it light but not too fluffy. This is also her first novel, so I'm looking forward to any others she might have in the works.
emilyjcox_'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
lvr_17's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lawagener's review against another edition
4.0
Charming, delightful story of a young girl in WWII London who writes letters for an advice columnist in a ladies' magazine without the editor knowing.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audio performed by Anna Popplewell
From the book jacket: London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy 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 seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.
My reactions:
This had more substance than I originally thought based on the book jacket. Mrs Bird has some strict guidelines for the letters she’ll tackle – NOTHING unpleasant! No mention of sexual relations (in or – heaven forbid! – out of marriage), nothing about divorce, or complaints about the hardships endured during wartime, and she doesn’t want any letters that should belong to the food columnist, either! It seems that Emmy’s task is to toss just about every letter into the bin. But her heart breaks for the predicaments some writers convey, and when they give an address and ask for a personal response, well, Emmy just can’t help but respond.
Of course, there’s the personal drama of a young woman during wartime - a fiancé who is fighting in France, and a best friend who is trying to plan a wedding amidst the continuous bombing of London during the Blitz. Emmy is torn trying to be all things to all people and gets caught in a web of deceit that seems so innocent at the beginning.
I’m way past this stage in my own life and didn’t really relate to the characters. Oh, I recognized myself and my friends at that age, but “been there, done that” and I don’t really need to read about it again. The person I liked best was Emmy’s boss. Still, it was an entertaining, fast read, and I can see why it might be marketed for book groups.
Anna Popplewell does a fine job performing the audio version. I loved her interpretation of Mrs Bird! She set a good pace and I was never confused about who was speaking.
From the book jacket: London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy 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 seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.
My reactions:
This had more substance than I originally thought based on the book jacket. Mrs Bird has some strict guidelines for the letters she’ll tackle – NOTHING unpleasant! No mention of sexual relations (in or – heaven forbid! – out of marriage), nothing about divorce, or complaints about the hardships endured during wartime, and she doesn’t want any letters that should belong to the food columnist, either! It seems that Emmy’s task is to toss just about every letter into the bin. But her heart breaks for the predicaments some writers convey, and when they give an address and ask for a personal response, well, Emmy just can’t help but respond.
Of course, there’s the personal drama of a young woman during wartime - a fiancé who is fighting in France, and a best friend who is trying to plan a wedding amidst the continuous bombing of London during the Blitz. Emmy is torn trying to be all things to all people and gets caught in a web of deceit that seems so innocent at the beginning.
I’m way past this stage in my own life and didn’t really relate to the characters. Oh, I recognized myself and my friends at that age, but “been there, done that” and I don’t really need to read about it again. The person I liked best was Emmy’s boss. Still, it was an entertaining, fast read, and I can see why it might be marketed for book groups.
Anna Popplewell does a fine job performing the audio version. I loved her interpretation of Mrs Bird! She set a good pace and I was never confused about who was speaking.
carolyn0613's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a lovely story. I was a little bemused by the style initially until I realised it was aimed at the children's market. The story, set in wartime London, follows the fate of Emmy who wants to be a Lady War Correspondent and applies to work at a newspaper. The Blitz is going on but life continues with love, arguments, and growing up. It's a very gentle tale and I would recommend it for 10-13 year olds.
smreads24's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Minor: Death