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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-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:
No
Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars!
This was just so much fun and good!
When this book first crossed my radar I saw the cover and was in love. Then I read the synopsis and I fell in love more. Give my anything that’s WWII set and I’m ready to go and just want to read them all! Easily one of my buzz words that immediately make me want to read all the books.
This was such a great story and I loved the characters in this. I loved the setting of Britain during the blitz. I loved the setting of how it took place in a magazine office with the help letters and also the side of how Emmy was also a volunteer with the fire department.
It was an interesting side of the war to see and it was great and I really enjoyed this!
This was just so much fun and good!
When this book first crossed my radar I saw the cover and was in love. Then I read the synopsis and I fell in love more. Give my anything that’s WWII set and I’m ready to go and just want to read them all! Easily one of my buzz words that immediately make me want to read all the books.
This was such a great story and I loved the characters in this. I loved the setting of Britain during the blitz. I loved the setting of how it took place in a magazine office with the help letters and also the side of how Emmy was also a volunteer with the fire department.
It was an interesting side of the war to see and it was great and I really enjoyed this!
While sheltering-in-place, I wanted a book that was not too heavy and was "somewhere else". No post-apocalyptic tales, no murder.... it was a tall order and Dear Mrs Bird, while set during WWII ended up being perfect. Yes, there was a war on but the characters involved sat on the fringes of the war, despite often wishing to be "where the action" was.
It was a peek into a different part of war-torn London, both sad and sweet. And nowhere near the world I currently inhabit.
It was a peek into a different part of war-torn London, both sad and sweet. And nowhere near the world I currently inhabit.
Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J Pearce is a historical fiction debut novel set in Britain during 1940-1941 during the Blitzkrieg. This novel balances heartbreaking with heart warming splendidly. A fantastic debut novel. The novel is Historical fiction but doesn't tell the audience a history lesson on World War II it just sets up so someone with basic knowledge can understand Britain is against the Nazis and there's is a war being fought over head with an occasional bomb dropped every now and then. This novel tells history of other ways in clothing, music, dialogue and women's rights, and does an amazing job at it, and never made me question the era.
The Plot: Emmy Lake wants to be a war journalist, she is very up on current events of present day 1940's war torn Britain and also, wrote for her home paper when she lived there, and she has just seen an advertisement for her dream job at the London Evening Chronicle as a junior reporter. But when she gets the job it is not about journalism at all and it is not for the London Evening Chronicle but a subsidiary magazine called Women's Friend, where she will forward acceptable letters to Mrs. Bird the advice columnist. The problem Mrs. Bird doesn't want any unhappiness of war posted, she wants best way to avoid getting freckles. Emmy is advised to not read the unpleasant letters and to immediately rip them up. Emmy challenges Mrs. Bird by sending her unpleasantness but with women desperate for advice, but Mrs. Bird does not budge. Emmy can't take it anymore and decides to write back to a young girl desperate for advice on love for a soldier, and signs it Mrs. Bird. When she gets a heartfelt letter back, Emmy decides to write back more as Mrs. Bird.
What I Liked: How this book took place in the 1940's and is still relevant in today's world on women's rights and on unpleasantness. This book has plenty of hilarious moments, I laughed out loud a couple of times, and was definitely not expecting that. The funniest moment that comes to mind is Bunty's plan to get Emmy alone with a guy. I love the character of Bunty and Emmy and their dynamic together. I liked the love story and thought it felt very real. The brief history of the bicycle shop was a great moment as description and history. The balance of the emotional rollercoaster that this book takes the reader on.
What I Disliked: I felt it ended too soon with a few story lines in the air, it wrapped up the main story pretty well, but not the side stories, there was a lot left hanging in the air, two character's and there future relationship with Emmy. The Blitzkrieg could have been described better it was too vague.
Recommendations: I will recommend Dear Mrs. Bird for readers to check this book out, I did an overview of the plot, but there's a lot of little surprises that made this story really a fun read. If you like historical fiction, it not as detailed as I would've like, but still done where I never questioned if it was the right decade. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and since this is her debut novel will look forward to reading the author's next work.
The Plot: Emmy Lake wants to be a war journalist, she is very up on current events of present day 1940's war torn Britain and also, wrote for her home paper when she lived there, and she has just seen an advertisement for her dream job at the London Evening Chronicle as a junior reporter. But when she gets the job it is not about journalism at all and it is not for the London Evening Chronicle but a subsidiary magazine called Women's Friend, where she will forward acceptable letters to Mrs. Bird the advice columnist. The problem Mrs. Bird doesn't want any unhappiness of war posted, she wants best way to avoid getting freckles. Emmy is advised to not read the unpleasant letters and to immediately rip them up. Emmy challenges Mrs. Bird by sending her unpleasantness but with women desperate for advice, but Mrs. Bird does not budge. Emmy can't take it anymore and decides to write back to a young girl desperate for advice on love for a soldier, and signs it Mrs. Bird. When she gets a heartfelt letter back, Emmy decides to write back more as Mrs. Bird.
What I Liked: How this book took place in the 1940's and is still relevant in today's world on women's rights and on unpleasantness. This book has plenty of hilarious moments, I laughed out loud a couple of times, and was definitely not expecting that. The funniest moment that comes to mind is Bunty's plan to get Emmy alone with a guy. I love the character of Bunty and Emmy and their dynamic together. I liked the love story and thought it felt very real. The brief history of the bicycle shop was a great moment as description and history. The balance of the emotional rollercoaster that this book takes the reader on.
What I Disliked: I felt it ended too soon with a few story lines in the air, it wrapped up the main story pretty well, but not the side stories, there was a lot left hanging in the air, two character's and there future relationship with Emmy. The Blitzkrieg could have been described better it was too vague.
Recommendations: I will recommend Dear Mrs. Bird for readers to check this book out, I did an overview of the plot, but there's a lot of little surprises that made this story really a fun read. If you like historical fiction, it not as detailed as I would've like, but still done where I never questioned if it was the right decade. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and since this is her debut novel will look forward to reading the author's next work.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
It was fine. Bit overwritten maybe but funny at moments and the writing style didn’t irritate me enough to stop me reading. May have been a comfort read for people at some point but it maybe hits different now with the current world situation.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
informative
lighthearted
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
Lovely read, written in older fashion style, easy to read and very nostalgic.
Follows main character Emmy who wants to be a war time journalist, but accidently takes a job typing problem pages letters. Feeling that Mrs Birds list of unacceptable subjects is too severe and feeling sorry for those writing in with their scrapes, Emma sets about trying to find ways to help the readers.
She is involved in heavy london attack from the Germans and suffers personal loss which affects her friendship with her best friend Bunty.
The overall theme of the book is how to overcome misfortune throughout very difficult and challenging times when London was under threat during the 2nd world war. The resilience of that generation is something to be very much admired, all at the same time as social acceptances were not liberal as they are today (out of wedlock babies, affairs, etc).
A very lighthearted styled book which gives an undertone of how difficult times would have really been for those who experienced them.
Follows main character Emmy who wants to be a war time journalist, but accidently takes a job typing problem pages letters. Feeling that Mrs Birds list of unacceptable subjects is too severe and feeling sorry for those writing in with their scrapes, Emma sets about trying to find ways to help the readers.
She is involved in heavy london attack from the Germans and suffers personal loss which affects her friendship with her best friend Bunty.
The overall theme of the book is how to overcome misfortune throughout very difficult and challenging times when London was under threat during the 2nd world war. The resilience of that generation is something to be very much admired, all at the same time as social acceptances were not liberal as they are today (out of wedlock babies, affairs, etc).
A very lighthearted styled book which gives an undertone of how difficult times would have really been for those who experienced them.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
No
A lighter, fluffier historical fiction. A quick read