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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Entertaining, easy, quick read. Nothing ambitious which makes it more enjoyable
This has a different angle on WWII than many of the historical fiction novels set in that era. It offers the perspective of a young woman living in London during the Blitz. Emmy is courageous, honest and a devoted friend. Some have written that this is on the “lighter side” of books in this setting, but it takes place against the backdrop of the destruction of the bombings and deals with tragedy, loss and grief.
This novel is set in London during WWII. Emmeline Lake dreams of being a female war correspondent and believes she is taking a step toward that goal when she answers an ad looking for help at the Launceston Press. However, after acquiring the job, she learns that she will only be sorting through letters sent in to Mrs. Bird’s advice column to find those acceptable to answer and print with the responses in the Woman’s Friend magazine. She feels a great deal of empathy for the women writing in with problems Henrietta Bird is unwilling to consider, so she begins to set those aside and write back to them on her own behind Mrs. Bird’s back. Emmy also works part-time as a dispatcher at the Fire Service with the men who respond to the bombing incidents. She lives with her best friend, Bunty (Marigold Tavistock), who has been dating William, a fireman, for quite some time.
This novel is set in London during WWII. Emmeline Lake dreams of being a female war correspondent and believes she is taking a step toward that goal when she answers an ad looking for help at the Launceston Press. However, after acquiring the job, she learns that she will only be sorting through letters sent in to Mrs. Bird’s advice column to find those acceptable to answer and print with the responses in the Woman’s Friend magazine. She feels a great deal of empathy for the women writing in with problems Henrietta Bird is unwilling to consider, so she begins to set those aside and write back to them on her own behind Mrs. Bird’s back. Emmy also works part-time as a dispatcher at the Fire Service with the men who respond to the bombing incidents. She lives with her best friend, Bunty (Marigold Tavistock), who has been dating William, a fireman, for quite some time.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
I’ve given this four stars as it was an enjoyable read and most of the style of writing was good. It was like others have said in places a bit jolly hockey sticks but it is of its time for that era so you can overlook this as it flowed along nicely. Emmy dreams of becoming a journalist and when she sees an ad for a junior at one of the big papers she feels its made for her. Attending the interview if you can call it that she gets the job not really knowing what she will be doing, and on her first day realises that its working at women’s friend and its problem page which is overseen by Mrs Bird who is a force to be reckoned with and no unpleasantness will be tolerated. It was a good view to see how Britain during WW2 back home still had trials and tribulations to deal with and it wasn’t just all about those fighting on the front line but what those at home were worrying about as well as their loved ones. If you want an easy and enjoyable read with some very good poignant moments then i would recommend this book.
I absolutely loved this book - I fell in love with Emmy from the first page, and went for the tissues when everything fell apart. It was fun, entertaining, and poignant, and I'm off to one-click the follow up!
This is a delightful book. Emily hopes to be a war correspondent, and ends up as assistant to an advice-giver at a woman's magazine---but the advice-giver won't deal with any unpleasant letters. And just about everything is unpleasant. Emily risks all and answers some letters, and there's a story there. The other part of this is London during WWII, and her Pearce does a fine job of showing the difficulties of living with daily bombings. Interlaced is a story of friendship and loss. I thought the author did a fine job, creating a fully believable character and placing her in a setting that seemed real.
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was light-hearted but also gave me some context on London during WWII, which I previously had very minimal context for. The rationing, lack of supplies, bombings... All of that stuff I knew about, but was made clearer through the illustrations here.
The characters felt sort of flat, so while I enjoyed it, it was more so for the history component and less so for the characters. The plot had lots of moving bits, but I didn't feel lingered in any place where it got deep.
I guess it was enjoyable, but not exceptionally executed on some grounds. I'd recommend it for book clubs and enjoyers of WWII historical fiction, but not for snobby literary types even a little bit.
The characters felt sort of flat, so while I enjoyed it, it was more so for the history component and less so for the characters. The plot had lots of moving bits, but I didn't feel lingered in any place where it got deep.
I guess it was enjoyable, but not exceptionally executed on some grounds. I'd recommend it for book clubs and enjoyers of WWII historical fiction, but not for snobby literary types even a little bit.
I truly enjoyed this period piece. Great story and take on this era.