Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pierce

 

Title:  Dear Mrs. Bird

Author:  AJ Pierce

Narrated by:  Anna Popplewell

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 48 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

If you time traveled to this book location, which sensory detail from the WWII era do you think you’d notice first? (The fashion, the food, the smell of the streets, or the lack of technology?)

Emmy Lake is helping with the war effort in England in 1940 as a telephone operator for the Auxiliary Fire Services.  She sees an advertisement to work at the London Evening Chronicle and she applies.  She dreams of being a hard-hitting reporter, but instead finds herself working for Woman’s Friend and a fierce older woman named Mrs. Bird who answers letters giving advice (like Dear Abby letters).  Mrs. Bird doesn’t want to help anyone that has anything “unpleasant” in the letters.  Emmy can’t stop thinking about the letters and decides that she will secretly take matters into her own hands.  Will Mrs. Bird discover that Emmy is answering letters on her own?  Will the war impact Emmy and her friends?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the October pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library. Sadly, I had to miss the meeting due to work commitments.

·       I was driving a lot for work this past month and listened to this book back in September which kept me awake and riveted.

·       The book described the terror of the Blitz and trying to live through it.

·       I loved the imagery of the young ignoring the air raids and going on with life…only to have it hit a club and ruin lives.  I keep thinking about it.

·       There was a great note on the history and inspiration at the end.

·       I loved that it was a great book on friendship and being there for your friends through thick and thin.

·       I loved Emmy’s work friend Kathleen, best friend Bunty, and Bunty’s fiancé William.  They were well drawn three dimensional characters that I cared about.

·       There was an enjoyable romance between Emmy and Charles, a soldier serving oversees.

·       I can’t believe this as a debut novel and that there are three more books in this series.  I’m very excited!

Overall, Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pierce as a wonderful historical fiction novel featuring great characters and friendship.  I can’t wait to read more about these characters!