Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce: Book Review

Dear Mrs. Bird is the first book in The Emmy Lake Chronicles by A.J. Pearce. It was first released in April 2018 by Picador Books. Dear Mrs. Bird is a historical fiction novel set in World War II London and follows Emmy Lake as she tries to find her way to help the war effort.

Synopsis

It’s 1941, in London, and Emmeline Lake wants to be a war correspondent. But there aren’t many such roles for women. One day she finds a job posting for a Junior Assistant for Mrs. Henrietta Bird. Emmy is excited as she sees it as a way to get her foot in the door to be the journalist she dreams of. Instead, she finds herself a typist for Women’s Friend magazine. Mrs. Bird refuses to read inappropriate letters from readers. What is inappropriate? Letters about love, grief, and moral weakness.

Emmy thinks even these women deserve to have their letters answered. She takes it upon herself to do so. After all, what could go wrong?

Positives

This book is a quick read, at just around 300 pages. The audiobook is around 9 hours long, and the narrator is Anna Popplewell. She is probably best known as Susan from The Chronicles of Narnia.

The characters are well developed and believable. I can see Kathleen, Bunty, and Emmy as representatives of the women of the era. Even Mrs. Bird seems like some women of the era.

Negatives

I found Mrs. Bird to be very overbearing. But I also understand that she was written to be that way. She also is from a different era/mentality than Emmy. I almost pictured Mrs. Bird to look like a bulldog, even with that stubborn attitude.

The results of the bombing at the nightclub were tragic. I understand that the events had to happen to help move the story along and help Emmy mature. But it doesn’t mean that it isn’t sad. Or something that I wish hadn’t happened.

My Opinons

I loved this book. It is a stunning debut novel. The second book in the series, Yours Cheerfully, is due out in August 2021. I am looking forward to reading it and seeing what happens next with Emmy and Bunty.

In the author’s notes, A.J. Pearce states that the idea for this book came from reading through periodicals from the War years. She even mentioned that some of the letters she read in the magazines inspired the letters mentioned in the book. I love looking at the daily papers from the past. Doing so leaves me to wonder what the day-to-day was like for those who maybe read the same paper. There is nothing wrong with wondering how our ancestors (even those from 70-80 years ago) actually lived.

I loved the look into Emmy Lake’s life in Dear Mrs. Bird, and I look forward to another look in Yours Cheerfully.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.