Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

DEAR MRS. BIRD by AJ Pearce is a new favorite for me, for LibraryReads reviewers and for Amazon which named it an Amazon Best book for July 2018.  This work of historical fiction – set in 1940’s London – is thoroughly charming and certainly heartwarming.  Emmeline Lake is a young woman with hopes of becoming a War Correspondent, leading her to take an entry level job in publishing which surprisingly involves sorting through letters asking for help. The set-in-her-ways advice columnist, Mrs. Henrietta Bird, has strict rules about ignoring any Unpleasantness so numerous letters involving Affairs, the Change, and possible Pregnancies go unanswered in the Woman’s Friend publication. Young Emmy is moved by the letter writers and secretly begins to respond. Simultaneously, Emmy volunteers some evenings at the local fire station and Pearce thereby recounts the horrific impact of the Nazi bombing raids on London. There’s an element of chaste romance, too, for both Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, and their heroic beaus. Introspective and observant, Emmy is a spirited character, somehow both wise and naïve, who often needs to “be British and be brave.” The Guardian’s review calls DEAR MRS. BIRD “as hilarious as it is moving” and, like AJ Pearce, acknowledges the contributions made by women and girls during wartime. Definitely look for the debut novel if you enjoyed titles like Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.