Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce

The idea for Dear Mrs Bird was born, the author tells us, when she began reading letters and articles from wartime magazines. They were so interesting, she began to collect magazines from this era. Set in 1941 in London, and narrated by young Emeline (Emmy) Lake, Dear Mrs Bird is a story that is at times humorous and heart-warming and at other times sad.

Emmy, feeling unfulfilled in her current work, answers a job advertisement thinking it will lead to her dream position of Lady War Correspondent. However, there is an unfortunate misunderstanding at her interview, and she finds herself typing letters for the frightening Mrs Bird, the agony aunt at Women’s Friend magazine.

Emmy is a kind, cheerful young woman, who when told by Mrs Bird to bin any letters containing any form of unpleasantness, secretly decides to write back to the despairing women who sent them.The dialogue between Emmy and her best friend Bunty and also her friends at the Auxiliary Fire Service where Emmy volunteers as a telephone operator is one of the highlights of the novel as it feels so true to the times.

Dear Mrs Bird is an engaging story of the friendships, courage, generosity and warmth of spirited but ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I am so pleased I was recommended this novel by Janet, one of our library customers. Like Janet, I really enjoyed A J Pearce’s debut novel and hope she writes many more.

Posted by VT

Catalogue link: Dear Mrs Bird