A. J. Pearce

A Novel

Dear Mrs. Bird

"The sweetest, most uplifting, lovely book about courage, friendship, love ... It'll be huge; it deserves to be" Marian Keyes, author of The BreakLondon, 1940. Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are trying to stay cheerful despite the Luftwaffe making life thoroughly annoying for everyone. Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance - but after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding, she finds herself typing letters for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt of Woman's Friend magazine.Mrs Bird is very clear: letters containing any form of Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin. Emmy finds herself dismissing problems from lovelorn, grief-stricken and morally conflicted readers in favour of those who fear their ankles are unsightly or have trouble untangling lengths of wool. But soon the thought of desperate women going unanswered becomes too much to bear and Emmy decides the only thing for it is to secretly write back . . .Irresistibly funny and enormously moving, Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce is a love letter to female friendship, Blitz spirit, the kindness of strangers and the art of letter-writing itself.MORE PRAISE FOR DEAR MRS BIRD"If I had only known how much I was going to adore Dear Mrs. Bird, I wouldn't have gobbled it down all at once. Funny, fresh, and touching" Annie Barrows, author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"A joy from start to finish. Dear Mrs Bird is as funny as it is heart-warming." John Boyne, author The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas"A joyfully uplifting and optimistic novel ... a timely story of courage and good humour in adversity." Observer"Irresistibly charming and delightful" Kate Eberlen, author of Miss You"An utterly charming story of friendship, heartbreak and heroism... You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love it" Lucy Diamond

Dear Mrs Bird

Breezy and heart-warming it was just the thing to get me out of my reading slump. It's a little bit silly but sometimes you just need that. The friendships are wonderful to read about and the characters are lovely if not complex. I particularly enjoyed reading a wwii novel that neither dwelled solely in the darkness nor pretended it was all chummy

hat carter

The Richard & Judy Book Club Pick and Sunday Times Bestseller now with a beautiful new festive design for the Christmas season. London, 1941. Amid the falling bombs Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a fearless Lady War Correspondent. Unfortunately, Emmy instead finds herself employed as a typist for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt at Woman's Friend magazine. Mrs Bird refuses to read, let alone answer, letters containing any form of Unpleasantness, and definitely not those from the lovelorn, grief-stricken or morally conflicted. But the thought of these desperate women waiting for an answer at this most desperate of times becomes impossible for Emmy to ignore. She decides she simply must help and secretly starts to write back - after all, what harm could that possibly do? 'The sweetest, most uplifting, lovely book about courage, friendship, love' Marian Keyes 'A proper comfort read' India Knight 'A joy from start to finish. Dear Mrs Bird is as funny as it is heart-warming' John Boyne

Sarah Sammis

In terms of tone and setting, Dear Mrs. Bird is a good read along or follow up to Radio Girls except that Maisie and Hilda have a good working relationship, and Emmeline and Henrietta's borders on toxic.

AJ Pearce

This charming, irresistible debut novel set in London during World War II about a young woman who longs to be a war correspondent and inadvertantly becomes a secret advice columnist is “a jaunty, heartbreaking winner” (People)—for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Lilac Girls. Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are doing their bit for the war effort and trying to stay cheerful, despite the German planes making their nightly raids. Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent, and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance; but after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding, she finds herself typing letters for the formidable Henrietta Bird, renowned advice columnist of Woman’s Friend magazine. Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin. But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who many have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she begins to secretly write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles. “Fans of Jojo Moyes will enjoy AJ Pearce’s debut, with its plucky female characters and fresh portrait of women’s lives in wartime Britain” (Library Journal)—a love letter to the enduring power of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times. “Headlined by its winning lead character, who always keeps carrying on, Pearce's novel is a delight” (Publishers Weekly). Irrepressibly funny and enormously moving, Dear Mrs. Bird is “funny and poignant…about the strength of women and the importance of friendship” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis).

Colleen

4 Stars 

*A poignant debut about war driving ordinary people to do extraordinary things*


  



Dear Mrs. Bird is strongly reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It is a Hisotrical Fiction novel about a young woman in London during WWII. Both novels have epistolary elements although Dear Mrs. Bird is split between epistolary and traditional narrative. Both stories also start off seeming light and fluffy but turn surprisingly heartfelt and poignant by the end.

In Dear Mrs. Bird, a young woman named Emmy Lake is determined to become a war correspondent. Then she mistakenly applies for a job at a women’s magazine instead of the London Evening Chronicle. Instead of writing serious news, she is stuck assisting on a women’s advice column called Dear Mrs. Bird. Although Emmy initially thinks the column is unimportant and beneath her, she soon realizes just how powerful advice can be in this poignant tale of friendship, compassion, and endurance.


  “Joan, Thelma, and Mary, like thousands of others, spent day and night after day and night carrying on with their jobs in the most frightening of conditions. Every day they helped save strangers they didn't know and would never meet. But today it was their friend. Stiff upper lips and getting on with things were all very well, but sometimes there was nothing to do but admit that things were quite simply awful. War was foul and appalling and unfair.”

The peek into live on the English Homefront during the war was intriguing. This certainly is not the first book I have read with that setting, but I liked that the story focused on women’s role. The story juxtaposed the severe effects of the war with the banality of the little things in life. The tone does feel a little young at times. I would just as easily recommend this to teens and adults.

I also enjoyed the author’s note regarding the real-life women’s magazine articles that inspired this book. The historical elements were well-researched and blended well with the fictional parts. All in all, this little debut was wonderful to read!


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

"London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down. Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or who can't bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles"--

a novel

Nadine 

Judy McClure

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I knew that it was pretty popular and took place during WWII. As I started to read the first chapters I decided that it was a romp, a humorous tale of a young woman finding herself. Then I got further into it and it became so much more. I so loved this charming and emotional story. I have book two ready to pick up and I can't wait. Note to self: keep kleenex box handy.

Carolina Poças

Vicki Hesketh

I have had a bit of weird start to my reading year in that I've read a number of really great books, but not really enjoyed any of them very much. 

I picked up Dear Mrs Bird because I wanted an easy read that would hopefully make me smile. I can happily say that this lovely book delivered. While this book is not a life-changing piece of literature it is funny, enjoyable and it made me smile. Dear Mrs Bird is a delightful and charming novel and it was just what I needed to bring some joy back into my reading. 

3.5 Stars - while not a piece of art, this book is like a cosy meal on a cold night, warms you from the inside.

Anika | @chaptersofmay

It’s was a pretty decent book and made me laugh a couple of times. There were moments I liked the main character and moments I didn’t. However, I pretty much adored her best friend throughout. 

This isn’t something I’d read again, but it was a lovely and empowering story, and a great way to gain a little insight into London during WWII. Emmeline Lake is a courageous young woman, and that was very inspiring.

Francine Corry

Madilyn Taylor

The Richard & Judy Book Club Pick and Sunday Times Bestseller 'The sweetest, most uplifting, lovely book about courage, friendship, love' – Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups. London, 1941. Amid the falling bombs Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a fearless Lady War Correspondent. Unfortunately, Emmy instead finds herself employed as a typist for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine. Mrs Bird refuses to read, let alone answer, letters containing any form of Unpleasantness, and definitely not those from the lovelorn, grief-stricken or morally conflicted. But the thought of these desperate women waiting for an answer at this most desperate of times becomes impossible for Emmy to ignore. She decides she simply must help and secretly starts to write back – after all, what harm could that possibly do? 'A proper comfort read' – India Knight, author of Don't You Want Me? 'A joy from start to finish. Dear Mrs Bird is as funny as it is heartwarming' – John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Richard & Judy Book Club Pick and Sunday Times Bestseller

Denaiir

Lucy

Astor Reinhardt

Caitlin Hooker

Charlotte High

Tessa

Jordan /

Margaux Mennes

priya

Penny 

readwithJLH

taryn

“A marvelous treat. Charming and delightful.” —Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina An irresistible debut set in London during World War II about an adventurous young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist— a warm, funny, and enormously moving story for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Lilac Girls. London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down. Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles. Prepare to fall head over heels for Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are gutsy and spirited, even in the face of a terrible blow. The irrepressible Emmy keeps writing letters in this hilarious and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Dear Mrs. Bird A Novel

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