Yours Cheerfully is the second novel in the Emmy Lake series, written by AJ Pearce and published in 2021.
I enjoyed the first book in the series, Dear Mrs Bird, which was AJ Pearce’s debut novel. Dear Mrs Bird was shortlisted for Debut of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards and was also a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.
The Emmy Lake Chronicles is a historical fiction series focuses on a young woman trying to balance several jobs, romance and friendship during the second world war.
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Things are looking up for Emmy and her career at Woman’s Friend magazine. Now the formidable Henrietta Bird has departed, Emmy feels much happier in her role.
Therefore when the Ministry of Information requires help, Emmy is thrilled to be put forward. They are asking women’s magazines to help recruit female workers for the war effort and Emmy is keen to help.
However, when she meets a young woman who shows them the real challenges for women war workers, Emmy is torn. She is horrified by the way these women are treated and dismissed purely for not having childcare options available.
Emmy now faces a dilemma. Should she carry out her duty and encourage women to work in munitions factories? Or does she stand by her friends and fight for their rights?
Yours Cheerfully Book Review
I really enjoyed this book, even more so than Dear Mrs Bird.
I found myself becoming a little disinterested in the Mrs Bird debacle in the first book, as it seemed almost insignificant compared to other things happening within the story.
However, I found the storyline to Yours Cheerfully to be much more impactful. I knew very little about the struggles of the women war workers and found it to be quite shocking how they were treated.
There were women who wanted to do their duty, while other women simply had no choice but to work. I’d never really considered how the women coped financially if their husbands had died during the war and how they would juggle things like childcare. It was really shocking to see how their efforts were undermined the minute they tried to speak up.
As with Dear Mrs Bird, it’s the relationships that make this book such a hit, especially the female friendships. I love Emmy and Bunty and their camaraderie and stoicism. Bunty’s bravery in particular was very inspiring.
There are moments of wit and good spirits which perfectly highlights the women’s aim to keep cheerful despite everything going on around them. These moments were combined with the more poignant and heart-rending events.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It’s a celebration of the power of female friendship and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.
What should I read after Yours Cheerfully by AJ Pearce?
If you’ve read and enjoyed Yours Cheerfully, I’ll assume you’ve already read the first in the series, Dear Mrs Bird. I’d therefore recommend completing the series and reading the third and final book, Mrs Porter Calling.
