Dear Mrs Bird is the debut novel by AJ Pearce, published in 2018 . It was shortlisted for Debut of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards and was also a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.
It was the first book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles, a historical fiction series. The second book, Yours Cheerfully, was released in 2021, and Mrs Porter Calling is due to be released in March 2023.
A story about plucky young women during the war sounded right up my street, so I couldn’t wait to read it.
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In London, 1941, Emmeline Lake dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent. In a time when all the men in her life are sacrificing so much for their country, Emmeline is keen to make a difference.
However, instead of finding her dream job, Emmy is employed as a typist for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt at Woman’s Friend magazine.
Mrs Bird is very clear: letters containing any form of ‘unpleasantness’ must go straight into the bin. But as Emmy finds herself dismissing problems from lovelorn, grief-stricken and morally conflicted readers, she finds these pleas for help hard to ignore. The thought of these desperate women living through a war becomes too much for Emmy to bear, and so she decides to secretly write back.
What could possibly go wrong?
Dear Mrs Bird Book Review
I really enjoyed this book. It perfectly balanced the lighthearted story of Mrs Bird the agony aunt with the devastation of the war.
Midway through the story, the whole Mrs Bird debacle was almost a side story, as the war took centre stage. It became more about the courage and tenacity of the women left behind, trying to juggle work, volunteering and maintaining relationships amidst all the fear and worry.
I did find myself almost losing interest in the Mrs Bird side of the story. It seemed to feign into insignificance considering everything else that was happening.
I found Emmy to be a realistic character. She makes mistakes but is truly trying to make a difference. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to live through such a time and try to stay positive and helpful. Despite the terrible circumstances, she was still just a young woman trying to find her place in the world.
The story was witty in parts, and I loved Emmy’s relationship with best friend Bunty. Their determination to remain cheerful while living through The Blitz was admirable. However, as you would expect from a book set during this time, there were some truly heartbreaking moments.
It was so different to other stories I’ve read about WW2. While this book has some really sad moments, it certainly isn’t as harrowing as others I’ve read. It’s as lighthearted as a book about The Blitz could be.
Overall I enjoyed the book and would definitely read the other books in the series.
What should I read after Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce?
If you enjoyed Dear Mrs Bird I’d suggest reading the rest of the books in the Emmy Lake series. The second book is titled Yours Cheerfully and the third is Mrs Porter Calling.
