Though heartbreaking at times, this novel was upbeat and ultimately uplifting. Not at all what I was expecting but all the more exciting to discover a book that is truly different.

Emmeline has moved to London to help with the War effort but is frustrated working at a solicitors office. When she sees a job advertised at a publishing company she thinks this is her big break in journalism. Only after getting the job she realises that she is working for Woman's Friend, failing magazine, and she is annoyed that her boss, the redoubtable Mrs Bird, does not want to sully her problem page with any of the real-life problems affecting woman in Britain in 1941. Ditched by her fiancee, Emmy decides that she will help these women by impersonating Mrs Bird, but only when tragedy strikes close to home does Emmy see that there may be a different way.

On first reading this book sees like a very lightweight, but entertaining, story about coping in Bliz-ridden London. However as one is caught up by the frothy prose one realises that there is actually quite a heartfelt tale here. Women are unsure about their romantic lives in a time when marriages happen in haste and life can be tenuous for those at home and on the warfront. In an age where discussing feelings is frowned upon the women's magazines are a source of comfort to all. I was reminded of Waugh when reading this, characters larger than life, dry humour, frothy prose but a meaning as well, a surprisingly good read.

I went into Dear Mrs Bird with high hopes - life working at an advice column in war-torn London? I am sucker for historical fiction and from the blurb, this novel seemed as though it was going to offer a snapshot into life at an impossible time. And I suppose it succeeded in that.
Perhaps.
I don’t know.
The issue is that A.J Pearce tried distractingly hard to ground the novel in this time period. The language, the names (dear god, what sort of name is BUNTY?), the interactions (her attempt at writing a Czech character’s speech was very close to offensive) - I looked up A.J Pearce at the end of nearly every chapter because I couldn’t believe that the person writing it could have ever stepped foot on British soil. It didn’t create atmosphere, or entice the reader into the world, it just made all of the characters seem like irritating caricatures. Every few words a phrase was capitalised - yet another distraction that I assume was supposed to emphasise just how British everyone was.
I mean, seriously?
I know the English lexicon has changed since the 1940s, but to this extent? Not bloody likely.
Dear Mrs Bird would have been a far easier, and more enjoyable read, if A.J Pearce would have focused foremost on the environment of war-torn London, which should’ve been given far more attention, instead of the sometimes almost nonsensical conversations that its characters had.
Do you know when you have a conversation with someone and you realise at the end of it, nothing was actually said?
This book was like that, over and over again.
And, to say that the book was about an advice column, I feel as though all of those wasted pages could have been used instead to actually focus on the main character’s work at the magazine, as most of the time spent there was glossed over. And, let’s be honest, I am starting to think that her work there was just a way of introducing a love interest to replace her old one. I know, I know, it’s the 1940’s, but the fact that she NEEDED a love interest, despite the fact that neither of them added anything to the plot, was formulaic and wholly unnecessary.
Dear Mrs Bird could have been such an impactful read, one about women supporting and loving other women, and yet frankly, it failed at every turn.

I really enjoyed this WW2-set novel about a young woman who falls into a job at a woman’s magazine when she’s hoping to be a Lady War Reporter. It’s funny and touching and if I could see one plot twist coming a mile off, I forgave it. Mostly. I would have liked a bit more resolution at the end, but I wouldn’t complain too much if that came in the form of a sequel! If you like Lissa Evans, then this may be for you.

Dear Mrs Bird is a beautifully written novel about a young girl with dreams of becoming a war correspondent.

Emmeline Lake, better known as Emmy or Em is Marigold (Bunty) Tavistock is working days as a waitress and nights as a volunteer answering telephones for the (Auxiliary Fire Service) AFS, when she sees an advert for a job in a local newspaper office.

Partly through the bumbling, thoroughly unorganised and endearing Mr. Collins who interviews her and partly through her own skim reading of the advertisement, Emmy accepts the job without realising it is for a magazine housed in the same building as the newspaper, Women’s Friend.

Her boss is Mrs. Henrietta Bird, Assistant Editoress of the magazine and a formidable and curmudgeonly woman. Mrs. Bird is the editor of the popular “Henrietta Helps” page of the magazine.

However, contrary to the advice columns of today, Mrs Bird is blunt, borderline rude in her responses and doesn’t respond to many of the letters she is sent.

She in fact has a list of “undesirable” letters that absolutely must not land on her desk under any circumstances. These include tales of affairs with forgeign soilders, unexpected (but not necessarily unwanted) pregnancies and very ordinary marriage troubles.

Emmy thinks it scandalous that Mrs. Bird won’t even acknowledge women in need, let alone answer their letters. So she sees it as her duty, as a fellow, spirited young woman to write back in secret and give them advice.

Dear Mrs. Bird is a delightfully British account of a young girl in war time Britain. There is a very sensitive authenticity about this novel, it tackles some difficult subjects brilliantly, and I just loved the ending. A really lovely novel.

Imagine applying for a job, being successful only to discover its not the job you thought it was. This is exactly what happens to Emmeline Lake, when instead of landing her dream job as a lady war correspondent, she finds herself working for the formidable and infamous agony aunt Mrs Bird. Who wants to spend their time typing responses to peoples problems, certainly not Emmy, but she decides to make the best of it. And that is what this delightful novel is all about, making the best of a war torn London in the middle of the blitz.

The characters are just wonderful. Emmy and her best friend Bunty are fun loving and vivacious, intent on having fun, but also ensuring they do their bit for the war effort, Bunty working in Government, Emmy volunteering at the fire station as well as holding down her job. They enjoy life to the full, taking the odd risk in the blackout, making light of what would have been a frightening and unpredictable time.

Mrs Bird, Emmy’s boss had me in stitches with her refusal to deal with any letters of ‘unpleasantness’, her advice forthright, the epitome of the British stiff upper lip. I loved her sense of self importance and righteousness and my imagination went into over drive at her dress sense and general appearance.

When Emmy decides to respond to some of the more unpleasant letters you just knew things would not end well and they don’t. Her relationships fall apart and Hitler’s bombing ramps up a gear with devastating consequences. It would have been very easy for the novel to descend into absolute doom and gloom but no, Pearce manages somehow, to maintain a lightness to the story, whilst never detracting from the seriousness and devastation of the Blitz.

The descriptions of war torn London were fantastic. I instantly felt myself transported there wether it be to a street devastated by bombing or a dance hall full of those trying to forget. It was heartbreaking to read of the trauma experienced by many families as bombs destroyed everything, and the bravery of the firemen, risking their lives to free those trapped in rubble.

What was extremely interesting was to read of the role many women had during the war, their lives transformed, taking centre stage as they supported the men at war, took on the jobs men would previously have occupied.

What I loved about Dear Mrs Bird was the perfect balance Pearce achieved between the serious and the fun. It never felt bogged down in the horrors of the Blitz, there was always a light and joyful tone to the writing. My overriding impression was of being in a 1940’s film, with the unmistakable clipped speech of the characters resounding in my ears as I read.

It was a pure joy to read and I have my fingers crossed that it will be made into a TV drama series, it would make the most perfect viewing.

My thanks to Camilla Elworthy and Picador for a proof copy to read and review

This debut novel by A.J. Pearce caught my eye immediately, promising a light – hearted and uplifting story, and I’ve also heard many good things about this book already. And it delivered, introduced me to lovely, vivid and quirky characters, and brought back hope for a little humanity. So if you are in need of a little positive vibe, then do not hesitate and try this “uplit” tale of hope, love and friendship in hard times – as “Dear Mrs Bird” was utterly gorgeous, charming and unexpected.

This story is told from Emmy’s point of view and she’s our main character. She’s young but she knows what she wants and right now she wants to be a war correspondent. Due to one mistake, she changes her jobs, thinking she’s going to become a reporter in The London Evening Chronicle. She’ll manage to squeeze her job as a volunteer telephone operator at the Auxiliary Fire Service as well. However, it turns out, that she’s not going to be a proper journalist but a junior typist, typing responses written in a Woman’s Friend Magazine by Mrs Bird. Mrs Bird is a very special character – she’s the only one who’s answering the letters and her list of Unacceptables is longer than Emmy’s arm. So letters including topics such as divorce, affairs, unhappiness land in the bin. Emmy can’t come to terms with this fact so one day she decides to write back to the women who so desperately need a kind word – because I forgot to mention that Mrs Bird’s kindness meant pouring cold water over readers’ heads.
However, that’s not all that’s happening in Emmy’s life, oh no!

I truly loved and adored the characters, and their approach to the War and things happening around. Some of the greatest scenes were when the girls were on duty at the fire brigade, answering the phones during one of the bombing – they were cool as cucumbers and nothing would be able to push their buttons. The way people got adjusted during the War is for me always a thing to admire – they were trying to live as normal as possible. They joked, they went to dances or to the cinema. Of course, the War influenced them in every possible way but still, they didn’t let it to break them, and I truly admired it in them.

A.J. Pearce has transported us in her debut novel to London’s streets during the WWII. She very well balanced humour with sadness, and the novel is both very uplifting and very heart – breaking. It was also provocative, what with the way Emmy decides to take actions in her own hands, however she’s got a full blessing from me personally, as I could really understand where she was coming from, to feel her desperation and knowing what she wanted to achieve – and as a result we got compassionate and realistic correspondence – based on real letters from the Forties, sent into advice columns. They show in a perfect way how the lives of the women were affected not only by the War but also by the hypocrisy of attitudes of those times. I loved the way Emmy was thinking – she knew where the real priorities were and when other people were risking their lives she decided that breaking a rule here or there will be better than letting the real problems stay unanswered.

Despite being set during London Blitz, it was a fluffy, charming and optimistic read. The author not only shows the optimistic side of the characters, but she also shows how the war affects them. She juxtaposes the relatively colourful world of Woman’s Friend Magazine and the blackness of the wartime events, showing the bravery of people working or volunteering for fire brigade, describing their feeling when faced with bombings and their victims, with shortages and upheaval. I really enjoyed this book and I’d urge you to try it for yourself.

I really enjoyed this book. It's about Emmy a young woman during WW 2 who longs to be a lady war correspondent. She applies for a job with a large newspaper company thinking that soon she'll be posting exciting stories about the war. Instead she finds herself working on an ailing woman's magazine Women's Friend edited by the formidable Henrietta (Mrs) Bird.
Not only is she the editor but she's also the magazine's agony aunt. Trouble is, she only replies to letters that don't mention any 'unpleasantness'. The list of subjects that Mrs B deems Unsuitable is vast and Emmy has to vet incoming post to eliminate anything that will not be answered. She finds this really frustrating and takes matters into her own hands.
The book is a wonderful evocation of the wartime spirit, it will make you laugh and cry and gave me fresh admiration for the brave civilians who lived and kept on going during the war.

This was such an unexpected delight of a book, all the more so for being light and easy to read yet still giving a flavour of the hardships of life endured in wartime Britain. It was more funny than sad but I was still impressed by the ability of the author to dig a little deeper in a very subtle way. I loved the vintage styling and the focus on friendship and camaraderie - and it actually made a refreshing change to know what was coming most of the time but to still thoroughly enjoy the journey, Just lovely. It really put a smile on my face and I’m looking forward to the TV adaptation already.

I am in love with DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce. Brimming with spirit, this moving tale will burrow into your heart and make you feel every emotion possible as you become deeply invested in Emmy and Bunty's lives.

Set during the war, Emmy and Bunty are two best friends who are determined to do their part in the war effort. Volunteering at the fire station, Emmy has dreams of being a journalist, a war correspondent doing important and dangerous deeds. So when a job becomes available at a prestigious London newspaper, Emmy jumps at the opportunity. But she soon learns that wires have been crossed somewhere as she finds herself helping the formidable Mrs Bird reply to readers questions for a woman's magazine. This in itself isn't too disheartening if Mrs Bird was willing to help so many women who were lost, scared, or torn during this horrible time, but Mrs Bird refuses to help most of their readers, deeming their problems as unacceptable. Well, Emmy has an idea how she can help even if it could cost her her job and when tragedy strikes, Emmy and Bunty will have to fight even harder for what they believe in.

DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce is heartbreakingly beautiful and brings the hardships and unbelievable strength of human spirit that existed during the war to astonishing light. Emmy and Bunty are brilliant characters who feel like family almost instantly. During their highs and lows, there is always this core of kindness and strong values that shines through on every page. This story will make you smile and make you cry, and completely hook you from the very first line. If I have one negative thing to say about DEAR MRS BIRD is that I didn't want it to end - I want to know what happens next for Bunty and Emmy and how life turns out for Mr. Collins, Kath, and the gang at the fire station - so I really hope there will be a sequel someday soon.

DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce is everything you want in a historical novel and more so run out and buy your copy as soon as possible because it is a gem that should not be missed.

Although war itself is no laughing matter, this book offers a light-hearted look behind the scenes of the second world war, as it beautifully captures the zeitgeist of a strong Keep Calm And Carry On mentality and a huge desire to make the most of what might be only limited time alive.

Women had their horizons opened to new opportunities beyond marriage and the home. Emmy, our protagonist, has her heart set on becoming a war correspondent, picturing herself at the forefront of things and bringing news of the latest developments to a waiting world.

Sadly, the job she mistakenly believes will propel her into the career she craves turns out to be very different than anticipated. Instead of being at the centre of the action, she is at the mercy and whims of her boss (Mrs Bird) as she helps to draft replies to the magazine's advice column queries.

Before long, while chafing inwardly at the restrictions she is made to adhere to, Emmy finds a way to secretly write her own advice to the anguished readers whose concerns would otherwise go unaddressed. Alongside this, she assists in the war effort by manning the fire brigade's telephone. A task she enjoys, until bomb devastation comes close to those she loves.

In the process loyalties and friendships get tested and strained, especially with her best friend, Bunty. Relationships become complicated and she is torn between the desire to do things her way and the problems that ensue as a result.

This is an entertaining, well written book that perfectly highlights the indomitable strength of the human spirit to survive and thrive during adverse circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this enchanting, accomplished debut novel.

A charming book with a funny period tone that gets it just right. Very readable indeed. Full review over at my blog, linked to below.

It’s always a good sign when you miss a book once it’s gone, and I wished I could have stayed inside this one a little longer. Never has the word ‘heartwarming’ been more appropriate.

Set during WW2, Emmeline Lake is disappointed to find her new journalistic job isn’t as a chipper reporter, working up to War Correspondent; but as an admin assistant to the women’s advice columnist, Henrietta Bird, who dismisses nearly every genuine problem as “unpleasantness.”

I found the homely style a little awkward at first — was everyone really so ‘jolly upbeat’ in WW2? Isn’t it a little patronising? But I soon realised that getting beneath the veneer of putting on a good show and whatnot is really the heart of the book, and it’s actually very sweetly done.

It’s a gentle and moving book that celebrates female friendship and good-heartedness, while reminding us to be grateful for the everyday.

A fabulous read from beginning to end, couldn’t stop once I’d started. An amusing, light hearted holiday read that will leaving you hoping for more. The author writes with such humour and intrigue and has you question similarities you may have to the extremely vivid characters and wonderful story line.

A frightfully spiffing, good read!

Have I just used the words “frightfully spiffing” to describe this very enjoyable novel? Yes! Why may you ask? Because dear reader AJ Pearce has captured the language used in the 1930s and 40s to perfection.

Miss Emmeline (Emmy) Lake spots an advert for a part-time Junior at Launceston Press Ltd – the publishers of The London Evening Chronicle and assumes that this is a position for a junior working within the newspaper. Unfortunately, it’s not. It’s working as a general dogsbody for Mrs Bird, a fire-breathing dragon, who is the editor of a page in Woman’s Friend (a magazine published under the Launceston umbrella) called Henrietta Bird Helps. She soon discovers that, in fact, Mrs Bird finds most subjects unacceptable and when these letters arrive, Emmy has the unpleasant task of destroying them.

Emmy is someone who hates to see injustice and thinks that Mrs Bird’s refusal to read these letters, written by desperate women, is wrong, so she starts secretly replying to them, using office stationery and signing as Henrietta Bird.

Bunty, (Miss Marigold Tavistock), her childhood and best friend (and flatmate), works in the War Office. She’s engaged to William (Bill) who decided to enlist as a fulltime fireman when he was refused acceptance in the army “because of his funny ears (the bits inside – from the outside you couldn’t tell)”.

As Emmy is only working part-time at The Launceston Press, she takes a voluntary job at the same fire brigade unit where William is stationed. This is where she sees the full-on destruction of London as the Germans come in night after night with their bombs.

The friends don’t lose their sense of fun or good humour regardless of the horrors of war, until a fateful night when they should be out celebrating but end up facing life-changing events.

I must admit that this book didn’t grab me at first. It took me some time to fully grasp the author using expressions no longer in use and the description of how people acted in that era was strange. Then it suddenly clicked and my eyes were opened to this glorious use of language that has, unfortunately, faded into the deepest realms of memory. With technology, we’ve moved away from genteel behaviour and daily letter writing into an age when language is shortened because we’re sending text messages or emails. We’ve lost that unique, British stiff-upper-lip behaviour.

This book is a reminder that WW2 was catastrophic in its devastation of cities like London, where, due to the bombing, the citizens would get up each morning not knowing whether it would be the day that their lives could be lost or altered forever. But, they woke up with grit and determination regardless of what that day brought because they were never going to be beaten by the fascist armies controlled by Hitler.

If, like me, you had no real inside knowledge of people’s daily lives, especially those of the young people, then this novel will go a long way to helping you understand why the older generation still shows that same determination and backbone and why we should be listening to the stories they tell of their time living through the war.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce
I loved reading this book, It made me laugh and cry. Set during World War Two on the home front this story concerns Emmeline and Bunty, two young girls who are living through the blitz, following their dreams, romances and ambitions. Emmeline wants to be a war correspondent and applies for a job with the Launceton Press, but is so overwhelmed during the interviews she takes the job and finds herself working as a junior on The Woman’s Friend magazine, helping Mrs. Bird with the problems page. During the evening’s she works for the auxillary fire service, doing her ‘bit’.
I really enjoyed the period detail, the stiff upper lip style of the girls and their families. The story seems really authentic, and very touching. Quite serious in its way, touching on many emotional subjects without being maudlin, and giving the reader a real feeling of the make do and mend austerity of the war years. I felt real admiration for those who lived through that time. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an involving story, a very enjoyable book.

It’s 1941 and Britain is at war. Emmeline Lake has always wanted to be a journalist and is thrilled when she sees an advertisement in the newspaper for a job at the London Evening Chronicle. This could be her opportunity to become a Lady War Correspondent. How exciting!

To her delight, Emmy is offered the job and arrives at the Chronicle offices ready to ‘sniff out Political Intrigue, launch Difficult Questions at Governmental Representatives, or best of all, leap onto the last plane to a far-off country in order to send back Vital Reports of resistance and war’. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that there has been a misunderstanding. Emmy isn’t going to be a War Correspondent – she won’t even be working for the newspaper at all. Her new job actually involves typing up letters for Mrs Henrietta Bird’s problem page in the weekly women’s magazine Woman’s Friend, which happens to be based in the same building as the Chronicle. Emmy does her best to pretend that Everything Is Absolutely Tip Top (as you can see, she likes to think in capital letters), but really she is devastated. This is not what she had expected at all!

Trying to make the best of things, Emmy begins sorting through the letters, picking out some for Mrs Bird to reply to. She quickly discovers, though, that Mrs Bird has a whole list of words and topics which she considers unsuitable for publication in the magazine. Any letters which mention love, marriages, pregnancies, affairs or romantic relationships of any kind – almost all of them, in other words – must be rejected and thrown away immediately. Emmy can’t bear to see so many readers’ problems being ignored; if only there was something she could do to help…

Dear Mrs Bird was an absolute joy to read from start to finish! I loved Emmy from the beginning and her friendly, enthusiastic narrative voice pulled me straight into her world. She’s such a kind-hearted, well-meaning person, yet she doesn’t always say or do the right thing, which makes her feel very human. The language is perfect for the time period too and I could easily have believed that I was reading a much older book – and as I usually complain about language feeling too ‘modern’, that’s high praise from me!

At first, much as I was enjoying following Emmy’s adventures at Woman’s Friend and meeting the other characters in the story – who include her best friend Bunty, her fellow typist Kathleen, and the formidable Mrs Bird herself – I thought this was going to be a very light-hearted, cheerful novel despite the wartime setting. However, in the second half of the book there’s a noticeable change in the tone, as the bombing raids on London become more frequent and more ferocious. There’s drama, there’s tension and there’s heartbreak…but there’s never too much of any of these things and the book never loses its charm and its warmth.

Dear Mrs Bird is a lovely book and I was pleased to discover that there is already the possibility of a television adaptation. It will be perfect for a Sunday evening, I think. Meanwhile, I highly recommend finding yourself a copy of this book and getting to know Emmy and her friends.

Emmy soon realises that the job she has just accepted is not quite what she thought it would be. Rather than becoming part of a journalistic team investigating and helping reporters, she is a junior for a problem page at Woman’s Friend magazine. She is responsible for sifting through the letters looking for help and advice, sounds great but in actual fact there are certain things that Mrs Henrietta Bird will not have on her column. I say certain things but it turns out that most things will not appear in her column.

This is such a great read, set in London during the blitz. It has all the elements you would expect rationing, shortages of everyday items, sadness of loved ones away from home, despair when they do not return. The letters that are written to the magazine give a more personal feel to those women who are left at home possibly for the first time. This is a great way of giving a sense of time and place, it has a real feel of the time with references to clothing, films, music and obviously the war.

A lighter side is added to this with the antics of Emmy and how she decides to take things into her own hands. It has an almost chick lit feel to it and I thought it balanced the harrowing experiences people experienced as the war raged around them. It does have a great deal of emotion in it as you read the letters that have been sent in and also as you follow the characters through the story.

This is a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Once I started it I could not put it down. This is a book that I think would appeal to readers of lighter historical WWII fiction and definitely from a female perspective and thought it was a well-balanced book. This is a book that I would highly recommend. I also think this would be a great Book Club read, there are many things that would make some great discussion points.

Dear Mrs Bird is a delight to read. Young Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent during the Second World War. Along with her best friend Bunty she Does Her Bit for the war effort by volunteering for the Auxiliary Fire Service, answering emergency calls during overnight shifts. When she sees an advert for a position in a newspaper she grabs the opportunity and applies for the job. Unfortunately, it's not quite the job she thought it would be and she finds herself typing up answers for the problem page in a women's magazine. Even worse, her formidable boss, the eponymous Mrs Bird, has a rather large list of problems she considers Unacceptable or which she feels contain Unpleasantness and disregards. Emmy feels sorry and worried for the correspondents who are ignored and decides to reply to some of them herself, becoming bolder in this as the story goes along.

"How awful it would be with no one to listen. What if my only choice was to write to a perfect stranger in a magazine for reassurance or advice? And then, after all that, they ignored me and didn't reply. It would make things even worse."

AJ Pearce captured the atmosphere of the era perfectly particularly through the style of the writing, with all those capital letters at the beginning of words indicating Something Rather Important! The excitement of Doing Ones Bit, the importance of a Stiff Upper Lip and Keeping Ones Chin Up helped make the characters feel very real. I could see wartime London clearly in my head whether with people trying to carry on as normal or coming to terms with great devastation following an air raid. The camaraderie of Emmy's colleagues and Londoners in general in such testing times comes through strongly. I was touched by the strong friendship between Emmy and Bunty which was put to the test in very difficult circumstances, as Emmy begin to wonder how she can advise others while making such a mess of her own life.

Although Dear Mrs Bird begins in a rather light-hearted and humorous style, later in the book the author brings in the harsh realities of war and what was faced by the young people doing their bit for the war effort at home. The danger and traumas faced  and how they affected people were clearly evident. Here we see the characters trying to make the best of things and be brave. 


Dear Mrs Bird is a charming book really capturing the spirit of the era, celebrating friendship and the courage of ordinary people. I found it a Jolly Good Read and Really Rather Splendid!