I loved the first book in this series, ‘Dear Mrs Bird’, and couldn’t wait to get back into the 1940s world of Emmy Lake and her friends. Thanks to Camilla Elworthy and Picador Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book picks up after the events of ‘Dear Mrs Bird’ when Emmy is still working for ‘Women’s Friend’ magazine and dispensing advice to her female readership. When a new opportunity arises, Emmy starts writing articles to help the Ministry of Information to recruit female war workers. She begins by interviewing munitions factory employees, becoming friends with her subjects. What she doesn’t foresee, however, is how deeply embroiled she will become in the women’s causes and lives.
In the backdrop to Emmy’s story arc, we still have her boyfriend, Charles, and best friend, Bunty. Both of these are lovely characters, Emmy’s cheerleaders and advisors even when they have faced some of the toughest things the Blitz can throw at them. Emmy’s boss, Guy Collins, also returns and provides some comic moments as he grapples a little inexpertly with running a women’s magazine.
As with the first novel, Emmy is a glorious character and a perfect narrator to take us through her wartime world – although the focus this time is on her journalism, excluding her voluntary job with the Fire Service that featured more extensively in the first book. She is sweet, self-aware and humorous and the reader can’t help but root for her as she takes on bitchy journalists and overcomes her own uncertainty.
The book is charming and funny, managing to evoke a sense of the cameraderie and community of the Blitz spirit amongst those on the Home Front. It feels nostalgic for a world that possibly never actually existed, although A J Pearce also doesn’t shy away from the tragedies of war and the human cost.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoyed ‘Dear Mrs Bird’ and wants a second slice of the wartime action. If you are new to A J Pearce’s writing, I’d definitely recommend that you start with the first novel as you’ll want to understand the back story of all the key characters and Emmy’s ‘Unfortunate Hiccups That Couldn’t Be Helped’ – ‘Yours Cheerfully’ absolutely could be read without the first book but why miss out on the fun?
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Lovely review can really tell you enjoyed it 🙂
Nice review, I’m looking forward to reading this