Dear Mrs Bird

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones.com
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 5 Apr 2018 | Archive Date 10 Jan 2019

Description

THE DEBUT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

'Funny, fresh, and touching, Dear Mrs Bird is a treat of a read' - Annie Barrows, author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

'The sweetest, most uplifting, lovely book about courage, friendship, love . . . It'll be huge; it deserves to be' - Marian Keyes

London, 1941. 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. But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can't bear to let their children be evacuated, she 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 the enduring power of friendship, the kindness of strangers and the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

'A marvellous treat. Charming and delightful' - Nina Stibbe

'A joy from start to finish. Dear Mrs Bird is as funny as it is heart-warming' - John Boyne

THE DEBUT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

'Funny, fresh, and touching, Dear Mrs Bird is a treat of a read' - Annie Barrows, author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

'The...


Advance Praise

I love this book-Julie Cohen

AJ Pearce is one of those rare writers who make you laugh and cry on the same page and keeps you turning the pages until you’ve finished.  A wonderful new voice-Katie Fforde

I've never read a novel that has grabbed me by the heart quite so much as this one-Shelley Harris


I love this book-Julie Cohen

AJ Pearce is one of those rare writers who make you laugh and cry on the same page and keeps you turning the pages until you’ve finished. A wonderful new voice-Katie...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781509853892
PRICE £12.99 (GBP)
PAGES 320

Average rating from 165 members


Featured Reviews

An original and heartwarming read that restores optimism, despite its wartime setting. I particularly enjoyed the enohasis on letters, an art form less oractised nowadays! As a regular reader of problem pages, I also found the author’s research into the history and etiquette of this genre insightful. My advice to Hesitant Reader? Read it!

Was this review helpful?

Easily the best book I have read this year! This wonderful novel drew me in instantly - I really couldn't put it down and was totally bereft to leave it behind at the finish. Emmy's WW2 London is so evocatively portrayed ( I absolutely loved the clever use of so many typical 1940s phrases) it had me smiling, laughing out loud and close to tears so many times. A feel good story despite all the death and destruction going on around. As Emmy would say - 'chin up and crack on' - is the theme of this remarkable piece of fiction.

Was this review helpful?

I could not put this book down from the moment I started it. Set against the background of the blitz, Emmy Lake aspires to be a journalist and is beyond excitement when she gains a job at the London Evening Chronicle - however, she's mistaken and the job is actually with its sister magazine Woman's Friend. Emmy is employed as a junior typist to Mrs Bird, who writes the advice column. Gradually Emmy starts to push against boundaries, and takes it upon herself to start answering the "Dear Mrs Bird" letters. After tragedy strikes in the Blitz, Emmy's letter writing is uncovered - how will the chairman of the board deal with her? Can she restore lost friendships and keep her own romance going? A sweet and beautiful debut novel.

Was this review helpful?

Oh this is a truly lovely book. The sort of book you want to cuddle. It made me laugh and cry and laugh again. The characters were beautifully drawn and very relateable, the story was wonderfully original and the setting was brilliantly constructed. It is set at the start of WWII and follows the fortunes of Emmy, a young woman, who starts a job as an assistant to an agony aunt in a failing magazine. Through readers letters and Emmy's own experiences, you really get a feel for what life was like, the pain of separation, the terror of the bombing and the need To Keep Your Chin Up and Crack On, regardless. Having said that, this is, on the whole a cheerful book, with a heart-warming theme. The author has such a talent for describing awkward moments with an understated charm, it made me laugh out loud. I loved her use of language and the way she capitalised the sayings of the time. Utterly delightful.

My thanks to Net Galley, Pan MacMillan and the author for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read a book that will stay with me for a long time and which I will introduce to my Book Group next year. (This is the second time I will have brought a Net Galley book to the notice of our village Book Group.) 'Lost for words' was loved by everyone.) What a treat awaits 2018 readers as they discover a wonderful, engaging protagonist in Emmeline Lake, Emmy.
Set in London in wartime, the reader will soar to the heights and plumb the depths as they travel with Emmy, through the reality of the London blitz. Laughter quickly turns to tears as we feel the fear, taste the dust and witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the bombing. The bravery too of many of the civilian population who worked in the Fire Service amidst such danger as it is difficult to comprehend.

A.J. Pearce shows great skill as she draws her characters and sets the scenes. Emmy is a loveable scatterbrain who we take to our hearts as her good intentions backfire on her. She has very real depth. as do the other characters. Mrs Bird comes to life (I would have cast Margaret Rutherford as Mrs Bird!) with her 'jolly hockey sticks', imperious 'show some backbone' approach to life.
The importance of female friendship is brought to the fore in this excellent novel which I can't praise highly enough. and it will seem a long wait for A.J. Pearce's second book to materialize.

Was this review helpful?

The year is 1940 and Emmy is juggling an unfulfilling job in a solicitor's office with night shifts doing war work for the fire brigade. When she spots an advert for what she believes will be her ideal job, she jumps at the chance to work in journalism for The Evening Standard. Instead, she finds herself working for a magazine in decline, Woman's Friend, sifting the agony aunt letters for the formidable Mrs Bird.

The story follows Emmy as she negotiates her new job, friendships and relationships, all against the backdrop of the Luftwaffe's attacks on London.

Emmy is an appealing narrator and there are some great characters in the story - Mrs Bird is fantastically awful, while Emmy's other work colleagues are funny and charming. Emmy's best friend (Bunty) was a bit irritating, but not everyone can be perfect!

Overall, this was a warm and engaging book, although it is far from cosy in tackling the impact of the Blitz on the civilians and firefighters of London. However, there's much to enjoy and this is a satisfying read.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely brilliant. There is a wonderfully cosy feel to the writing and all would be ' frightfully good' and ' jolly good fun' were it not for the fact that this is London in the worst of the Blitz.
This is a rare book that can have me smiling about a quirky turn of phrase on one page and weeping on the next.
The characters are sympathetically drawn, the action varies from trotting along nicely to dramatic, the style of writing is superb.
I can't wait for another book by this author.
Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?

A joy and a delight. Loved this book from start to finish. Mrs Bird deserves to fly - and I am sure she will.

Was this review helpful?

Insight into life during WWII with Emmy who works for the auxiliary fire service in the evenings and has a dream to be a journalist. The author has a warm and engaging style and is able to make you feel what it could have been like in those war-torn years. I loved the relationship between Emmy and Bunty - and often found myself wondering whether the story would have unfolded in the same way if it had been a contemporary story. The other characters were fabulous - from the staid Kathleen to the gentle Mr Collins and the imposing Mrs Bird! Whilst she was many caricatures rolled into one, she was also so realistic and schoolmarmish that she reminded me of Miss Trunchbull from Matilda.

An interesting read 4*

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. A read for when you're wanting something light and cheering.

I liked the characters and the wartime vibe, and the plot was well thought out. I hope there's a follow up!

Hearty thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A thoroughly delightful book! I loved how the characters were quite simple and naive, though they were facing some of the most terrible times. A wonderful story that brought to mind my grandparents who would have been young adults during the war. Excellent.

Was this review helpful?

The best book I’ve read this year! I loved, loved, loved it!!! Set in London during the 1940s, Emmeline is working as a secretary by day and answering telephones for the fire service by night. Thinking that she’d got a job working as a reporter’s assistant, she finds herself sifting through problems for a women’s magazine problem page, for the editor Mrs Bird. The stories highlighted really bring home some of the realities of the Home Front, and Emmeline’s story is beautifully written-believable, touching, lighthearted and fun. The book shows both the fun times and the darker side of life during war time. I loved the beautifully written characters who really came to life, as they shared their worries and their hopes for the future. This was a book I really struggled to put down, I loved everything about it. I’d love to read more of Emmelines escapades and find out how she gets through the rest of the war. A***********. I cannot recommend this highly enough!

Was this review helpful?

This is set during the second world war and gives a sense of what life was like. The main character Emmaline is feisty and likeable, often tends to be heart over head and can act without thinking.
There are some sad moments but also some humour.. I thought that all the characters were well drawn.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book

Was this review helpful?

Dear Mrs Bird is simply gorgeous. It’s a war time romp of mishaps, comedy, fun and tragedy, spun deliciously as if it was made for a series. It’s perfect pick-you-up reading with compassion at its heart. A joy to read. I’d love to see it turned into a TV drama too.

Was this review helpful?

An Awfully Good book. It portrays the realities of Keeping Calm and Carrying On in an entertaining and thought provoking way. It made me laugh and cry. Jolly Well Done!

Was this review helpful?

London 1940 and Emmeline Lake wants to become a reporter and do her bit for the war effort. The chirpy language takes the reader straight to 1940 to the 'can do' and 'we can beat this' attitude of the time.
Emmy gets what she thinks is her dream job, but then realises she is actually assistant to an Agony Aunt - Mrs Bird- who has a very strict moral code.
This book takes the reader through a rainbow of emotions; one minute laughing at the situations Emmy
finds herself in, the next crying at the devastation of both human life and dreams of the future.
Colourful characters abound and I would recommend this as a social insight into living in London through the war. A sequel would be good too!

Was this review helpful?

Emmeline Lake and her friend, Bunty, live in London. It is 1940 and the Germans are making rather a nuisance of themselves, but neither are downhearted. In fact, Emmy has big dreams of being a Lady War Correspondent and, when she sees an advert for part-time work at the London Evening Chronicle, she writes off with high hopes. However, before long, she realises that her Enthusiasm (there are a lot of Capital Letters in this book) has meant that she has rushed in without thinking. Rather than finding herself on the first rung of the ladder towards journalism, she is stuck typing up letters for agony aunt, Mrs Bird – who runs the ‘Henrietta Helps,’ column for “Woman’s Friend,” a magazine, which shares nothing with the London Evening Chronicle, other than offices in the same building.

To be honest, when the first question at her interview was, “are you easily scared?” Emmy should have been fore-warned about her new employer. Apart from shouting a lot, Mrs Bird does very little. She does, however, insist that letters which refer to any kind of Unpleasantness, are thrown in the bin. Such unacceptable topics include marital relations, pre-marital relations, extra-marital relations, physical relations, politics or illegal activities. Before long, Emmy, bemoaning the fact that the agony column is not really helping anyone, begins to answer the letters herself…

This debut novel is funny, moving, charming and paints a wonderfully evocative portrait of wartime London. As well as telling a story with great humour, the author also shows how the war caused all kinds of social, and personal, upheaval. Although Mrs Bird’s advice was that everyone should Buck Up and Get On With Things, these unprecedented events did mean that life was, largely, thrown into disarray for most of the inhabitants of the country. She also shows the bravery of those on the Home Front, who faced the bombings, upheaval and shortages with fortitude and a complete inability to accept that things would not work out in the end. I adored this novel and received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, for which many thanks are due.

Was this review helpful?

This book is set in London during the Second World War. A young women is trying to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist in bombed out London.
The story starts very optimistic with a young women living with a friend in central London, working at a women's magazine and volunteering for the war effort. The tone is so optimistic as she tries to help other women, spends nights at the fire station and makes so much effort in staying optimistic for her future in spite of nearly daily bombing raids of the germans.
The tone changes dramatically when her friends gets involved in the bombings and her social life starts to unravel. But still, this book is such a joy to read. It gives insight in times now far away from us, when women were finding their way in life, fighting prejudice and taking control of their own lifes, without depending on men.
I really loved reading this book, it's up-lifting and eye-opening.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: