When we last met our frustrated reader, no books had been able to grab and hold her attention for mother than a tiny bit. Certainly not long enough to get immersed in a book and truly intrigued by the characters.
However, one early autumnal day, the woman went through her always growing wish list of books to read and a blue and red cover popped out. Why on that particular day, did this book that had been on her list for a time reach out? So very difficult to tell.
However, when the woman opened the volume of ‘Dear Mrs. Byrd” by A.J. Pearce, she suddenly found herself in London during the Blitz. She was cheering on the plucky Emmeline “Emmy” Lake and her feisty courageousness, as well as her penchant for getting into a wee bit of trouble. No truer friend could be found than Bunty and the crew at Women’s Friend magazine and the fire station.
Through the horrors of the Blitz, the whole cast of characters showed the plucky grit and determination that was such a hallmark of the British during World War II. Keep Calm and Carry On, was the saying. As she pored over the pages, that old comfortable feeling of escaping into a book seeped back into her being. As she read along and wiped a tear or two, she found she could not wait for the next installment of the Emmy Lake chronicles. Although, she was not apt to read a series one after the other, she opted for getting the next installment immediately. This was not her standard route, as after all, what if an author decided that no more books were forthcoming? It’s like eating the box of chocolate in one go, rather than having a piece or two for many days to savor.
Well, after the end of “Dear Mrs. Byrd” she quickly obtained a copy of “Cheerfully Yours.” Spending time with the plucky Emmy, Bunty, Mr. Collins and crew was welcome. It was interesting to realize that the British government wanted and needed women desperately to be working in factories and other areas that were traditionally filled by men during the war. However, with so many other pressing concerns, it appeared that providing child care for these women was problematic. There were many widowed women who had to work, who also had no family or neighbor support to watch the children.
So she cheered Emmy, Bunty and their new friends again, as they stridently supported the war effort and tried to make a difference for working women. This second book in the series had our frustrated reader looking forward to “Mrs. Porter Calling” and she encourages you to do so as well.
Happy Reading!
