Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

As a book, AJ Pearce’s Dear Mrs. Bird is wholly, well–endearing. Such a lovely book! There is humor, there is romance, there is tragedy, and there is triumph; there is also a great deal of pluck in the face of difficulty, as becomes a novel that takes place in London during the Blitz. Emmy is ridiculously likable, and as she is drawn into the lives of the readers of Woman’s Friend–a magazine at which she is (somewhat accidentally) employed–you root for her even as you hold your breath, knowing that her clandestine efforts to help must be–eventually–discovered. Her friends, her work with the Auxiliary Fire Service, and her changing personal life join with the fate of the magazine in making this a poignant, funny, and joyously hopeful book. (Basically, this is the PERFECT Quarantine read.) It’s available on audio through my library system, but honestly, if you can afford it, you should really support your local bookstore and go ahead and buy this one.*

*(Full confession: I bought it before reading it at a library sale, but it’s absolutely worth full price!)