Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

                                                           

 Title: Dear Mrs. Bird

Author: AJ Pearce

Genre: Historical Fiction


Synopsis: "Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are doing their bit for the war effort and trying to stay cheerful, despite the German planes making their nightly raids. 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, renowned advice columnist of Woman’s Friend magazine.

Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin. But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who many have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she begins to secretly write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles." - Back Cover

My Thoughts

I laughed, I cried... I cried some more. I had expected a narrative about women breaking into journalism, but this novel has much more than that. I loved Emmy's amusing inner dialogue and her tendency to speak extra loud when she is nervous. It is a wonderful story of friendship, hardship, and doing your part during WWII. Emmy's determination to answer the 'less than pleasant' questions of women who had no one else to turn to is endearing and risky, which makes her all the more lovable. 

Of course, as a story set in war times, be prepared for some seriously tear-jerking moments. Emmy faces some serious personal losses, but not what you might expect, adding depth and to her bubbly personality.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!




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Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

                                                              

 Title: Voyager

Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, SciFi, Historical, Fantasy

Other books I've read by this author: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber

Synopsis: "Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.
Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite--or forever doom--her timeless love." - back cover

My Thoughts

So much happens in this third book of the Outlander series that I had to use the back cover synopsis rather than write my own. Just thinking about all the settings in this book was overwhelming to try to write about; 1969 in Boston, 1766 in Edinburgh, Lallybroch, France, at sea, Jamaica. All taking place in 4 months' time and just over 1000 pages... its a lot.

As ever, Gabaldon brings back a bunch of familiar characters, even ones you don't expect to find in Claire and Jamie's varied travels. It is well researched, so it all makes sense why certain unexpected characters would pop up in new places based on what was happening there in the mid-1700s.

For those of you who also watch the show, there are a few major events that are portrayed differently than they were in season 3 but the outcome is the same so the story still goes in the same direction. Often I would think, well that would be hard to portray on TV, or that would take way more time than the show could allow for.

Once again, I was engaged from beginning to end and read it faster than I thought I would. I look forward to book 4! 

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!




To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above