Dear Mrs. Bird: A Novel by A.J. Pearce (English) Paperback Book

Description: Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce "Originally published in Great Britain in 2018 by Picador." FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description This charming, irresistible debut novel set in London during World War II about a young woman who longs to be a war correspondent and inadvertently becomes a secret advice columnist is "a jaunty, heartbreaking winner" (People)--for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Lilac Girls. 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 Womans 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 cant bear to let their children be evacuated, she begins to secretly write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles. "Fans of Jojo Moyes will enjoy AJ Pearces debut, with its plucky female characters and fresh portrait of womens lives in wartime Britain" (Library Journal)--a love letter to the enduring power of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times. "Headlined by its winning lead character, who always keeps carrying on, Pearces novel is a delight" (Publishers Weekly). Irrepressibly funny and enormously moving, Dear Mrs. Bird is "funny and poignant...about the strength of women and the importance of friendship" (Star Tribune, Minneapolis). Author Biography AJ Pearce grew up in Hampshire, England. She studied at the University of Sussex and Northwestern University. A chance discovery of a 1939 womens magazine became the inspiration for her series The Emmy Lake Chronicles, which includes Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully, and Mrs. Porter Calling. She lives in the south of England. Review "A joy from start to finish. Dear Mrs. Bird is as funny as it is heartwarming." --John Boyne, author of The Hearts Invisible Furies"A marvelous treat. Charming and delightful." --Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina"A winning wartime romp, as hilarious as it is moving . . . the novels spirit is madly winning, and its foregrounding of wartime women seems spiffingly modern." --The Guardian"Books that make you shake with laughter and sob with tears are rare. I gulped this one down but didnt stop thinking about it for a long time." --Katie Fforde, author of A Secret Garden"Charming and funny." --New York Post"Clever... The novel has a wonderfully droll tone, a reminder of the exuberance of youth even under dire circumstances. Headlined by its winning lead character, who always keeps carrying on, Pearces novel is a delight." --Publishers Weekly "Emmeline Lake, the heroine of Dear Mrs. Bird, is the most endearing character to emerge from the world of British fiction since Bridget Jones. Shes funny, shes indefatigable, and she faces the worst of circumstances with the pluckiest of resolves. You cannot help but love her."--Kimmery Martin, author of The Queen of Hearts"Fans of Jojo Moyes will enjoy Pearces debut, with its plucky female characters and fresh portrait of womens lives in wartime Britain." --Library Journal"Funny, fresh, and touching, Dear Mrs. Bird is a pitch-perfect pleasure. Its a rare and wonderful thing to read a book that seems to live properly in its era." --Annie Barrows, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society"I relished every moment of Dear Mrs. Bird. What a joy! Hilarious, heartwarming, and unutterably charming." --Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies Choir"Perfect wartime details, but its the voice that really makes this debut shine. A tragicomedy set amid falling bombs, its a jaunty, heartbreaking winner." --People"Set against a backdrop of war-torn London, this is a charming and heartfelt novel. Pearce brings to life a tale of true friendship, and how love will outlast even the most challenging times." --Booklist"The sweetest, most uplifting, lovely book about courage, friendship, love." --Marian Keyes"There is more to this very English novel than first meets the eye . . . a delightful read -- funny and poignant . . . It is about the home front during war, yes, but even more it is about the strength of women, the importance of friendship and the toll of stoicism. --Laurie Hertzel, Minneapolis Star Tribune"Utterly charming and helplessly funny." --Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner"Vividly evocative of wartime life... a very English tribute to the women of the homefront." --Kirkus Review Quote "Vividly evocative of wartime life... a very English tribute to the women of the homefront." -- Kirkus Excerpt from Book Dear Mrs. Bird Chapter 1 AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE NEWSPAPER When I first saw the advertisement in the newspaper I thought I might actually burst. Id had rather a cheerful day so far despite the Luftwaffe annoying everyone by making us all late for work, and then Id managed to get hold of an onion, which was very good news for a stew. But when I saw the announcement, I could not have been more cock-a-hoop. It was a quarter past three on one of those wretched December afternoons when the day seemed to start getting dark before it had quite made up its mind to be light, and even with two vests and a greatcoat on, it was impossible to get warm. Sitting on the top deck of the number 24 bus, I could see my breath if I huffed. I was on my way home from my job as a secretary at Strawmans Solicitors and looking forward to a sit-down before my overnight shift on the fire-station telephones. I had already read every word of The Evening Chronicles news pages and was now looking at the horoscopes, which I didnt believe in but thought worth a go just in case. For my best friend Bunty it said, "You will be in the money soon enough. Lucky animal: polecat," which was promising, and for me, "Things may pick up eventually. Lucky fish: cod," which in comparison was rather a dud. And then I saw it, under "Situations Vacant," squeezed between a position for Jam Boilers (no experience necessary) and a Mature Supervisor at an overalls factory (references preferred). JUNIOR WANTED Part-time Junior required at Launceston Press Ltd., publishers of The London Evening Chronicle. Must be capable, enthusiastic hard worker with 60 wpm typing/110 wpm shorthand. Letters soonest to Mrs. H. Bird, Launceston Press Ltd., Launceston House, London EC4. It was the best job I had ever seen in my life. If there was anything I wanted most in the world (other, of course, than for the war to end and Hitler to die a quite grisly death), it was to be a journalist. Or to be precise, what people in the know referred to as a Lady War Correspondent. For the last ten years--ever since Id won a trip to the local newspaper as my prize for writing a quite dreadful poem when I was twelve--I had dreamt of a journalistic career. Now my heart beat like anything, thumping through the vests and the greatcoat and threatening to leap right out and onto the lady in the next seat. I was jolly grateful for the job at Strawmans, but I was desperate to learn how to be a reporter. The sort of person who always had a notebook in hand, ready to sniff out Political Intrigue, launch Difficult Questions at Governmental Representatives, or, best of all, leap onto the last plane to a far-off country in order to send back Vital Reports of resistance and war. At school my teachers had told me to simmer down and not have such excitable aspirations, even if English was my best subject. They stopped me writing to the Prime Minister about his Foreign Policy for the school magazine as well. It had been a dispiriting start. Since then I had persevered, but finding a job when I had almost no experience had proved tricky, especially as I had set my heart on working for a newspaper in Londons Fleet Street. Although in general an optimist, even I didnt think three summer holidays writing for The Little Whitfield Gazette was going to get me to Berlin. But now here was my chance. I examined the advert again, wondering if I might make the grade. Capable That was me, even if I wasnt sure what they wanted me to be capable of. Enthusiastic Id say. I was very nearly shouting like a mad person on the bus. Hard worker I would sleep on the office floor if thats what it took. * * * I couldnt wait to apply. I rang the bell to get off at the next stop and at the jaunty ping the bus began to slow down. I grabbed my handbag, gas mask, and the onion, shoved the newspaper under my arm, and hurried downstairs double quick, managing to leave one of my gloves behind in the rush. "Thank you," I shouted at the conductress, narrowly avoiding flattening her as I leapt off the back of the bus. It hadnt quite come to a halt next to where Boots the Chemist was still open despite having had all its windows blown out the week before last, but I jumped onto what remained of the pavement and began to head towards home. Boots wasnt the only shop to have taken a biff during the raids. The whole street had had a rotten time of it. The grocers was now little more than half a wall and some rubble, four of the flats next door had been completely bombed out, and there was just a big gap where Mr. Parsons wool shop had been. Pimlico may still have had its chin up, but it hadnt been without loss. Hurdling craters, I ran across the street, slowing down as I called a hello to Mr. Bone the newsagent ("With my name youd think Id be a butcher!"), who was rearranging a stack of papers outside his shop. He had his wardens overalls on already and blew on his fingers to keep warm. "Afternoon, Emmy," he said between puffs. "Have you got the early edition? Lovely picture of Their Majesties on the front page." He smiled brightly. Despite everything the war had done to him, Mr. Bone was the most cheery man I knew. It didnt matter how horrible the news was, he always pointed out something nice. "No, dont stop--I can see youre in a bit of a rush." Usually I would stay to chat about the days news. Mr. Bone sometimes gave me back issues of newspapers or Picture Post if someone had reserved one but forgotten to collect it, even if he was meant to send them back to the publisher, but today I just had to get home. "Page two, Mr. Bone," I shouted gratefully. "The Chronicle needs a Junior. I think this might be the one!" Mr. Bone was terrifically supportive of my dream to become a Lady War Correspondent, even if he did worry about my wanting to go behind enemy lines, and now he broke into an even bigger smile and waved a copy of the evening paper in triumph. "Thats the spirit, Emmy," he shouted. "Best of luck. Ill save you todays Times." I yelled a thank-you and waved my free hand wildly as I ran on to the end of the road. A few minutes more and then a sharp right, avoiding two elderly ladies who were showing great interest in Walter the hot potato man, most probably because of the warmth, and then past the tearooms to home. Bunty and I shared a flat on the top floor of her grannys house in Braybon Street. If there was an air raid, it could be a mad dash downstairs to the Anderson shelter in the garden, but we were used to it by now so it didnt worry us unduly, and we were awfully lucky to live there for free. I threw open the front door, rushed across the tiled hallway and up the stairs. "BUNTY," I shouted, hoping she might hear me from three floors up. "Youll never guess what. Ive got the best ever news." By the time I made it to the top of the stairs, Bunty had appeared from her bedroom, wearing her dressing gown and wiping sleep out of her eyes. She was working nights as a secretary at the War Office but of course had to be very tight-lipped about exactly what that involved. "Have we won the war?" she said. "They didnt say anything at work." "Only a matter of time," I said. "No, but look, next best thing." I shoved the newspaper into her hand. "Jam Boiler?" "No, you idiot. Underneath." Bunty grinned and scanned the page again, her eyes widening as she saw the advertisement. "Oh my LORD." Her voice got louder with every word. "EMMY, THIS IS YOUR JOB." I nodded violently. "Do you think so? Really? It is, isnt it?" I said, not making any sense. "Of course it is. Youre going to be marvellous." Bunty was the most loyal friend in the world. She was also tremendously practical, and leapt into action with immediate effect. "You need to write to them today. Be the first in line. Mr. Strawman will give you a reference, wont he? And Captain Davies at the station. Oh goodness--will you still be able to do your shifts there?" As well as my day-time position at the solicitors, I had joined the Auxiliary Fire Service as a volunteer before the start of the Blitz. My brother, Jack, had been flying and fighting like mad and it was high time I pulled my weight too. Buntys boyfriend, William, was a full-time fireman on B Watch and when he suggested volunteering as a telephone operator at Carlton Street fire station, it sounded ideal. I would work three nights a week and fit it in around my secretarial job. An interview with the stations Captain Davies, a medical to make sure I wasnt about to conk out, and there I was. Smart navy blue uniform with gleaming buttons, stout black shoes, and as proud as punch in my cap with its AFS badge. Bunty and I had known William since we were children, and when I joined the Service our village newspaper had come up to London and taken a picture of the three of us. They printed it with the headline "Little Whitfield to the Rescue" and made it sound as if William and Bunty and I were responsible for keeping the entire Details ISBN1501170074 Author A.J. Pearce Short Title DEAR MRS BIRD Pages 288 Publisher Scribner Book Company Language English ISBN-10 1501170074 ISBN-13 9781501170072 Format Paperback DEWEY 823.92 Year 2019 Publication Date 2019-05-07 Subtitle A Novel Series Number 1 Series The Emmy Lake Chronicles Imprint Scribner Book Company Audience General UK Release Date 2019-05-07 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:124951073;

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