Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

When I first saw "Dear Mrs. Bird" I knew I needed to buy it because I'm going to be Mrs. Bird. So I was extra happy when I also loved the book, which further justified my purchase.

"Dear Mrs. Bird" by AJ Pearce takes place in WWII London and follows Emmy, a woman who wants nothing more than to be a journalist. So when she sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle she knows that she must get that job. In a whirlwind application process and an interview where Emmy doesn't ask nearly enough questions, she gets the job and all is well. But her first day reveals that she isn't making a step towards being the Lady War Correspondent that she dreams of, instead she is typing up letters for the advice column by Mrs. H. Bird, which couldn't be further from "real" news. But as letters keep pouring in that Mrs. Bird refuses to answer Emmy makes the decision to write back to them herself, signing as her boss. Many shenanigans ensue as Emmy tries to keep this secret from everyone in her life.

I loved reading this book. It was funny and felt so real that I had to keep reminding myself that these characters weren't actual people during WWII. And the humor was balanced by the real horrors that the residents of London faced during the Blitz, which certainly contributed to the realism of the novel. And it made me cry so much that I had to text my fiancé to let him know that I was ok and that my crying face was from a book, not something bad happening.

I would definitely recommend this book. It's a lovely and quick read, I read it basically in one sitting except I had to go to work halfway through. It's a story that will make you feel both happy and sad in turn and reminds us that we can all survive the worst of times as long as we keep going.

XO, Ellen