What I have been Reading- May 2021

 

I have been doing a lot of reading and studying for an exam next week so reading has not been top of my list. Only one book this month.

The Blurb

London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.

Mrs Bird is very clear: Any letters containing Unpleasantness—must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant letters from women who are lonely, may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men and found themselves in trouble, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write letters back to the women of all ages who have spilled out their troubles.

Prepare to fall head over heels with Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are spirited and gutsy, even in the face of events that bring a terrible blow. As the bombs continue to fall, the irrepressible Emmy keeps writing, and readers are transformed by AJ Pearce’s hilarious, heartwarming, and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Emmy is always optimistic and the keep calm and carry on spirit comes through constantly. It feels like a sharp contrast to the gloomy attitude of the pandemic which seems to have become more common in people with everyone moaning about it. I appreciate that people have found it difficult not being able to go out and see family and have struggled mentally, but generally if we followed the rules we were in a lot less danger than being in the Blitz during World War 2.

Even during the difficult times Emmy’s spirit and determination shone through when a lot of us would have given up, and I really admired that and hope that if ever I am faced with a situation Emmy and Bunty found themselves in I can show half of the grit she did.

It also made me want to read some of the women’s magazines that were published during the war and afterwards to see how much things have changed with regards to articles.