Yours Cheerfully - A J Pearce

 

Description

The Times Top Ten Bestseller
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird comes Yours Cheerfully, the charming and hilarious tonic we've all been waiting for!

'Sweet, heart-warming and uplifting . . . Absolutely lovely!' - Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups
'Full of wit, friendship and the uplifting knowledge that when people come together, great changes can be made' - Katie Fforde, author of Wedding Season

London, September, 1941.

Following the departure of the formidable Editor, Henrietta Bird, from Woman’s Friend magazine, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake as she takes on the challenge of becoming a young wartime advice columnist. Her relationship with boyfriend Charles is blossoming, while Emmy’s best friend Bunty, is still reeling from the very worst of the Blitz, but bravely looking to the future. Together, the friends are determined to Make a Go of It.

When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit desperately needed female workers to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to step up and help. But when she and Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the very real challenges that women war workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma between doing her duty, and standing by her friends.

Every bit as funny, touching and cheering as AJ Pearce's debut, Dear Mrs Bird, Yours Cheerfully is a celebration of friendship, a testament to the strength of women and the importance of lifting each other up, even in the most challenging times.

Review

I loved the first book - Dear Mrs Bird - this one not so much.

The book is a follow on from Dear Mrs Bird but could be read as a standalone. We meet Emmy again and this time Mrs Bird from the first book has departed and so the "Yours Cheerfully" letters page is born and the title of this book.

Emmy is once again hands on with the advice to readers but this time it gets much more serious as she becomes involved with the War Office and the recruitment drive of women for the war effort. I must say that the fight the women have against men and the powers that be, was so disheartening but opened my eyes to a side of the war I had not thought about before. Young women without child care who needed to work.

I found this book to be rather slow in places and rather long and drawn out. At times it felt like when someone tells you a tale and they include every little detail, instead of just getting to the point. Unfortunately I did not find the "hilarious tonic" from the blurb, but it was certainly eye opening.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.