Medium – Book
About the Book – The sequel to ‘Dear Mrs Bird’, in this book we find Emmeline Lake, our heroine, keeping the home fires burning during WW2. She has retained her job at the ‘Woman’s Friend’ magazine, thanks to the lovely editor, Mr Collins, and has been tasked with finding ways to increase women’s recruitment to the war effort, which she does with the able assistance of her friend, Bunty. She visits a munitions factory where another friend, Anne, is working and finds patriotic and hard-working women but also injustice and discrimination. Between that, and marrying her sweetheart, Captain Charles Mayhew, Emmy has a lot on her plate as the war rumbles on.
My Rating – 5/5
My Thoughts – If you only read one book this year, read this one. Obviously, you may need to read Dear Mrs Bird first, but after, read this one. It’s brilliant. So why do I think it is so great? Firstly, it is set during WW2, which is one of my favourite periods for books. The storyline and general mood is poignant and does not shy away from the horrors of war, but at the same time, it is also funny and up-lifting. The plot which follows the female characters through the injustices of working for the munitions factory – they want to work, but there’s no nursery for their children, so they get fired – really makes you think about the sacrifices that these women made for their country. The other main plot, that of Emmy and her Captain Mayhew, is a lovely, truly romantic narrative, with the bitter-sweetness of knowing that they may be separated.
The characters are utterly marvellous. Emmy is a gift – she is funny, likable and flawed, often talking too much and letting her temper get the better of her. Bunty, her best friend, is a true ‘jolly hockey sticks’ girl, but not snobby. Their friendship is truly ‘friend-goals’ and after what happened to Bunty in the last book, I was so glad that it had remained solid. Charles and Mr Collins are both fantastic male characters – they let Emmy and Bunty go off on their adventures and quietly support them as they do. Every single other character in the book, from Anne (one of the munitions factory workers) and her children, to Emmy’s parents and brother are delightfully drawn. Just reading about them makes you feel like you are part of the family. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to appear, and I do hope it won’t be long!
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