In 1940 London, Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are working and volunteering for the war effort and surviving the almost nightly bombing attacks on the city. Emmy has dreamed of becoming a war correspondent, so when she sees an ad in the paper for a journalist position she immediately applies and is hired. However, the job is not what she was expecting - at all. On her first day she finds out that she is actually working for Woman’s Hour magazine, a magazine that was already old fashioned in 1940. And not only that, she’s working for the formidable Henrietta Bird, a domineering advice columnist who will only answer the most benign questions such as “When is the best time to plant begonias?” or “How can I get my chickens to lay more eggs?” She refuses to answer any questions dealing with marital relations, dating problems, sex and the like. So, on the sly, Emmy begins to answer them on her own by writing letters to the desperate advice seekers. And then she slips one of her answers into the actual publication. And then she is found out by her friend Bunty and it takes a toll on their friendship. But will she be found out by Mrs. Bird?
Dear Mrs. Bird is a charming novel filled with period details and language, and features wonderful characters you will want to be friends with. If you like novels about wartime endurance, plucky young women making a go of a career and books like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society you’ll love Mrs. Bird. This book is also featured on the July 2018 LibraryReads list. - Anbolyn (Sunset)