(BWF & Unofficial Trim) Yours Cheerfully / A J Pearce - 4****

[Book Concierge]

Yours Cheerfully – A.J. Pearce
4****

This is book two about Emmeline Lake, a young woman who was introduced to readers in Pearce’s Dear Mrs Bird . Emmy has now taken over the advice column, but she has also been tapped to helped formulate a new plan to encourage women to take up the jobs in factories that the men have left to fight in World War II.

I was completely charmed by Emmy in the first book and really like to see her continued growth as a woman and journalist. As Emmy meets the women on the line in a munitions factory she also begins to identify the societal and industrial prejudices that women are suffering. They are penalized if they are late or skip a day due to childcare issues, but neither the government nor the factory owners seem able to even recognize the unique issues faced by this new workforce, much less to address them. Well, Emmy is bound and determined to open the eyes of her readers and of the country’s leaders, and to advocate for solutions. I loved that she had a boss who was so supportive and encouraging, who even pushed her a bit to spread her wings.

Like many other readers, I’m getting tired of the barrage of WW2 books, but still really enjoy novels like these that deal with the effects of the war on those “back at home.”




LINK to my review

[Theresa]

On my TBR - I loved Dear Mrs. Bird, even gave a friend a copy for Christmas, and am delighted to see from your review that it continues to delight.

I am pretty much reading only WWII books that bring something different to the experience -- the homefront, US Japanese internments and ultimate relocations, contributions to war effort or saving Jews from an unexpected source - that last was Last Train to Istanbul.

[Book Concierge]

Theresa .. I think you would also enjoy Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. It is really a love letter to his mother, who was a Red Cross "Donut Dolly" in WW2. The author note at the end is a MUST read as well. But DO save it for the end.

[Theresa]

Book Concierge wrote: "Theresa .. I think you would also enjoy Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. It is really a love letter to his mother, who was a Red Cross "Donut Dolly" in WW2. T..."

I"ve added it as it does sound like it would suit me.