Stiff upper lips all round: a comedian novel approximately an agony aunt in wartime London proves as hilarious as it is movingA jolly romp through London in the blitz sounds like an unlikely notion for a novel,but Dear Mrs Bird is full of poignant moments that cut through the froth of its narrator’s voice. Miss Emmeline Lake is a plucky gal who lives in a smart flat with her best friend, Bunty, and dreams of fitting a lady war correspondent. This is a world in which young couples make “a lovely effort to be homosexual approximately things”,one’s regiment has a bit of a time of it”, and Boots in the high street has “taken a biff during the raids”. It’s stiff upper-class lips all round.
Emmy’s journalistic ambitions also take a biff when she accidentally applies for a job typing up letters for a women’s magazine problem page, and elope by a termagant in a feathery hat. Henrietta Bird issues Emmy with an extensive list of “Topics That Will Not Be Published Or Responded To By Mrs Bird … not exclusive and will be added to when required”,but Emmy finds herself moved by her correspondents troubles, and begins, and rather rashly,to reply them.
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Source: guardian.co.uk