Emmy’s Winning Wisdom.

Book Review for “Dear Mrs. Bird” by AJ Pearce. Summary: "London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War … Continue reading Emmy’s Winning Wisdom. →

Women Helping with Wartime Hardships.

Book Review for “Yours Cheerfully” by AJ Pearce. Summary: "London, November 1941. Following the departure of the formidable 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 (now stationed back in the UK) … Continue reading Women Helping with Wartime Hardships. →

A Fashion of Fighting.

Book Review for “Sisters of the Resistance” by Christine Wells. Summary: "France, 1944: The Nazis still occupy Paris, and twenty-five-year-old Gabby Foucher hates these enemies, though, as the concierge of ten rue Royale, she makes it a point to avoid trouble, unlike her sister Yvette. Until she, like her sister, is recruited into the Resistance … Continue reading A Fashion of Fighting. →

Precious Memories.

Book Review for “The Last Night in London” by Karen White. Summary: "London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her … Continue reading Precious Memories. →

Tricolors for Trying Times.

Book Review for “The Women of Chateau Lafayette” by Stephanie Dray. Summary: 1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband's political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France, and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must choose to renounce the complicated man she loves, or … Continue reading Tricolors for Trying Times. →

Budding Secrets.

Book Review for “The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn. Summary: "1940: As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the … Continue reading Budding Secrets. →

Reading French History.

Book Review for “The Paris Library” by Janet Skeslien Charles. Summary: “Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together … Continue reading Reading French History. →

Up Into the Blue Skies.

Book Review for “The Good Doctor of Warsaw” by Elizabeth Gifford. Summary: “Deeply in love and about to marry, students Misha and Sophia flee a Warsaw under Nazi occupation for a chance at freedom. Forced to return to the Warsaw ghetto, they help Misha's mentor, Dr Janusz Korczak, care for the two hundred children in … Continue reading Up Into the Blue Skies. →

Postcards from the Precipice.

Book Review for “The Berlin Girl” by Mandy Robotham. Summary: “Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm. Arriving to a city swathed in … Continue reading Postcards from the Precipice. →

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage

Book Review for “When we were Young and Brave” by Hazel Gaynor. Summary: “China, December 1941. Having left an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China, Elspeth Kent is now anxious to return home to help the war effort. But as she prepares to leave China, a … Continue reading The Bird in the Bamboo Cage →